My Journey to Running

Updated: Dec 23, 2022

Running sets me free.

Running is fun. It is difficult. It is beautiful. It is ugly.

Running allows the opportunity to immerse myself in nature, as well as within the community.

Running has led me to living a more honest, healthy, peaceful, and explorative life.

Running led me to veganism.

Running led me to sobriety.

Running connected me to my wife.

Running has created a far more fulfilling life than anything else I've done before.

I am grateful to engage in this ritualistic, creative behavior as often as I do.

I began running in 2016. But not really... I ran a few times here and there, maybe a couple times a week for a month or two, then I'd take a few months off to get distracted by work or drinking or vacation. Then I would pick it up again a few months later.

But I liked how I felt when I was running. Even the pain after running was something I oddly enjoyed. I was so used to breaking down my body with drugs and booze and food and stress and work and... you know, the American Dream. But the pain I felt from running was freeing. It was pure and honest and fucking beautiful. And so, I kept returning to it, not knowing what it had in store for my future.

In 2017, my friends got married near Mohican State Park in Loudonville, OH. My (then) wife and I decided to go on a hike. I've no idea how far we actually went, but I do remember thinking, and saying to Katie, "I'm going to run up this hill!" When I got to the top of the hill, my lungs and legs were on fire. I raised my hands high above my head and exclaimed, "Trail running is amazing! I can't believe no one has ever done this before!" I legitimately thought I was both Lewis and Clark, discovering some beautiful, wretched exercise and I was seriously proud of myself.

A few days later, I signed up for my first half marathon and began my first training block ever.

Over the coming months, I ran through my neighborhood, at local parks, and even some nearby trails. Mostly, I ran alone, but every now and then, I would meet up with another runner or two and run trails with them. Not only did I run with others from time to time, but I also learned that I did not, in fact, discover the sport of trail running. Despite that very minor letdown, I continued running and building my lungs and legs and life in a way that I'd not done previously.

And it felt good.

And so, I continued. I ran from August until December, when I flew to West Palm Beach, FL to run my first half marathon. I crossed the finish line of that race and somehow knew of the extreme importance this sport would play in my future life.

To this day, I've run every race distance from 5k to 100 miles. I've logged 100-mile training weeks, climbed 200k feet of elevation in a year's time, and formed friendships with some of the most dynamic, beautiful humans I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I've been invited to join Endurance Athlete Teams and raised money for charity by simply putting one foot in front of the other.

There is nothing special about me, but there is something incredibly special about this sport and I am grateful for all that it has done to give me a special place in this world.

Peace, Love, and Veggie Grease,

Patrick Messenger

@louisvilleveganrunner