What does running have to do with living? Running is just something one does to stay in shape, right? Well no. Not for me. The primitive lizard brain drives my behavior. I have to run. I'm dependent on running. It keeps me normal. So running links my experience to life in a complex and dynamic way. That's why I have to run. The metaphor is ridiculous. In reality, running keeps the lizard brain in check. Running calms me and brings me back to center, back to a semblance of normal. Running keeps me beta when alpha wants to dominate. So I run. And I run, ignoring feet and knee problems, I run.