Free Therapy

Let's do this! (April 2012)

Moving to the United States from Canada was one of the easiest decisions of my life. I had already established my career as a paramedic and was quickly developing an expertise in training and development. Christina had now completed her PhD and it was time for her to establish her career so down we went with our U-Haul full of furniture and clothing, and car in tow.


Although the decision to move was easy, living down here has been anything but easy. Many challenges have emerged related to things such as credit scores, work authorizations, unrecognized Canadian credentials, income tax, and so on. Separately, none of these issues have been significant. Over time, however, the constant reminders that "you are not good enough down here" have taken their toll. Despite being self-confident, I now often find myself doubting my abilities and experience.

Marine Corps Marathon (October 2013)

In addition to Christina's constant support, running has been a bright light through this struggle. Running has been a distraction from my professional difficulties. Training has allowed me to set personal goals when work and school progress has been blurry. My improvements and achievements as a runner have given my self-confidence a boost by highlighting my ability to reach my goals. Finally, new running friends have filled the void of those coworkers, close friends, and family that we left behind. My mom describes running as free therapy and many other runners often characterize it as such. Perhaps it is no coincidence that at a time in my life when I feel I have struggled the most, running has become a more significant part of it.

Friends running Pike's Peek 10k (April 2014)

Professional and personal struggles will come and go. In those difficult times, running can be that much needed escape. For me, it made me realize that I should not measure my success solely on my professional achievements. I am also happy to know that my blog has recently influenced some friends to run more, which has helped them through their personal challenges.

This is why I run.