As many of you know, I hate road running. For me, a single mile stretches into eternity and, while power-hiking is a staple in the woods, walking up a hill feels wrong on the roads. (I still do it; I just feel guilty about it.) So how did I find myself running countless loops around a single quarter mile block in West Reading for half of January?
This year Burrito League* came to West Reading, thanks to the great folks at Fleet Feet (plus Comalli Taqueria and MountToCoast for donating prizes), and I ended up loving it more than I ever thought possible. The first day of the “challenge” I ran about 6 miles with fellow Pacer Brandon Beane, and as we finished our last loop, I joked that even running 10 feet into the next loop we were halfway done and might as well finish another. It’s wild how prophetic those words came to be.
One of the things I love most about running is the meditative state one can achieve. On a good day, miles blend seamlessly into the next; on a great day, miles blend seamlessly into the next, you feel good the entire time, your soundtrack doesn’t have a misstep, and you get to see some beautiful scenery along the way. I have a very hard time getting out of my own head when I’m pounding the pavement, but remarkably, doing 600 Burrito Loops was not the repetitive drag I anticipated; rather, it became a thoughtless, relaxing trance. (Sorry, I’m going to humble brag right now… or maybe not so humble…but if you didn’t do the math, I want to point out 600 loops is ~150 miles around the same quarter mile block, over the course of two weeks.) 
When I wasn’t zen-fully zoned out, there were so many community members cheering me on. I cannot emphasize enough how fantastic the staff at Fleet Feet is; they were/are so encouraging and welcoming. (It’s also never a bad thing to have an aid station every quarter mile.) I made friends in the most unexpected places, whether it be employees at the funeral home, bars on the block, residents in the alley, or the Sisco man making his weekly restaurant delivery. I was surprised by how many people were watching me run endless loops around this single block, and while they didn’t necessarily understand the compulsion to run during some of the coldest weather we faced this year, they were supportive, nonetheless.
Saying it’s been hard to get out on the trails this winter would be a huge understatement. Burrito League gave me something to look forward to during some of the roughest times. I ran plenty of loops with long-time running friends, but also met and ran with awesome people I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. (Shout out to Brandon & Curtis, who each did a crazy number of loops, and Alex, who took the unofficial win with 700 loops.)
I know Thomas, Jason, and the whole Fleet Feet crew have some big plans in mind for next year, so if you get a chance and feel like getting a little loopy, keep Burrito League on your calendar. Even if you don’t go all in, just a few loops with like-minded people can be a wonderful reminder of why we run in the first place. I highly recommend it.
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