Friday, January 15, 2010

The Zen of Running

My growing interest of late (the last year or two or three) has been about trying to explore and discover my Self in our busy little world we have created. I have only briefly dabbled in meditation, tai chi, etc., and while I find all of that deeply satisfying, I had never thought of running to be a form of this Self discovery. I had run CC and track in HS, and participated in some college sports, but running hadn't been 'fun' or overly enjoyable in a very long time....probably since childhood.

Today a college professor of mine, who is also an avid barefoot runner, recommended this read, "The Zen of Running" by Fred Rohé. It is a very quick and simple read. It was originally printed in the '70s and I believe it is now out of print, but thankfully Rohé has posted a PDF download on his website for all to share.

I found it greatly helpful in regards to the way I approach running. For so long I enjoyed running, then for whatever reason I grew to despise it. When my interest returned, joining DailyMile last month, it was for the sake of competition, stat tracking, and so forth. "Yea, look at me and what I can do!" I am thankful to have come across this book, as it has helped coax my motivation into a more healthy direction. Nothing wrong with DM, just running my own race now.

Here is the link to the PDF: The Zen of Running

I just wanted to share this find with you, in case you hadn't heard of it. Also, if you have any of your own stories about this topic, I would love get a discussion going about this. Though I am only beginning, I find it incredibly fascinating.

peace.

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