Sharing The Run (and life) With Others

30
Jun
2012
By

I think it is innate within the human soul that we long for connection.

Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Daily Mile, and the ever ease of creating a personal blog make sharing the facts of our individual lives effortless. With a click of a button (and character count of 140), our victories, struggles, ideas and mileage are out there for the world to see. The words are out of our head and visible on a computer screen. And others can do with it what they want.

They may read and keep quiet.

Or they may converse in a multitude of ways, adding deep thought or an element of great joy, happiness and laughter to our days.

We put ourselves out there in an effort to connect and share with others the journey.

And we are secretly disappointed when the comments don’t appear….

During face-to-face conversation, sometimes I think I share too much (I find comfort in my computer keyboard’s delete button). I imagine we all do at times: Does that person really care about what I just told him or her? Did I reveal too much? Does he or she find me as witty as I think I am? :)

It has happened a couple of times, where I have been introduced to someone with the added caveat, “She’s a runner. Do you run? Because if you do, she’ll talk to you a lot about running.”

Eyes wide with shock, I quickly contemplate the notion that really, I’m not afraid to talk about running. Running has transformed my life and like so many of you, I long to share the journey. And the runner’s life is a journey, isn’t it? It’s an adventure full of ups and downs, shortfalls and big moments. Consequently, the joys and despairs of running are intricately threaded through any and every facet of my ’outside of being a runner’ life.

Honestly, I’m not sure I could have a conversation about me (good or bad, big or small) without somehow connecting it to the miles, the races, the early mornings, the treadmill, my New Balance Minimus shoes, the trails, etc…

Running is who I am. And that longing for connection and ease of conversation is why I do what I do with Loving The Run.

  • http://twitter.com/RunningBecause David H.

    I think it’s important to not get too wrapped up into comments and posts. That was one of those things that shocked me when I first started blogging — what got comments, what didn’t. I’ve realized after 5 years of blogging that most bloggers don’t stick around long, or they just disappear after a few years. Conversations come, conversations go, but at the end of the day running is all about you, and you’ve given a free invitation to let others join in the fun.

  • Renee

    There is so much truth in this post, Kelly! I know I’m disappointed when I don’t get comments or feedback. And I also worry about talking too much or over sharing my running experiences. I’ve only run for a short time and, before that, most of the life experiences that have connected/bonded me with other people were negative ones. Similar childhoods, similar struggles, similar loss.

    Now that I have something positive to share, I can’t hold back! I’ll tell anyone and everyone who’ll listen how much running has changed my life. And I’m genuinely interested in knowing more about others who run. It’s a great addiction!

  • Sherri Adelman

    My running is a huge part of who I am. It metaphorically speaks for more than just the running. If people talk to me they will likely hear of training runs, the heat forcing me to the”dreadmill” as I fondly call it. But they will also hear about how my life sometimes mirrors the good runs or bad runs or non runs. Life is a journey, we just choose to run it!

    • http://www.twitter.com/lovingtherun Kelly

      “Life is a journey, we just choose to run it.” What a great statement!

  • Lisa@RunWiki.org

    so true!

  • http://twitter.com/DavidECreech Wilderness Dave

    This is a pitfall of conversing with anyone who has a passion for something.  If you talk to an artist, they will talk about their latest project, or inspirations, or techniques.  Talk to climber and hear all about torn skin, near death falls and chalk…always about chalk. If you talk to a business man passionate about his business would you not expect to learn about what he does and how his market is growing or shrinking?

    Some people don’t like talking to passionate folks because all it does is remind them of how empty and stale their own lives are.  

    Never stop sharing your story, your passion, because what’s the worst that could happen??  You might inspire people? That’s not so bad… ;)

    • http://www.twitter.com/lovingtherun Kelly

      You are so correct, Wilderness Dave. I am passionate about a handful of things in my life (running, my kids, public policy, helping others, feeding starving children, etc…). And I like nothing more than to talk about those things. Throughout, I do hope I inspire others, in some way, big or small….if only everyone had just one thing he/she was passionate about. What would the world look like?

  • Stephanie Hahn

    You got into my head, girlie :)

    • http://www.twitter.com/lovingtherun Kelly

      What I say is true, isn’t it?! We should feel free to vocalize the things we are passionate about. It’s what makes us who we are, unique from all the rest and hopefully inspiring to others.

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