What is running? It seems like a philosophical question, but it really is not. “It is when you are walking faster”, jokers would say. In reality, I am not trying to come up with a definition but to express the whole volume of feelings and emotions I have experienced in the last eight years of running more than 21.000 kilometers. I am not sure if this is a big number or not, but for me, it did impact a lot of things and stages of my life. My incipient journey into running started in May 2015, when I broke an arm at a football game. No kickboxing, no swimming, nothing. I needed a way to keep fit because I was always crazy about not getting fat. It all started with a few kilometers. To be completely honest, as far as I remember, at the beginning I only ran 2-3 kilometers together, or even in total, and that was it. In Titan Park, always. Nothing more. I did it before breaking the extremity of my limb, but it is so rare that it does not even count. I don’t remember running significant distances in 2015, but I remember that running was the only sport I could practice. Then, for some reason, it snapped: on February 13, 2016, without having a certain reason, I installed Nike Runner, an app, on my mobile phone and started counting kilometers.
Most likely, I wanted to quantify, in some way, not only my raw numbers but also my emotions and each feeling when I decided to go outside the house. I liked instantly the way the measurement impacted my approach to running, and I guess from there, everything started. Running is not only a very cheap and efficient way to exercise and be in shape, but also a funnel that offers you a chance to make decisions, align your thoughts properly, and, in a way, tear small portions of your soul and leave them on the path of each run, especially when that run means something to you. Do you often feel anything? Mostly, yes, but there are moments when the sentiments that flood your mind remain engraved in your memory for an eternity. The examples are many; they are huge, but of course everything needs to have a filter, and since the story doesn’t need to be endless, my output will be limited to a few, but very powerful, moments.
Memories
15th of August 2020, it is one of those unforgettable days. I was living in Budapest and had some milestones on my mind for that year, when COVID-19 ruled everything. One of those milestones was to hit 10.000 kilometers in total. At that point, it seemed huge. I thought that when I ticked that, I would become undestroyable. It happened in the hills of the capital city, shortly after ending a run with adidas Runners. One selfie, and I have celebrated the achievement with a short trip to Kecskemet. That was it. You were expecting to prolong these emotions, right? Well, that was it. One milestone was done, and the next day I just kept on running. Nothing lasts forever, not even for a few minutes. It is always just an illusion. The process is the one that shapes everything, not just the result. It passes quickly; you need to move on because it has passed. The beauty of the past is pilled in memories, but memories are not tangible; they are only meant as imaginary fuel for the fire of life, which needs to burn at high parameters anytime to keep us dreaming big. Running is no different. You enjoy the moment and move on. In the end, this should be the essence for everybody.
24th of November 2019. Going back one year, I remember this 26-kilometer run like it was yesterday. No special achievement I’ve run much faster many times, but this was the day when I took an important decision. Throughout the whole length of the trip, I was assessing which apartment to choose for my one-year stay in Budapest. It wasn’t easy, but I did make the correct decision. It was not something linked 100% to running, but it helped a lot. When my feet work, my mind clears, and many times it opens imaginary doors that can show real solutions. This was one of the most important. So, what is running? Maybe a way to purify and refine thoughts when you face dilemmas Yes, it can be!
1st of December 2022 It is the beginning of winter, the national day of Romania, but the weather looks to keep the autumn prisoner. It rains, it is cloudy, and I go to the marathon in the exact same place where I started running: Titan Park. Honestly, this is the second marathon event in terms of importance in Bucharest, and I am aiming to do a good race. The weather is exactly what I like. Since I am not that fast to “cut corners” because of my speed and to go higher and higher in the rankings, I have quite limited options. One is not to stop at hydration points, and, even though it is not a great idea, for me it works. And when it is cold outside, the needs of my body are quite limited, and I am guided by a sort of autopilot. I felt excellent; the output was a PB of 3:18 for the marathon, 2nd place in my age category, and 9th overall. Now, that I call an achievement! My first podium in more than three years. Special celebration? Ya, right! I enjoyed the podium, in spite of the fact that the ceremony started very late and I was freezing, and afterwards went back to my “normal life”.
So, what is running?
It can be a very intense emotion that can dissipate in the blink of an eye. The result remains huge for me, but still, it remains a memory.
26th of September 2021 Speaking about memories, in 2021 I will have such great ones, starting with the national championship of 6 hours of ultra-running, continuing with Primavera Trail Race, with The Speed Project Do It Yourself, and going through remembering the same 1st of December when, with 1:30:59, I clocked my best half-marathon time. Despite these great days, I chose a late September day, from Brașov, on a very hot day, considering the time of the year, when I was absolutely sure that I would be able to go below 40 minutes for 10 kilometers without having, honestly speaking, any reasons, apart from the fact that it has been nearly one year since, in not ideal conditions, I did manage to put the timer at 40:51 at NATO Run, in Budapest. After three kilometers at 4:00 minutes per mile, I collapsed emotionally and, in the end, dragged myself to only 42:30 minutes. I had a few times better results, and if you have asked me in 2019 if this is a good time, then I would sign off on it immediately. It was painful to see that only assuming you can do it is not enough. Frustration swallows you, but it deflates almost as fast as you are snapping your fingers. I was upset for five minutes; I felt this like the disappointment that it was, but it passed. Back to the next row in the book of life
10th of August 2024 When I am about to celebrate four years since the kilometer 10.000, I am running on the Seine shore, closing to Versailles, at kilometer 20, and I am asking myself, “Why the heck did I decide to run a city marathon in the middle of the summer?” like I usually do. But also, like I usually do, I move forward, regardless of my thoughts of finishing the struggle as soon as possible. It is the Paris Marathon, the Olympic version for everybody, but where I got a place after being drawn as a result of many, many, many tens of challenges achieved on the dedicated application. I don’t like the sentiment, but I feel happy to be there. It is a full contrast, and of course, this is not real. We are in 2023, but the process for my qualification there is underway, and I am completing challenge after challenge to have the best chance possible. So, what is running? I can say it can represent imagination—the wings you put on top of your dreams.
10th of June 2023 For so long, I have dreamed of the Spartan Ultra Race. An ultimate challenge where you run 50+ kilometers, usually in a mountain region, and you also encounter 60 obstacles that make its difficulty around five times higher. At least! Now that I’ve chosen Andorra for the event, I’ve added 4000+ meters of ascent, so… what could be better? Well, the idea was to have one of the obstacles be a loop of 8 kilometers around a 2500-meter peak carrying a brick. Nice! My watch showed, at the end, 13 hours and a half and almost 11.000 kcal swiped. This didn’t matter at all once I put my paw on the buckle, which I had been craving for at least three years. Yep, from the very beginning of 2020, when I managed my 10.000 kilometers. The specific experience from Andorra opens a new, separate chapter, which I might elaborate on separately, about traveling through running. Exploring new places—places you would never access if there had not been running
So, what is running in reality?
Now, the question looks harder than in the title. Running can be, basically, everything. It can be a horizon of infinite opportunities to explore and experience, a starting point for endless adventures. And, to be clear, I cannot say I like running. I can’t say I don’t like it. Actually, there is a great saying: You don’t need to like what you do in order to love what you do. But that, my friends, is a separate story, a different one, with many other logic shifts and sudden turns that appear to have no sense!