In this our fourth pandemic semester, I’ve been thinking about what it takes to endure. Fortunately, I have a lifelong friend, college roommate, and college teammate—Dr. Kathryn McLeod—who has taught me about the joy of endurance.

We spent a week together in September-October testing our endurance against desert trails: we ran 40 miles in 50 hours, up and over the peaks of Bryce National park, across the mesas above Zion National Park, along Horseshoe Bend’s sandstone, and through a sacred Peyote slot canyon. We slept in a tent, drank from Camelbacks, read poetry, laughed hard, met new friends, showered in the back of a truck, ate chocolate, wept with emotion, listened to music early in the morning on the way to the trails…and we ran. We ran strong and far. We ran because it’s hard and fun and gratifying.

Here’s to endurance!