[+] Filling The Void

Between Strides and Shadows

[Diesen Text gibt es auch auf Deutsch]

Since I started running, I have repeatedly come across runners who are not doing so well mentally. I'm not talking about "having a bad day" or "accidentally buying an insipid melon and being annoyed about it." I'm talking about real life struggles that, at their worst, can become existential.

Those affected often seek and find new strength and confidence in running. I would even go so far as to say that running is a magnet for such people. I experienced a similar phenomenon as a teenager in the straight edge and hardcore scene. This music and its values freed me from the lack of perspective in a small town, made me quit drinking, gave me direction, and motivated me to change things in and around me that I didn't like.

Refuge

Running is a place where you can be who you are. You can feel what you feel, think what you think, and still be a runner without having to justify yourself. And while running itself may not help you solve your problems, it is often the one small step forward that allows you to end a bad day and start a new, better one.

Void

I myself had my worst crises between the ages of 24 and 27. During my childhood and adolescence, I had accumulated a heavy backpack of negative thought patterns, uncontrolled emotions, and dysfunctional relationship behaviors. It was only a matter of time before this Molotov cocktail would blow up in my face. And when it did, I had neither the knowledge nor the strength to protect myself.