Runner’s World+ Member: Mark Eberle
Mark is a Runner’s World+ member. Join him and thousands of others chasing their goals with day-by-day training plans, expert advice from editors and coaches, and unlimited digital access. We regularly feature members online and in print!
Running is simply a part of who I am. Obviously, there are the physical benefits to running. However, there is a general sense of positivity that comes from going for a run. Some days, running just a mile is a struggle. Other days, I feel like I could run forever. Irrespective of the distance, when I am done, there is always a sense of accomplishment and pride that comes from getting out there and putting in the miles.
I began receiving the emails from Runner’s World publishing different stories that I wanted to read. Some of those stories were exclusive to members of RW+. The price was reasonable and I have always supported Runner’s World magazine. So, it was the natural next step in my membership.
I’ve been running on and off for decades. When I was younger, I would spend miles running alone to think through problems. It was meditative. Now, I run exclusively for the socialization—to spend time with friends. In fact, over the past few years, from my local trail running group, I have gathered the best friends of my life. No matter how difficult the day or the week has been, I can feel better—like a kid again—just by lacing up and getting out with my crew. And, more and more, running has been a means to engage in some social good for all of us, together. For example, my friends and I get out the door and pick a Staten Island trail route in order to collect trash, i.e. plog. Or, if we know that someone is not feeling good about themselves, we drag them out to put in a few miles. And, that frown is turned upside down.
My favorite type of running has always been trail running. It is where I met my running crew—in the Staten Island Greenbelt. I love to start from the High Rock Park parking lot at the top of Nevada Avenue. From there, you can run for hours and miles on challenging trails through beautiful woods and completely forget that you are less than 10 miles away from Manhattan and only minutes away from a major highway.
I am obsessed with anything Tracksmith, but mostly the Tracksmith Session Shorts. The best running shorts that I have ever owned. Durable, comfortable and multipurpose. I bought one pair. I loved them so much that I ending up buying six more pairs and have convinced everyone around me to wear them. I wear them for running and yoga and I even wear them for standup paddle boarding. (Yes, Tracksmith. I am plugging to be the first nonprofessional sponsored runner).
I am very close friends—almost like family—with one of the cast members of The Flash, which seems apropos given my love of running fast.
I would like to eventually run an ultramarathon. I have never even run a marathon. I’ve run dozens of 5Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks and half marathons. But, never a marathon. However, I figure that, if I am going to go for it as part of my runner’s “bucket list”, I might as well go really big by going beyond the distance of a marathon and participate in a trail 50K or 50-miler.
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