This morning, I ran 3 miles. This is a big deal to me because, up until today, I hadn’t been able to go past 2.5 miles for a while. I enjoy running; it’s fairly easy to do, and a lot of people partake in it. Not only is it an accessible cardiovascular exercise, but it also provides so many conversation starters.

Just last week, when the weather finally allowed me to run outside again, I decided to try keeping up my pace with “military cadences.” As I ran down the East River waterside, an older man stopped me. At first, I’ll admit that I was scared, thinking I might have done something to upset him. But after the initial shock, I realized he wasn’t angry at all. In fact, he wanted to tell me that he had once been part of a U.S. military group, and hearing me yell out “these ol’ tunes” had given him a reason to smile and be thankful that day. He even offered me some very technical advice on how to run while singing, explaining how it helps with breathing and builds up resistance.

While I have a generally positive perception of running, I can’t help but reflect on how privileged some of us are when it comes to such a simple activity.

Running, in my mind, is both an act of choice and necessity, yet I am thankful to be able to say that it has become more of a choice than a need. While I’m fortunate enough to decide when, where, and how far I run, I can’t ignore the fact that there are people whose every step is taken out of necessity. This duality—running because I want to and because I need to—reminds me of the privilege I have in experiencing something so simple yet so essential in my life. It helps me ground my mind and recognize that sometimes running is not a personal choice but a necessity to escape fear, danger, or an undesired situation. There have been times when I have had to run away from people, just as there have been times when people have had to run from me. Only recently, with each run, I’ve started reminding myself not only of the physical and emotional freedom I have but also of the responsibility to recognize and honor the reasons others might have to run.