Runner’s World+ Member: Tracy Carracedo
Tracy 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 has provided me with an inner drive that quite frankly is hard to find anywhere else. I was introduced to running about 20 years ago when I first moved to the Boston area. I witnessed firsthand all the fanfare and history surrounding the annual Boston Marathon and was immediately hooked. I slowly started logging runs in hopes of running it one day. I’ve since run it 10 times. Finishing a marathon is the most incredible experience, and it has given me a spark that eliminates any self-limiting beliefs and provides me the confidence to feel like I can do just about anything. Running, to me, is everything.
I run because, simply put, I do my best thinking when I run. When I run, I always finish smarter than when I started. All answers come easy. When I run, I visualize the life in front me. Running allows me to slip into deep thought. It’s a peaceful place, my place.
I’ll run just about anywhere, but my favorite places to run are paved rail trails. There are several here in New Hampshire/Boston area. No cars, no noise, just me, nature, and the trail ahead.
I’ve tried just about every piece of running equipment or accessory there is, but the one thing I absolutely can’t run without is the Runkeeper app on my iPhone. This app tracks my data in a way that works well for me, plus gives me insight into how each run measures against itself. Also, the fact that the app was invented here in the Boston area is also a plus.
My car license plates reads “IRUN26” as an homage to my marathon days, though I tell people I should change it to “IRAN26” now that I’m retired from long distance running.
My relationship with running has changed as I’ve gotten older. Though I enjoy occasional races, I’m less interested in PR’s and mile splits as much as I am into running for the health benefits and inner peace it provides.
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