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Running
I’m constantly reading running books, and beyond just the practical information, often the greatest lessons come through the narratives of abstract ideas. Running methodology definitely goes beyond the structure of running plans and technical advice, and the emotional concepts we encounter can provide us the motivation to follow our prescribed regimens. Fundamentally, I think running success is understood through two questions: How do I run? And second, how can I think about running?
I hope to tackle the latter to solve the former through introducing 5 cool ideas I found in 5 different running books.
1. “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” — Haruki Murakami
A postmodern writer from Japan who is also an avid runner, he lets you into the mind of a runner, free to make your own conclusions.
The part I loved is when he started describing his muscles with human qualities. He says muscles are conscientious but lazy. If you don’t give them enough to do each day, they will assume you don’t need them anymore and relax like they want to. This anthropomorphism disrupts our typical mind/ body duality, where we usually think people are lazy, not the muscles themselves. Running each day reminds our muscles that we…
