I found this snippet in one of my older notes and believe it’s inspiring enough to be today’s Das Z Letter topic:
Running is like therapy. It will show you the way, equip you with the tools, but when push comes to shove, you’re on your own with your shit.
I won’t dive into the discussion of how and why running can be helpful for someone suffering from a serious, diagnosed mental disorder, like depression or anxiety. Just one sentence: Yes, running can be a powerful complementary add-on, but it cannot replace a professional therapy.
However, I believe that running, just like therapy, can equip you with a toolbox. This selection of tools can help you deal with all kinds of difficulties, setbacks, and challenges in life. You’re never going to be fully fixed, but you know how to repair things and to protect yourself from future damage.
Once a runner
To most of us, running first and foremost is a joyful thing to do. Fresh air, nice views, physical movement and a good portion of endorphins every once in a while. However, I believe that we all have a reason why we run. A true reason. And this reason goes far beyond a delightful pastime. Why do I think so? Well, we could have chosen another sport, hobby, or activity instead. But we didn’t. It was running that appealed to us, and it is running that we remain loyal to.
Sure, there are a bunch of ultra-obvious pro arguments to start running in the first place. It’s a low-threshold, highly intuitive and affordable sport. Basically, everyone can do it, everywhere, and at any time. The same goes for the instant benefits. Most people immediately lose weight, stabilize their cardiovascular system, get better sleep and feel less stressed. Writing these words, I wonder why not every person in the world is a runner. But is that really why we run?
I stick by my previous words that there must be a deeper reason, why we pick exactly running. For me, personally, it took years to understand why I run. I found out that it is a mix of various virtues and skills that running has taught me. I call them “tools” because they have the power to greatly help me as a runner. But even more outside of running.
My Toolbox
Ambition
Meditation
Honesty & Humility
Gratitude
Patience & Consistency
Gentleness
Bravery
Camaraderie
Ambition
Ambition is a tool. And running taught me how to make use of it.
The first tool is (athletic) ambition. A realm to “get better”. Something that meant different things at different times of my running career. In fact, I don’t even know if “better” is the correct word to describe what I mean by this. “Ambition” surely is.
If I ask myself the big questions in life, for example:
“Why am I here?”
It often comes down to basic, almost trivial answers, such as:
“To do great stuff.”
“Great”, in that case, means “great for myself” aka “it makes me feel good, and I generate more positive energy than negative one”.
But “great” also means “great things for the world”, which includes, but is not limited to, the positive energy mentioned before. It can also be to inspire other people to do “great things” themselves, to connect, to build or to narrate.
However, these things are not for free. They don’t just happen. I need to be (pro-)active. I need to initiate, to hold on and to finish. Again and again. I found and learned exactly this within running. Ambition is a tool, and running taught me how to make use of it.
Meditation
Running clarifies my thoughts, unveils my feelings and evokes my spirit.
Another tool, and thus another reason why I run, is that I believe I can get in touch with myself through running. I knew this even before I did my first running step. And I was proven right. Running gives me direct access to what’s really going on inside of me. It clarifies my thoughts, unveils my feelings and evokes my spirit. Not every time I go for a run, but more often than not.
I found out it’s the rhythm of my stride and breathing that open these doors for me. And yes, we are speaking of meditation here. Not the ascetic monk-type, not the commercialized Headspace-type, but a rather simple, unagitated, every day type of meditation.
With the time, I learned that this is a tool that also works outside of running. Intentional breathing. The rhythm of my chest moving up and down. Fading out the noise in my head and asking myself: What’s going on inside of me?
Honesty & Humility
“Humble yourself, or running will do it for you”
Running, like nothing else, will reveal your greatest potential, but also your most substantial shortcomings. You are only as fast, as strong, as enduring or as smart as the results of your running disclose. Sometimes this hard to bear. But ultimately, this honest feedback is an extremely helpful tool.
Running has a unique way of humbling even the most experienced athlete. No matter how fast or strong you think you are, there will always be a race, a route, or a distance that brings you to your knees. It reminds you that there is always room for growth and improvement, no matter how far you've come.
I am not a self-optimization evangelist. I don’t think “perfect” exists, and that’s why I believe we should not strive for it. Thus, I intend not to remedy all my shortcomings. However, I find great pleasure in working on myself to become better (once again, I lack a more suitable word here) and excited to try again and again to discover progress, eventually.
But the hardest part is honesty. Admitting being weak, incapable, and unknowing. This is not what society wants us to do. This is not how we have been raised. But since I started running, being honest with myself has become much easier and much more present for me.
Honesty. What a powerful tool.
Gratitude
Gratitude leads to acceptance. And acceptance paves the way for inner peace.
Nothing great should ever be taken for granted. In running, there are good days and bad days. Some runs feel effortless, and you fly through the miles with ease, while others leave you struggling and gasping for breath. This dynamic taught me thankfulness by reminding me that I can't control everything and no matter how dedicated I am.
Gratitude leads to acceptance. And acceptance paves the way for inner peace.
