I run because I want more life....

Running is one of a few passions. The other big love of my life is film. In the not so distant past, I penned film reviews.

I could remember every movie I had ever seen. I could remember how old I was when I saw the movie. I could remember what theater I saw it in.

I don't know how many movies I have seen, but I remember the ones that I would take with me to a desert island. Once such flick is 'Blade Runner'.

There are a few characters in this one who are referred to as 'replicants'. These replicants are incredibly realistic renderings of humans.

Calling them an android would be an insult. You can have normal conversation with them. They look real. They smell real. You can have sex with them.

So....they are pretty real. Sadly, they are built with a lifespan that is pre-determined. They know exactly how much time they have. It haunts them.

The leader of the replicants states frankly at a particularly dramatic moment, 'I want more life, fucker.'

It's a line that always resonated for me because I think it speaks to what so many people want. We want more time, we want more life.

I don't know what my expiration date is and I am not sure I want to know. I don't know if there is anything I can do one way or the other to influence it, really.

But, I know what makes me feel alive and what makes me feel like I have more life left in me.

For nearly a quarter of a century, running has been one of those experiences that makes me feel alive and makes me feel like I am extending my life...whatever my expiration date might be.

A study came out several years ago that indicated that running actually 'slows' the aging process. This was no surprise to me. I always knew on some level this was the case.

I always feel younger. I always feel stronger. I always feel more alive. I always feel more human. I always feel like I have more life after I run.

Exactly how much more life running buys me I don't know, but I will take whatever I can get. I run because I want more life...