Do you remember American marathoner Ryan Hall?

He’s still one of my favorite runners. He once held the American record in the half marathon — a blistering 59:43 — and remains the fastest American marathoner ever with a 2:04:58 at Boston.

When Ryan retired, I watched a farewell video. He’s running along a dirt trail somewhere in Northern California — wide open country, mountains in the distance, his dog at his side.

Ryan said what he’d miss most about running was the feeling of freedom — the moments when your body is moving so effortlessly it feels like you’re floating. The wind in your hair. Your face open to the world. A perfect capture of the freedom of running.

   Freedom from stress.
   Freedom of movement.
   Freedom to take time for yourself.

I hope you all have a safe, happy, and invigorating Independence Day!