Hey Faahim! Thank you so much for your revealing feedback. Let me say this first: there is no such a thing as a "terrible runner". We‘re all runners. Full stop.
I love what you write about personal limits. You are right, we simply have no clue where they actually lie and it’s a powerful feeling to repeatedly discover we haven’t reached them. I feel the same way and it also affects the rest of my life besides running.
My wife read the Das Z Letter today and asked me if the last part is a declaration of love and yes it is. To her and to life in general. I once wrote the lines for a collection of my running brand: "Run far and you will find. Yes, you will find." In other words, keep on moving forward, keep on exploring and you will eventually turn from a seeker to someone who has arrived.
I'm a runner as well. A terrible one. But it's one of the very few things in my life that, despite being hard, I find myself coming back to naturally. Lately I've been wondering about my 'why' behind running, too. What is it about running that gives me a weird sense of meaning? I don't have a conclusion yet, but I think I arrived somewhere similar to you.
For me, I realized, everytime I run a distance I previously believed I couldn't (a whooping 10K, for example 😅), it's essentially an evidence I'm showing myself that I'm actually able to do things I think I'm not capable of. That the true limit of my ability isn't the one that my mind tells me. This perspective then spills over to other part of life too. It helps me believe in myself. And that's at least one core component of what makes running deeply meaningful for me.
Thanks a lot for sharing!
Sidenote: the mention of you going from a 'seeker' to 'arrived' at the end was such a sweet twist! I'm a seeker currently and at times it feels like there's no end to it. It's really satisfying to see people reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for including that bit too! 💕
So many wonderful insights and thoughts I can relate to here. I was similarly dying -- both in my legs and lungs but more in my mind -- on a speed/interval run yesterday. I especially loved this: "To do hard things just because they are not easy. That's why I run and train."
I'm really glad you say this! I was worried that it's too crammed and excursive and that my actual point (doing hard things) kind of gets lost. Happy you can relate!
No imho it’s spot on, not everything can be communicated in 100 words and Substack is the right platform for doing so. Everything I read a post of yours on Instagram where it continues into the comments section I know I’m in for a treat
Hey Faahim! Thank you so much for your revealing feedback. Let me say this first: there is no such a thing as a "terrible runner". We‘re all runners. Full stop.
I love what you write about personal limits. You are right, we simply have no clue where they actually lie and it’s a powerful feeling to repeatedly discover we haven’t reached them. I feel the same way and it also affects the rest of my life besides running.
My wife read the Das Z Letter today and asked me if the last part is a declaration of love and yes it is. To her and to life in general. I once wrote the lines for a collection of my running brand: "Run far and you will find. Yes, you will find." In other words, keep on moving forward, keep on exploring and you will eventually turn from a seeker to someone who has arrived.
Thanks again for your comment!
Gosh, this was an amazing read!
I'm a runner as well. A terrible one. But it's one of the very few things in my life that, despite being hard, I find myself coming back to naturally. Lately I've been wondering about my 'why' behind running, too. What is it about running that gives me a weird sense of meaning? I don't have a conclusion yet, but I think I arrived somewhere similar to you.
For me, I realized, everytime I run a distance I previously believed I couldn't (a whooping 10K, for example 😅), it's essentially an evidence I'm showing myself that I'm actually able to do things I think I'm not capable of. That the true limit of my ability isn't the one that my mind tells me. This perspective then spills over to other part of life too. It helps me believe in myself. And that's at least one core component of what makes running deeply meaningful for me.
Thanks a lot for sharing!
Sidenote: the mention of you going from a 'seeker' to 'arrived' at the end was such a sweet twist! I'm a seeker currently and at times it feels like there's no end to it. It's really satisfying to see people reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for including that bit too! 💕
So many wonderful insights and thoughts I can relate to here. I was similarly dying -- both in my legs and lungs but more in my mind -- on a speed/interval run yesterday. I especially loved this: "To do hard things just because they are not easy. That's why I run and train."
Thanks for writing, Chris.
Thanks for the feedback, Jack! So glad you can relate.
This might be my most favourite post of yours so far
I'm really glad you say this! I was worried that it's too crammed and excursive and that my actual point (doing hard things) kind of gets lost. Happy you can relate!
No imho it’s spot on, not everything can be communicated in 100 words and Substack is the right platform for doing so. Everything I read a post of yours on Instagram where it continues into the comments section I know I’m in for a treat
Thank you so much for your kind words 💥
‘Every time I read …’ not ‘everything I read …’ of course