The Dark, Cold Run

Running in the sun, with your friends by your side, a slight breeze at your back, beauty all around you, and a feeling of being unstoppable are all moments sweet and pleasurable. Every runner who has ever laced up a pair of running shoes has experienced such breathtaking occasions. Yet, there are other periods in a runner's training.

This time of year in the Intermountain West a runner's more common experience is running alone in the cold and dark. Shorter daylight hours, long work days, and subzero temperatures limit options to run in more hospitable conditions. If the unconquerable runner wants to achieve his goals, he must go out alone into the cold and dark, make friends with his solitude, and embrace the quiet sound of his labored breath.

Like a winter season in the runner's training regimen, we live through times of isolation, with limited options. Like the unconquerable runner, we too must push through the dark and cold if we are to realize the beauty and fullness of being that can only come through consistent and steady effort. Ultimately, the key may be in embracing struggle as it comes and welcoming the embryo of strength such exertions create. After all, it is in the dark, cold run that we discover ourselves and make running in the sun even more brilliant.