There are multiple ways to sense that spring is in the air, and Bryon Powell — iRunFar founder, former editor-in-chief, and current gear editor — and I share one mutual indicator that has nothing to do with running: the start of Major League Baseball Spring Training!
In addition to sharing a passion for long-distance running, Bryon and I have a lot in common. We are products of small, U.S. East Coast liberal-arts schools, have a penchant for driving our beloved, elder Toyota Priuses into the ground — I’ve got mine, and while Bryon recently sold his 21-year-old Adventure Pri, he acquired the somewhat-more-youthful 16-year-old Irp — and perhaps most notably, a mutual love of baseball. It is a passion we have shared for a couple of decades now. Bryon is partial to his dear Philadelphia Phillies, and I am an unapologetic fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Such is our commitment to our teams that back in 2023, when the Phillies and Diamondbacks squared off in the playoffs, Bryon traveled down to the desert to attend all three of the seven-game series played at Chase Field in Phoenix.
AJW and Bryon running in Silverton, Colorado, in the winter. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
All this past week, we shared a youthful excitement for the start of baseball season, texting back and forth, knowing that this was the week pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training and the annual rhythm of the North American baseball season begins. For baseball players and fans, Spring Training always represents a new beginning. It is a time when players come back together, refine the fundamentals, and enjoy playing on the sun-drenched ballfields of Florida and Arizona. For the rookies, it is a time to prove themselves to the coaches in hopes of earning a spot on the team. For the veterans, it is a time to knock off the winter rust and get back into the swing of the daily grind that is baseball season.
For long-distance runners, spring is also a time of renewal and regeneration. I felt it the other day on my morning run. I left the house before dawn on my standard seven-mile loop and immediately felt a little extra spring in my step. As the sun rose in the east and the warmth of the morning light hit my skin, I felt a sense of peace and a feeling of beginning again. I am not exactly sure why — perhaps it was the chirping of the birds — but there was something decidedly spring-like about that run. When I returned home to get on with the rest of my day, I couldn’t help but feel refreshed. Spring was here, pitchers and catchers were reporting to Spring Training!
AJW and Bryon, deep into the adventure at the 2025 Cocodona 250 Mile. Photo: iRun/Bryon Powell
I love the fact that, as an athlete in my late 50s who has been running for over 30 years, I still get the opportunity to feel the excitement and the newness of spring training, both the running and the baseball kind. Regardless of how many times I have experienced it before, it always feels invigorating. In that moment, regardless of my pace or my mileage, I emerge as a new version of myself, ready to take on whatever the long and arduous season might have in store for me.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Schlafly in St. Louis, Missouri. Raspberry Hefeweizen is a true fruit beer rather than a fruity-flavored beer. Brewed in the classic style of the Belgian hefeweizen and infused with fresh raspberries, Raspberry Hefeweizen is a perfect spring beer to enjoy while watching a few innings of your favorite team at Spring Training.
Call for Comments
- Are you also a baseball fan who marks the start of spring with the start of Spring Training?
- What markers do you use for the coming of spring?
