The Runner

People sometimes ask what I think about when I run, the easy answer is ice cream or something equally trivial. The truth is that it's everything and nothing. My thoughts drift to conversations I've had, patients I've met, stray reflections on life and mortality, and sometimes I blink and realize that four miles have passed, and I couldn't tell you a single thing that crossed my mind. Running is meditation, medicine, it is where I feel most like myself, moving freely through the world, chasing something just beyond reach. Running is so important to me because it has taught me so much about myself.Being able to stay focused on a goal that is long, that is hard, that is something that you are continually working to achieve, is really challenging at times and really important. Running is something that's really reinforced that in my life, a sustained dedication and continued effort. My life would not be remotely close to what it is without running every single day. There's a lot of parallels that can be drawn between running or training for a marathon and becoming a physician, it's I think, I think both really embody the idea that it's about the journey, rather than the finish line, or the destination, or the graduation that you're working towards. Both require a lot of the same traits and characteristics, where you need to be focused and dedicated to something that's really hard, but when you pour yourself into it, is really fulfilling, and is something we're really lucky to get to do. It takes a lot to show up every single day, whether it's for that run in the morning before the sun is up, or when you're there for another long shift in the hospital. It takes continued dedication for both of them, and I think both are fulfilling in unique ways. One of the things I love most about VTC is they make a very concerted effort to integrate you with the community with all of the different volunteering or community service opportunities that you have that let you be a part of this community and maybe contribute to it in some small way. By virtue of me running in… quite literally putting my feet on the ground and exploring the Roanoke community. I've been able to connect to it in a really unique way. As you run through the city, you can quite literally see the disparities, and you can see how things are different from one neighborhood to another. It gives you some insight into the lives of the patients you're going to be treating and working with. One of my favorite running quotes is to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. And these last four years in Roanoke, at VTC, being surrounded by such amazing classmates who continually give their best and make everyone around them better every day, has been such an incredible and rewarding experience. These four years have been an amazing experience, but I am really excited about what the next four years have to bring, and I'm looking forward to taking it one step at a time.