Soccer has officially taken over my summer. For the past week and a half, the World Cup has been a mainstay in my home. My mornings start with match previews, my afternoons are filled by group-stage drama. But as I've sat glued to the screen, I've realized I'm not just watching a tournament. The deeper I get into this World Cup, the more familiar it all feels. Because, in a lot of ways, the World Cup and all it represents is exactly like running.
This past week has featured two runners on each run. The one running down the road. And the version of me from 3 weeks ago. The version that was not recovering from an illness. The version that was not worried about his training leading up to the Peachtree Road Race. The runner who did not think twice about heading out the door to tackle whatever the training plan had set.
May 16th, 2026 will go down as one of my favorite running memories. It’s a memory I’ll treasure because of the people — the friends who drove from Baton Rouge and the Mississippi Gulf Coast to come run Ballin’ on Belrose with us.
What even is a long run? It’s an answer that changes over time. Long runs are relative. Your experience, race goals, and free time all play a role in what a long run actually looks like. There’s no right or wrong definition. And while the distance may change, the mental and physical experience stays surprisingly consistent.
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