ON THE RUN with Ames
"IF YOU CAN TRAIN FOR A HALF MARATHON, YOU CAN FINISH YOUR MANUSCRIPT."
Welcome to ON THE RUN in which I ask runners why they write and writers why they run.
I met ames at one of Chloé Caldwell’s world-famous writing retreats last fall. There were two therapists in our little group, and a shocking amount of words fell out of my fingers, and I felt immediately safe displaying my neuroses to the other women in this cozy house in Hudson, which almost never happens. Chloe promised magic and it was so. When we were leaving, I asked ames where she was headed next (I was planning to ride the train home in silence and then lay down for forty-eight hours) and she casually said, “To Philly to run a half-marathon.” I knew if I was going to write about running, I had to talk to ames. Here she is!
SP: When did you start running?
AG: I started running in elementary school when the P.E. teachers set up what they called the “cross country course.” The whole loop was maybe a mile long, circling a giant field and then a brief (and most exciting) part through a wooded area. I loved that the boys were afraid I was going to beat them.
Both of my parents ran at that time, so I would tag along and join them for the end of their workouts when they let me.
I’m one of four daughters and three of us run. We live all across the country, so it’s special to pick out a race together. We connect through our training and then get to accomplish something big together on race day.
Why do you run?
For my brain. For my ADHD. For better sleep. For my legs that can get twitchy if I don’t. To spend time with my wife and our energetic standard poodle. Sometimes to get away from said energetic standard poodle.
Do you warm up?
Only if I’m paying someone that makes me.
Do you have a running routine? Can you tell me about it in detail?
Not really. If I’m training for a race, I’ll try to follow a training plan. But when I’m not I usually try to run 2-3 days per week, probably around 30-40 minutes each time. In my ideal world, I get a speed workout and a long run in each week. But again, that really only happens if I’m training for something which I am very much not at the moment.
What do you bring with you on your runs?
Nothing right now because I have an ear infection and can’t use headphones! At first it was brutal, but more recently I’ve enjoyed getting lost in my thoughts. When I’m going on a longer run, I’ll bring water or electrolytes and GU energy gels.
What are you running from?
Sometimes I’m running from things on my to-do list. Running feels like something productive to do when I don’t feel like being productive. Other times I’m running from chaos happening wherever I am. “I’m just going to slip out for a run,” is a great excuse to get out of stressful family holidays or events.
What are you running for?
For my relationships, including my relationship with myself. I’m a much better human with some endorphins.
Is running an addiction or a habit?
For me, a habit. For the protagonist in my book, an addiction.
Is running plot or a character?
Running is such a character! In the novel that I’m currently working on, running plays an important part, driving the narrative forward. Some of the characters are in a relationship with running. Sometimes this is a meaningful relationship, where both parties are nourished. And other times it turns into an unsustainable and tumultuous relationship, where running is just taking, taking, taking. I often feel like we can be running from our feelings, or running to process our feelings. In this way, running is very much a character. It plays a part and our relationship to it can change over time.
Is running a distraction from your writing or connected to it?
Running very much connects me to my writing. It helps the sediment in my mind settle and allows me to see things more clearly. After a run, it’s often like I can hear myself and my ideas again, which is awesome for writing. Plus, it helps my body calm down so I can sit for longer stretches of time and write.
Has running ever hurt you?
I’ve tweaked my low back a few times. When I take my running too seriously my Garmin watch hurts my feelings, telling me to hit a certain pace. So mean! I enjoy running so much more when I don’t put that kind of pressure on myself.
What advice would you give to runners?
When you’re first starting out, just choose a timed interval and do that a few times. Like run for three minutes, walk for two. Do that a few times. That’s still my favorite way to run.
What advice would you give to writers?
When I was training for a half marathon, another writer told me “If you can train for a half marathon, you can finish your manuscript.” I’ve held onto these words like a life raft when I feel completely out of words. The idea is the same, just keep moving forward, the pace doesn’t matter, the quality of “goodness” doesn’t matter, just get words on the page. Edit later.
Amy Gartenberg likes to talk about feelings. Her writing often explores themes of queerness, identity, mental health, and pure raw hunger. She lives in Rochester, NY with her wife and their very energetic standard poodle. Amy is the author of the poetry collection How to Stay in the Story of My Own Existence. She is feverishly working on her debut novel. In the meantime, you can read her musings on Substack where she writes The Underbelly under the pen name Ames.
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loved being a part of this 🩵