These are strange times. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us into an unusual state. For some, this new life consumes too much time and energy and worry to manage running. Others find themselves with a wealth of time to run. With childcare closed, I find myself straddling the two categories: I would love to be out running, but have little time, and added stress makes each run feel harder than it might have in another world, a mere two months ago.

Another oddity of the current situation is the social isolation. I’m a social person, and love gatherings and parties and meetings. Group runs are what convinced me to start running in the first place.

I was a lousy runner growing up. A mile seemed an incredibly long distance, and it seems any attempts at running my parents encouraged ended up hot and filled with deer flies. Running was distinctly not for me. However, over the years, most of my opinions have tempered, and a desire to move fast through the mountains got me running for fitness, and for fun on the trails. Group runs (often with the promise of a pub at the end) are what got me running regularly.

That social draw kept me coming back, and eventually inspired me to transform myself into a person who calls himself a runner. Now, self-isolating at home, I see mostly only my wife and son on any given day, but I find myself mostly content. And running alone.

Running by myself is different. It allows me to push the pace when I feel like it, or totally relax. I can choose to meander up a side path I hadn’t noticed before, or bushwhack up a hill on terrain that is distinctly unrunnable. There is a zen that comes from watching my own feet touch down, and hearing my own breath, and feeling wind on my face. But along with the freedom and peace come some challenges: running on my own means it’s only me in my head. My harshest critic is my only companion. It means no races, which for me were inspiration to train hard, and were social events themselves.

My (6-month-old) son is now able to sit upright well enough to ride in the jogging stroller. I’ve been out with him in the stroller nearly every day for the past week. Not being able to talk, or run for that matter, he’s not much of a running companion. But I suppose I’m not alone running anymore either.