Addicted to running?

I started running around the end of July of 1977. At the time, I lived in Westchester County, New York. Quite stressed with a new job, I needed a physical outlet that would take me a minimum amount of time and that I could practice daily. I was then working at Beconta, a sporting goods distributor heavily involved in the ski industry, which among many, had a consultant by the name of Tom Leroy who was in the 1968 movie “Ski the outer limits.” Tom was a congenial fellow as well as a runner and he strongly encouraged me to make running a lifelong habit. I’ll always be very grateful to him, whatever he does and wherever he lives today. At any rate, I never would have thought that road running would become my favorite sport and would even take precedence over skiing. When I ruptured my Achilles’ tendon last year, I did suffer a lot more from not running for three and a half month than not being able to ski. One reason is that running is a highly addictive activity as it causes the body to release endorphins, a natural analgesic that produces a sense of elation that is very hard to do without; for instance, we run in the morning, but late afternoon we always feel a strong urge to go out for a long walk and we end up doing it. Another benefit of running is that it provides a personal time capsule giving an opportunity to think freely, be exposed to a stream of creative ideas and more receptive to a whole variety of sensations. There’s also the feeling of being very light and almost invincible, just like a bird. Finally, there’s the “health factor” which manifests itself in many ways, starting with good metabolism, a complete physical workout, and what I feel is protection against a lot of little pain, aches, ailments and even depression. Of course, hip, knees and ankles need to hold up under the physical stress, and they do if we make sure to keep the duration and the intensity of the exercise under strict control, extending that delightful dependence for another day...