RUNNING THROUGH THE VIRUS

I have enjoyed running for the past 22 years. During that time, I have always run several times per week with the exception of periods of injury. However, my running has stepped up since the COVID pandemic shut down my gym, and I have been running every morning.

My route is the same most mornings - a 2.8 mile out and back that includes a loop around Gallup Park and the Huron River near our neighborhood. Most mornings, I see the same people, who - like me - are probably just trying to get in their exercise early and clear their heads. Indeed, the main reason I run is to unwind and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other - generally as fast as I can!

Running has meant so much to me, and it feels like a form of resistance to the imposition this virus has placed on our lives. I do not wear a mask when I run, but I do go out of my way, literally, to avoid other people so that I will not infect them or become infected by them. That etiquette is generally reciprocal as we each pound out one step after another.

The New York Times had a nice article about Running Toward a New World complete with illustrations by Elisha Cooper - some of which are shown below. COVID notwithstanding, I will continue to run in this new world.