When I started running in 2013, there were two friends, who provided the final push. Christian Lotter was the one who challenged me to break through my facade of cheap excuses aka “I have no time to do sports”. But equally powerful, Björn Esser unintentionally erased all my prejudices and inner blocks with one short answer, when I, out of courtesy, asked him how his last run was:
“It was not so great. But that’s ok.”
Not so great. But that’s ok. What an eye-opener! At that time, I wrongly pictured runners as being full of joy and in great shape all the time. It was a great relief to learn, that in running, just like in life, there are good days and there are bad ones. And both of them have a right to exist.
Patience & Consistency
It is about the path and not about the destination.
At a certain point, advancement as a runner, requires patience, consistency, and a great willingness to adapt. It's not always a linear path to reach your goals, and setbacks and failures are inevitable. Eventually, most runners find out that it is about the path and not about the destination. At least I did.
Only consistency establishes routines and fosters discipline. At one point, running will become a non-negotiable part of your daily schedule. As soon as it becomes a no-brainer, that’s when running turns from a hobby to a lifestyle and truly starts to shine.
Whatever progress you are looking for, it won’t happen overnight. It takes time, and desired results come only with persistence. You can't rush the process. You might as well trust and enjoy it.
To me, patience and consistency are even more invaluable virtues that extend far beyond running. They are qualities that positively influence all aspects of my life.
Gentleness
“Running Giveth & Running Taketh Away”
In due time, we all find out, that we are not machines. We are often painfully reminded that our bodies are not only vehicles for performance, but also require and deserve care, rest, and recovery. Running bluntly teaches us to listen to our bodies. Only if we pay attention to any signs of fatigue, pain, or injury, we learn to respect and accept its limitations.
At the same time, running shows us the incredible capabilities of our bodies. As we challenge ourselves to run longer distances, higher mountains and faster splits, we gain a deeper appreciation for the physical and mental abilities we possess.
Either way, through running, I learned to be gentle, kind, and appreciative of my body. Running shifted my focus from external factors to my own personal strengths and unique physique, that enables me to do great things.
Bravery
Very often, running takes you to places you do not want to be.
Very often, running takes you to places you do not want to be. Whether it is inside of you, like discomfort, fatigue and self-doubt, or a real-life situation like a crowded starting block of a road marathon or an exposed mountain ridge during a thunderstorm.
It takes bravery to keep moving forward and push through these sensations and situations. Running has taught me that I am capable of withstanding and overcoming almost anything in both, life and running.
Camaraderie
Running has taught me the value of community, teamwork, and uplifting others, creating a supportive network both on and off the road, track or trail.
Running brings people together. And this is more important than you might think. Humans (and this includes runners) are social beings, and connecting with others who share a common passion and mindset, fulfills our innate need for social interaction. It promotes a sense of belonging and reduces feelings of isolation.
Connecting with other runners can also be very inspiring. Seeing others shine or even helping them to reach their goals is highly rewarding on numerous levels.
A running community is also a great place to learn and grow. Engaging with other runners exposes you to different perspectives, techniques, and knowledge. You can learn from valuable insights from the experiences of individuals of various skill levels, backgrounds, and expertise.
In the end, running has taught me the value of community, teamwork, and uplifting others, creating a supportive network both on and off the road, track or trail.
Conclusion
These tools, they are powerful. They are the reason why I run. And they all can come into effect beyond the domain of running. Whatever challenge or pain life might have in store for us runners, wer are very well forearmed.
Everything not running
We’re going on holiday to Finland. Yes, Finland. It’s been on Lisa’s and my list for a long time. We have a weakness for remote landscapes with a low dose of civilization and infrastructure. We are very much looking forward to this trip. Sunday, we’re off.
I am not writing this to make you jealous, but rather to ask for tips and advice from you. Which places mustn’t we miss? Where do we get the best coffee? Can we drink the tap water? Do they have the Euro? Ok, that wasn’t serious, but if you’ve already traveled to Finland, please let me know in the comments!
Sprachnachricht
Auch von diesem, recht lang geratenen, Das Z Letter gibt es eine Sprachnachricht, also eine deutschsprachige Audio-Zusammenfassung. Wenn ihr die Sprachnachricht jeden Freitag automatisch bekommen wollt, dann abonniert sie einfach bei Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, oder überall sonst wo es Podcasts gibt. Ist zwar kein Podcast, aber…
Das war ein sehr interessanter Newsletter für mich, denn manches sehe ich ähnlich oder habe ähnliche Erfahrungen, aber das werden sicher andere auch haben. Für mich ist das Laufen manchmal auch wie eine Meditation , wenn es glatt läuft; andererseits habe ich auch schon unangenehme Läufe gehabt, wo ich mich nachher fragte warum ? Aber trotzdem laufe ich immer wieder neu lost, zwar nicht jeden Tag, aber mehrmals in der Woche. Und ja , ich bin dankbar, laufen zu können, wenn ich an alle die Menschen denke, die es nicht oder nicht mehr können.
Wegen Finnland, leider war ich da auch noch nie, aber ich wünsche Euch eine gute Zeit dort und viele neue Erfahrungen!