patrickccaron

[patrickccaron]

Poetry in motion 💫 📷 @brennenlord https://www.instagram.com/p/CpoQmawrePW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

Acadia Running Retreat! Coming June 2023! 📍 Wabanaki land This dream has been in the works for some time, and it is exciting to finally get to share it with the world! For folks who know me well, I will say yes to pretty much any invite to run with others, whether it be on the road, track, or trails, and I cherish the experience of getting to share in that intimacy of running with friends and strangers out in the natural world and propelled by our own love for movement. The creation of this retreat is an evolvement of that love and an opportunity to play host to several days of fun and adventure on some of the top trail systems in the world. From the rugged and unique granite peaks to the flowing and scenic carriage roads, the island has so much to offer, and we will be sure to try and explore it all! Grateful to have my good friend @jarlyb by my side to help host, especially as he shares many of the same values and philosophies regarding running and our relationships with it. You can visit the link in my bio to read all the retreat details and dates and to book one of the several open spots if you are eager to join! https://www.instagram.com/p/CotGjP5tnaa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

2022 was one of reconnection for many of us, and for me, it brought me back to many familiar places with people and trails I love and communities I cherish. It also took me to new destinations, both in geographic location and in my continually evolving relationship with running. Last year was about reigniting my gratitude and trying my best to focus on the good, as there really is so much good to celebrate. Much of my time at events was spent volunteering and even race directing, and it was an excellent reminder of how much fulfillment can come from helping others pursue and accomplish their own goals. Supporting hundreds and even thousands of people having their best day on the trails compared to focusing on just having my own best day allowed for an appreciated perspective shift. Believe me, I wish 2022 entailed more racing, more mountains, more competition, etc., for myself, but I've tried hard to respect the journey and to hope and have faith that there are many more runs and adventures to be had if I move with patience and grace. With that, here is some of where 2022 took me! Thanks to everyone who has supported me from near or far! Much love! TARC Frozen Yeti 30H & 15M (volunteering) TARC to Hale & Back (volunteering) Boston Marathon (BQ) TARC Wapack & Back (volunteering) Boston Bulldogs Run for Recovery 5K (volunteering) Pineland Farms 25K (1st Overall) Blue Hills Skyline Trail Run (1st Overall) Vermont 100M & 100K (volunteering) Back Cove Backyard Ultra (volunteering) TARC Summer Classic 10 Miler (1st Overall & CR) Anchor Down Ultra 24H (coverage & media) Firebird Trail Races Half Marathon (1st Overall & CR) TARC Fall Classic (race directing) Bar Harbor Half Marathon & Fall 5K (volunteering) Cadillac North Ridge Ascent FKT: Acadia National Park Race Through the Woods Half Marathon (1st Overall & CR) Bad Little Trail Run (1st Overall & CR) Blackwoods Loop FKT: Acadia National Park Ghost Train Rail Trail Races (volunteering) Wildlands Trail Run (1st Overall & CR) Canada's Bootstrap Boogie 17K (1st Overall & CR) Bold Coast Bash 10.5 Miler (1st Overall & CR) TARC Fells Trail Winter Ultra (volunteering) Desert Solstice 24H (livestream coverage) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnav_MHr4lI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

Headed west to be behind the mic and camera for the Desert Solstice Track Invitational! Pretty psyched to help provide 24+ hours of live coverage for one of our sport’s premier events! Hop on the livestream and in the comments anytime this weekend to see some fast times run and maybe even some records being broken! Thanks to @jamilcoury and @aravaiparunning for the opportunity! Things are about to get loopy! See you Saturday! 📷 @joevigerphoto https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl35Tqrri4G/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

I recently surpassed 4,000 days of running consecutively. It went by without much celebrating. Routines become habits. Another natural part of each day. But it feels worth it to celebrate and reflect on. Tens of thousands of miles and often multiple runs per day. Thousands of morning sunrises and evening sunsets. Hundreds of races and many more adventures. Witnessing and experiencing so much beauty. Beauty of the landscapes and beauty of the many special people the landscapes have been shared with. So much gratitude for it all. Each run is its own celebration of this life that is so worth living. https://www.instagram.com/p/ClG-nSVLDQL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

Excited to rip some singletrack this weekend! 👟 @salomonrunning 🧦 @drymaxsocks ⌚️ @suunto 🧢 @movefreedesigns https://www.instagram.com/p/Cki0CBAJtkf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

To move is to play with possibility. 📸 @ianmaclellan https://www.instagram.com/p/CkbEEU1LNWK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

