I started running 8 years ago, along the Bronx River Parkway.

I remember the first time I ran.

I was a young college kid trying to figure out my way in this world, stressed out about something, can’t even remember what anymore. Out of impulse I thought to myself, “Go outside and run.”

So I did.

I remember that first run. 

Within less than a mile my lungs were on fire, I struggled to catch my breath and keep running. I stopped but then something told me, “Don’t stop, keep going.”

So I kept going.

A few more times I wanted to stop but I felt like I was chasing something. It felt like that something was a thing that could fundamentally change my life forever, and if I stopped now I would never have it. 

So I kept running.

As I entered into a steady pace, my mind began to ruminate. There was nothing much else to do now, except put one foot in front of the other, breathe, and think.

Uncomfortable thoughts. Unprocessed emotions. Began bubbling to the surface. I felt anger. I felt frustration. I felt resentment. I felt sadness.

So I ran harder.

Breathing faster. I crossed under a bridge and on the other side the sun hit my face. Suddenly my mind was still, my body was as if it turned on auto-pilot. My soul felt light. All my worries were gone and it was just me, my body, and the ground, operating as one blissful unit flowing through space.

I stayed there.

I stayed there until the implications of what I just experienced dawned on me.

That was one of the most uplifting moments I had experienced in a long time.

That same day, I went to Footlocker and asked them for a pair of their most affordable running shoes. The saleswoman pointed me to a pair of Black Asics and I was off.

From that point forward, whenever life got hard, I knew I could count on a solid run to get me through it. Then, even at times when life was going just the way it needed to, a run was always there to give me that edge, or provide an insight that would push me through to the next level. It became ritual catharsis and a source of power for me.

It became prayer.

It became meditation.

It became my sacrifice to The Most High.

When I tell people, “I run to find God.” They think I’m being funny, but I’m not.

When I tell people, “I run to Die.” They think I’m being ridiculous, but I’m not.

I became inspired by the stories and feats of Ultra-Marathon runners such as David Goggins and Chadd Wright running 100+ miles at a time. I could understand where their mentality comes from and admire the energy they exude. This is an energy that I understand only comes from brutal physical hardship. It is an energy that I began to learn to cultivate for myself.

Through this cultivation I learned the importance of testing your metal in competition against other hardened individuals. At first it was martial arts, then competitive running. Last year I set a goal to complete a marathon by the end of 2024. 

I am happy to say I have achieved that goal.

Pocantico Hills Marathon in Sleepy Hollow, NY was completed in 2024 in the 11th month and 9th day. 5 hours with 2,500 ft in elevation gain, she was truly a spicy tamale. 

Having my wife and daughter at the end to cheer me on was everything to me.

People have told me for a while now to get rid of my Asics. They tell me it’s bad for my feet, they tell me they stink, they tell me they’re ugly, they tell me they have holes. I laugh and tell them, “Yes, they’re holy.”

I love my beat-up Asics just the way they are. They brought me all the way here over 8 years of hitting pavement and dirt. But today, I retire them to relic status. They are to be my badge of initiation that I will cherish for as long as they’re with me. 

As I tied my Asics to hang up I remembered my first run.

I remembered that sun hitting my face.

I remembered the fire in my lungs.

As I held that pair of dusty Black Asics in my hands, I remembered all the struggle I went through with them. 

I remembered how every single second was worth it.

I remembered…this is just the beginning.

Ultra-Marathon. Here I come!