Runner’s World+ Member: Philip Mueller
Philip 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!
I have been a casual runner all my life for the simple joy of it. But I let it slip away for a while. Ever since my 7-year-old son died of neuroblastoma in 2011, coping with grief and loss has made life a challenge. I turned to cycling, not running–first at the charity event level, and then in extreme, multi-stage endurance events–to get the catharsis I needed. Eventually though, all that suffering on the bike overtook any remnant of joy it once might have given me. And so, recently I returned to running, and have found that joy–and yes, the catharsis, I need for healing–once again. This November, I ran my very first race–the NYC Marathon–with a full heart and the experience has been transformational. Running helps me get to where I need to be.
I still have so much to learn about running and what motivates other people to run. Learning these things is endlessly rewarding. The RW+ community is the ideal place to do this. I’ve long been a fan of Bicycling Magazine and Runners World Magazine, and in terms of tone, content and editorial direction, I’ve always felt at home with these publications. RW+ feels like a natural extension of this vision and I think it’s great for the sport–and for me!
Whether at the beginning, the middle or end of a run, there is always, always a deep sense of joy and contentment. Many things motivate me to run; chasing joy motivates me to be a runner.
New York City has rekindled my love of running. I live close to the Hudson River Greenway, a 12.9-mile paved path along the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan. It’s just enough on the periphery to avoid traffic yet close enough to give you a good dose of the city’s energy. My favorite route? Starting near the Freedom Tower, run up the Greenway to 72nd Street, run east on 72nd Street to Central Park, and then run the Central Park Loop, with an extra loop of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir if I’m feeling good. After that, I’ll grab a drink at a hot dog stand and take the subway home. A perfect New York day.
My Garmin Forerunner 245 Music. I could not have trained for the New York City Marathon without it. Whether doing intervals or working towards negative splits on long runs, the Forerunner 245 was indispensable.
The New York City Marathon and I both turn 50 in 2020 and I want to run it again. Goal: beat my 2019 time of 4:07:19.
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