Year three of loving you, Kath ❤️ Here’s to more summit snuggles and adventures ⛰️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CkONO3irBiL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

I discovered some new to me trails at this past weekend's Firebird Trail Races! Thanks to the fine folks from the Runaways for introducing them to me and putting together such an awesome event for the New England running community! Grateful to snag the win and course record on an uber fun course of rolling singletrack and doubletrack just outside of Portland, Maine, in and around the Knights Pond Preserve and Rines Forest! https://www.instagram.com/p/CiI5tWXpoQD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

I have been easing back into racing the last few months, in addition to spending this spring and summer volunteering, crewing, and helping with coverage at races around New England almost every weekend. It has been awesome to experience these events from another angle, finding appreciation and joy in seeing friends engaged in their own physical and mental journeys with running, and finding new meaning in my own relationship with the sport. The running community has given me so much throughout the years, and my hope is to continue to share my love and gratitude for its many gifts to help others find those gifts for themselves. It has been fun dabbling in some “shorter” races recently, and the goal is to continue the momentum into the fall, all the while trying to remain patient with the process. I always am one to set goals, both major ones and minor ones, for the short term and the long term, and to have something on the horizon but to also be grateful for the current landscape around my feet feels important. For now, the training will continue, and we will see where it takes me! Recent races: 🥇 Trail Festival at Pineland Farms 25K 🥇 Blue Hills Skyline Trail Run 12K 🥇 Summer Classic 10 Miler https://www.instagram.com/p/ChiRQyjPOdA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

Some thoughts on running and dance ✨ It comes as no surprise that one of my favorite forms of movements is running, especially on technical trails and mountain ridgelines, subconsciously thinking several steps ahead yet also so extremely present in the moment, focused on the changing terrain beneath my feet, the natural environment that envelops me in its radiant aliveness, the unencumbered joy of rushing through space with such freedom and flow. In this process, I have learned to become like one with the trail, molding my movements to the trail's constantly changing rhythm and forming my own unique and harmonious rhythm. I have always felt drawn to the act of dancing and have certainly danced some, but it is not an interest I have really embraced until recently, mostly due to feeling uncomfortable with myself and the observation of others. This past fall, I started the practice of contemporary dance to explore ways of movement that have long sparked my curiosity and to better understand my relationship with movement through new forms. It feels like learning an entirely new language, one that both invigorates and challenges me. It is often taught in running and athletics to become comfortable with the uncomfortable, to not let that discomfort deter you, but to let it be something to thrive from, lean into, and explore with true curiosity. That feels true of dancing too. The intimate connection between running and dancing is something I hope to continue to explore and discover myself through, approaching this journey one step after the next, tiptoeing in and letting the movement and rhythm sweep me away in its familiar embrace. What it means to run is in many ways synonymous with what it means to dance. 📷 @brennenlord https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg2rhi-vj1N/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

Hoping to find some moments like this tomorrow. Moments of pure joy and love. For running. For movement. For community. For so much more. I will try my best to be sharing my smiles. I have been fairly private regarding my running recently, but there is nothing private about Boston, with tens of thousands of participants, hundreds of thousands of spectators, and the whole world following along. The reality is that my nervous system and immune system have not been cooperating with me for the past year or so, and at times, it's been an incredible struggle to manage the physical and emotional turmoil. It has felt pretty lonely at times, not feeling like I have the words to describe the experience or others will understand, although I have realized that is all okay. But it is also okay to be open and feel the compassion and care of others, to hope they will try and understand, and in doing so, find connection and support. Weekly, sometimes multiple times per week, appointments are certainly not fun, or the 10+ hours driving to and from them, and the variety of symptoms are, of course, no fun either, but the worst part is probably the direct confrontation with my identity. But it will get better. Soon. The last few months have hinted at that. I know it and have to believe it. And it could all be far worse. Finding gratitude for everything has been essential to try and remember throughout this experience. And such gratitude exists everywhere if I create it. Like being able to have the opportunity to join the community I love this Monday, journeying from Hopkinton to Boston, and celebrating that gratitude with each and every step. 📷 @scottmasonphoto https://www.instagram.com/p/CceA3verena/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[patrickccaron]

"Meaning is not something you stumble across, like the answer to a riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something you build into your life. You build it out of your own past, out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent and understanding, out of the things you believe in, out of the things and people you love, out of the values for which you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that unique pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life that has dignity and meaning for you.” ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CWR8L6VrKP8/?utm_medium=tumblr

