(On Running) #1 Running on Purpose
Stationed within one mile of the precipitous ~120 foot climb that Vermont City marathoners must tackle twice (Mile 6 & Mile 19) in their 26.2 mile journey, a photographer was able to capture both the joy and agony of running my first marathon. Mile 5 (Lap 1) & Mile 18 (Lap 2) Mile 5: Bring it on! Mile 18: Not again... ~ I used to believe becoming a runner would be boring. Having grown up on the soccer field, I always felt the need to run with purpose, rather than just running . But then, in May 2025, a friend of mine suggested we run a Spartan 10K together. When beginning to train for the Spartan 10K, I followed a 6-week plan in the Nike Run Club (NRC) app. I ran with my phone, in gym shorts and old cut-off cotton T-shirts, listening to the NRC guided audio runs while dance pop blared in the background. I began watching Youtube videos to learn about terms like VO2 Max (one of the most common metrics for running performance), and was displeased to discover that my Apple W...