Why do I run? This is a question I ask myself during each marathon, and specifically during the tougher kilometers. This is my choice, my joy and my energy source. I started running as a teenager, every now and then, just for fun. I didn’t have any goals in mind, just enjoyed putting one foot after another.
My mom ran some 10 marathons between 40 and 60 years and at the age of 34 I decided I am going to test my limits and try to finish the Helsinki City Marathon. I hadn’t practiced enough, but with my tactic of running as slow as I can and just finishing, I managed to do that in 5 hours and 17 minutes. After that I got a little bit excited and wanted to try it again, so I ran the next year too. My newly found partner was sporty and we decided to fly to Rome to run a marathon together. What a joy it was to run in between the old buildings. I ran on average one marathon a year but gradually I got more excited and started to think about how I should train. I got myself a virtual coach in order to improve my pace with the first target of running a marathon with an average pace of 6 minutes per hour.
Now I have completed 18 marathons of which 7 in the past two years and marathon is a big part of my life. Running is my meditation, something that both relaxes and excites me. I love the quote: “I run, though I am”.
North Strides 