On Collective Effervescence, Running, and Memecoins

I ran my first half marathon a few months ago. The beginning was less than ideal. Standing in McCarren Park under pouring heavy rain amongst fellow masochistic runners, I wondered what I’d signed up for. I remember the NYPD officers who were doing security checks looked at my underdressed self in a soaking wet t-shirt and said in disbelief, “you guys pay money to do this?” I can now say that I would pay money to do it again. It was the first time I experienced what runners might call “race day energy” – a special kind of sheer positive energy that I feel encapsulates the full journey of the human spirit. It starts brimming with anticipation in the hours leading up to the race, then challenges each runner as they progress mile by mile, uplifting everyone through waves of cheers and cowbells and strangers yelling “go runners”, culminating in a grand finish line soiree where every runner shares the same accomplishment of having gone through the same physical and mental journey together. T

I ran my first half marathon a few months ago. The beginning was less than ideal. Standing in McCarren Park under pouring heavy rain amongst fellow masochistic runners, I wondered what I’d signed up for. I remember the NYPD officers who were doing security checks looked at my underdressed self in a soaking wet t-shirt and said in disbelief, “you guys pay money to do this?” I can now say that I would pay money to do it again. It was the first time I experienced what runners might call “race day energy” – a special kind of sheer positive energy that I feel encapsulates the full journey of the hu