FLEXBenefits Help Me to Run Down a Dream

By Jon Farkas, Technical Enablement Architect

I am very grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to bring the FLEXBenefits program to all of us here at Palo Alto Networks. 

For me, FLEXBenefits have helped open the door to a goal I set for myself in January: I want to run 1,000 miles in 2022.

While I have called myself a runner for years, I was always limited in distance and held back by cold weather, meaning I usually only ran a few months out of the year. 

I recall a friend telling me: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.” 

Thanks to FLEXBenefits, I was encouraged to research and acquire the proper shoes, hydration tools and attire that expanded my running when the pandemic made gyms inaccessible. Having the costs of my new gear removed a huge barrier I had to getting to the next level of my goal.

As a result of this new focus, I have been able to increase my distance to as much as 21 miles, run in temperatures as low as 15 degrees and so far have logged over 600 miles in less than half of this year! 

Living in New York, I am even hoping to find an entryway into the New York City Marathon in November.

But perhaps more important than these physical achievements, being able to run more has greatly helped me to manage the anxiety and emotional stress of what has been a very difficult time in my life. 

Running has become my form of meditation, and I find myself even more productive and focused thanks to it.