On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair. Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim. I had to stop for the night. Yes, that is the first verse of the Eagles’ song, Hotel California. To a runner, those words fit perfectly.
I was catching up on some reading and going through the September edition of Men’s Journal magazine when I stumbled upon an article by Adam Higginbotham titled, “Nowhere To Run.” It’s about Charlie Engle, who is a well know ultramarathoner and is now sitting, and running, in prison on charges of mortgage fraud. The article goes much deeper than his mortgage fraud conviction. It describes Charlie as a guy who has seen highs and lows. During the times in his life when he experienced drugs, alcohol, divorce, extreme success and failure, there was one common thread – running.