[patrickccaron]

Have you felt the call of adventure lately? I sure have! Although we often associate adventure with travel, we don't have to go far to discover it. Adventure exists in our everyday lives and in the mindsets we embody. In adventure, we find challenge, we find happiness, and we find reward. The accompanying newness, curiosity, and unknown possibilities excite us. Consider the mindset we enter into when we're adventuring and what it would be like to incorporate that feeling of wonder and awe into the quieter moments of our lives. Embracing our creativity can be a form of adventure, as it's all about exploring new ideas and thoughts, breaking the mold, and using our imaginations to take us to new places. Whether it's exploring a slightly different route on our next run or taking out the paints to see what our minds dream upon the paper before us, just remember, adventure exists everywhere; we only have to open our eyes to it. What is your relationship with adventure? https://www.instagram.com/p/CV4HUJ-LTrr/?utm_medium=tumblr

[patrickccaron]

“How are you doing?” I find myself contemplating how to best answer that question. What words can sum up the infinite sea of emotions I have been feeling? The last several months have been some of the most beautiful and some of the most challenging of my life. I chose to lead with the beauty in that statement because that’s what I want to take away from these times and move forward with. Often, it is through challenge that comes beauty. Or maybe it is the very challenge itself that is what’s beautiful? As humans, we deal with adversity in our lives but are born with the capacity to face it, and in turn, conquer it. The truth is, adversity finds its way into much of our existence, and at times, can feel like it consumes all of our energy and attention. Yet, through the cracks of adversity emerges beauty in its most radiant form. In art, there is a term called chiaroscuro, which is the play of light and dark in a picture, and like life, the dark is deemed necessary in order to bring out and recognize the presence of the light. It is this contrast, this clash of two seemingly opposites, that creates the richness of our human experience. When you feel the darkness coming, lean in, this is where the magic happens. There is harmony, beauty, and perspective found in the juxtapose of our emotions, and there is hope. Don’t shy away, don’t be afraid to feel. Embrace change, embrace discomfort. In many ways, my running has always been about confronting challenges. Proving to myself my mind’s ability to persevere, to be resilient, and to not just come out the other side alive, but to come out the other side and thrive. We learn that this confrontation transforms into an embrace, and this, in turn, becomes a dance, a dance in which we must match and counter the flow of our partner, riding the delicate line of this rhythm until we reach that day’s finish line. This is what makes the experience of racing so rewarding and so intimate. We turn a challenge into an opportunity to create something beautiful, something that is born out of love, joy, dedication, and fortitude. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMp8Bjtn1s2/?igshid=1rpujgb9tfwd8

[patrickccaron]

Sometimes, our lives can feel like a constant barrage of problems that we are trying to navigate, and it takes everything to just make it through the day without being consumed by our stress. In times like these, I seek the trails. The splendors of trail running have as much to do with the relative remoteness of the wooded, leaf-covered trails I weave through, as it has to do with its ability in allowing us to transcend ourselves. Running through parks, meadows, forests, and mountains allows our senses to roam free and clears our mind of the minor and major stresses of everyday life. In my solitude, as my feet spring across the wooden planks of a boardwalk, I am left with time to think, process, and engage in introspection, in order to experience self-awareness and make sense of reality. Lately, the brilliance of Acadia’s landscape has been bringing me these moments of peace, and as the distance racks up on my watch, so does the distance between me and my so called “problems.” It’s not so much that I’m running away from these problems, but more so that I’m learning how they aren’t all that constitutes our existence. In its soft and kind way, the beauty of the natural world calls us back to the present and asks us to see the incredible gifts and goodness life has to offer. As we go about our lives, remember, there is so much more to living than the stressors that often choose to be at the forefront of our minds. Whether it’s with a run or a gaze out the window within your workday, take a moment to step back and change your focus to all there is to appreciate in life. #TimeToPlay #SalomonSquad #SalomonRunning #SuuntoRun #SuuntoSquad #MoveFree #RunPure #CrowAthletics #TrailRunning #Ultrarunning https://www.instagram.com/p/CHMcrLwn6C6/?igshid=1w6h2u5qm9kh9

#timetoplay #salomonsquad #salomonrunning #suuntorun #suuntosquad #movefree #runpure #crowathletics #trailrunning #ultrarunning

[patrickccaron]

“The most important aspect of love is not in giving or the receiving: it's in the being.” Moments like these remind me to just be. ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CGgmS5THtcA/?igshid=ckyla1g4fokw