When I embarked on this trip, I didn’t really know where we were heading. Of course, there was the obvious goal of running from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and I looked forward to capturing this journey with a diverse group of like-minded people I might never have met if not for running. But this journey turned out to be WAY MORE - way more than the distance, way more than our individual goals, way more than ourselves. I hope you can connect with the message of this story or at least reflect on it.

This journal reflects much of my personal identity in sports. With a background in endurance performance, I’ve always been fascinated by the intensity of bodies in motion. The rawness of high-performing bodies still gives me goosebumps. Capturing these bodies at their peak is one of the most complex, aesthetic, and beautiful sights I’ve ever witnessed - the strength, the exhaustion, the strange poses, the fragility, the emptiness in the eyes of someone who gives everything to reach the finish line. Sport reveals both the brightness and darkness of human effort, and I lived fully in that world, believing in it. Pushing limits was highly addictive; it gave me a sense of purpose. Experiencing this with others was my social foundation and forged some of my closest friendships. Together, we could conquer anything.

But I was unaware of how fragile my sport-constructed world was and how quickly it could shatter. I could handle losses in sports, but when I lost one of my closest friends to depression, my passion for sports felt hollow. Everything we had lived and deeply identified with became a fraud and meaningless.

It took me time to understand my new perspective on life and the role of sports. I began to see that sports can be much more than physical movement or the pursuit of measurable performance. It’s an ongoing journey of self-reflection, a way to explore my experiences, myself, and my view of the world. This journey from LA to Vegas reminded me again of what truly matters. It wasn’t about the miles we covered or the time it took—it was about growing together, appreciating each other, and embracing our individual vulnerabilities. This journey became about building something together—a safe, open space where we could be ourselves and enjoy each moment, with all its highs and lows. Amidst the toughness of sports, this perspective is about finding softness in it.

‍

Patrick Pilz

From my heart, 2023

‍