“Recovery runs and post-race pockets of time always present themselves as reflection periods for me. I live for these runs – the ones when I’m gliding along and let my mind wander to ambitious dreams, dreams that I’m at times too timid to fully vocalize just yet. These are some of the times when I feel most alive, free and in love with running. Young adult life is full of its own set of obstacles; a big part of why I hold so tight to running is that even when it is seemingly the source of disappointment, it’s also what keeps the dreamer in me alive no matter how many times the realist wants pessimism to have the final say.”

Check out the rest of Alia’s blog post here