Going the extra mile

Danny Schreiber is a final-year PharmD candidate at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy and chair of the 2023–2024 APhA–ASP Member Engagement Standing Committee (MESC); and Leeann Williamson is a final-year PharmD candidate at the Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy and a member of the 2023–2024 APhA–ASP MESC.

To us, running is not about who is faster, can run farther, has more miles on their shoes, or has run in more places. Running is a way for us to spend time with people we care a lot about while still finding a way to spend time on bettering and advancing ourselves.

Here’s how we together found purpose in running and pushed each other to be our best.    

Leeann: Rediscovering that competitive edge

Growing up, I used to hate running, so I chose a sport that didn’t require much of it. In high school, volleyball was my escape from academics and my way of athletic expression. When I started college, I lost that. I wasn’t playing sports, and I didn’t know how to find that feeling of competitiveness I had been so familiar with growing up.

I started running a lot more during the pandemic but halted once I started pharmacy school due to the rigor of the curriculum as well as extracurricular obligations. Then, in the summer of 2022, I started training for a half-marathon sort of on a whim. I found that competitive feeling I found in high school, but also found something that made me want to be better … for me.

Danny was living in Roanoke, VA, for a summer internship that same year, so we often went running together. He was much faster than me, though he will be very humble about it. He challenged me to be better and to remind myself that there is a way to be fun and competitive at the same time.

Danny: An escape with intention

Meanwhile, I’ve always been a runner. I grew up racing in cross country, competing long distance in track, and sprinting the field in soccer. I was the weirdo who looked forward to the timed mile in gym class. Running has always served as a means of self-accountability, wellness, and even meditation.

With the intensity of the pharmacy curriculum, running served as an escape from studying and extracurriculars, yet still promoted an activity that has always engendered joy. For me, there’s a special catharsis and power in feet hitting pavement following a poorer-than-desired pharmacotherapy exam. However, it wasn’t until Leeann pushed me in the pursuit and training of a half marathon—a feat that proved especially difficult while juggling final exams of my last didactic year in addition to the many struggles, tasks, and responsibilities of the everyday student pharmacist—that I fully recognized the strength in setting goals for myself and continuously challenging my comfort levels.

Through training, I ran the most consecutive miles I have ever pursued in an activity I have known for so long.

Crossing the finish line

As a result of our shared hobby and our encouragement of one another, we maintained our progress and continuously pushed each other to strive for a better pace and a stronger finish. For both of us, our half-marathons marked a goal we—collectively and individually—worked hard to achieve. It was imperative to find our passions beyond the classroom and to celebrate the accomplishments of ourselves and our friends. Crossing the finish line, we were able to revel in the success of our training while looking ahead for our next race.

Find your outlet

So, whether it is running, art, music, weightlifting, or another sport, find something that helps you to have a space to practice wellness and mindfulness with the support of those in your life who push you to go the extra mile.