"Why I..." Wednesday 2: Why I Run

Welcome to Week 2 of "Why I..." Wednesday!

This week features good friend and longtime Run Over Depression supporter, Steve Knight. Read his story now.

My name is Steve Knight and I work as Technical Support Specialist at Temple University Hospital. Running has been a part of me for nearly my entire life. I come from 4 generations of runners; my dad, uncle, cousin, including myself. My first experiences with running started when I was 4 years old when I used to go on jogs with my father. Deep down that was my way of truly connecting with him and running is something we both share and love. Every time I hang out with him we always “talk shop”.  

My knowledge of running runs deep as I was trained on both sides of the spectrum. I’m naturally a sprinter but I also learned the mechanics of distance running from my father since he was a natural distance runner. My uncle was a sprinter and a great middle distance runner and he was very proficient in the 100m, 200m, 100m hurdles, 400 meters and the mile. And from this legacy, that’s where I primarily acquired my natural skill for running both ways. I’ve always called myself a sprinter who could run distance.  

In high school I ran both track and cross country and this has given me great discipline when approaching the philosophy of running. I ran the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 110m hurdles, 300m hurdles, triple jump and the mile along with running 5Ks in cross country. When I look back on it now I realized how fortunate running has been in my life both on and off the court. I was teased a lot growing up and didn’t really belong anywhere except in my own private world, but running was the great “equalizer”. If it wasn’t for track and cross-country I wouldn’t have made it through high school.  

Running has given me a true sense of belonging with others who share the passion and also gave me the confidence to embrace any challenge that comes my way. I always thought that running the “race” was a true reflection of LIFE itself. It really teaches you how to deal with adversity in a positive way. I truly learned that life is not a sprint but a marathon and no matter the distance you truly have to pace yourself and deal with life as it comes.  

As I got older and started battling depression more directly I realized how running has been a great benefit for keeping the darkness at bay. When I run, I’m in my own world and I can mold the experience to whatever reality I choose. After dealing with a slipped disc injury since after high school I started to gain weight and couldn’t exercise like I used to when I was younger. I think that’s when the depression started and put me in a dark place for a while. After recovering from my injury I got back into running in 2009 and started feeling like my old self again. Since then, running has taken on a whole new meaning for me. It became more of a life style rather than just running against the clock. Instead of running for “time”, I embraced the enriching time of “just running”. And it’s given me so many benefits like true physical fitness, mental focus and spiritual clarity. And these are tools you can utilize for the rest of your life. Running for me is like hitting the reset button keeping me forever trapped within the moment.  

Over the years I’ve run numerous 5Ks, 3 Broad Street Runs, and about 12 half marathons and those have been some of the great accomplishments in my life. Running has brought me out of the darkness of my own mind illuminating my soul with clarity. Every time I go running each layer of darkness just sheds away and I start anew. It’s been the greatest inspiration in my LIFE.  

Inspired? You can reach Steve at rapnerd72@outlook.com.