One Step. That’s All You Need to Get Started
The truth about why I run.
I don’t even know what I was running for — I guess I just felt like it. ―J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye.
I’m a runner and this is my story.
It all began when I was 10 years old. My father enrolled me in an athletics program. From there, it was a natural progression to run track at school. I was a sprinter back then, born to run fast. I rarely ran reps over 400 meters. Sprinting is all about speed — short but explosive bursts of speed.
I never envisioned running long until I moved from Australia to Japan. I was built for speed not endurance — or so I thought…
The catalyst was the Sumida-gawa — a mega-river that flows through central and eastern Tokyo. From my balcony, I traced its path winding eastward in the distance. It is hard to put into words, but the river called to me.
It had to be done.
I laced up running shoes and headed out the door.
That day I ran for miles.
The next day I ran some more.
The centuries old river system is Tokyo best kept secret. Free from traffic lights and the hazard of cars. The ultimate…
