[+] The Runner's War of Art

Steven Pressfield's Wisdom for Runners

[Diesen Artikel auf Deutsch]

For years, Steven Pressfield's wisdom has illuminated my path as a writer and runner. His profound insights in "The War of Art" and his other brilliant books on creativity and life have consistently influenced my creative work, including my own book "Runhundred" (published in German as "Hundert-Meilen-Herz"). Again and again, I find myself returning to Pressfield's concepts and discovering their universal application. Including the sacred practice of running.

(Photo by Manuel Peric)

The Resistance Before the First Step

As runners, we are intimately familiar with the force that Pressfield calls "Resistance." (with a capital "R"). In short, Resistance is what holds us back from running greatness. This invisible, insidious force manifests itself in countless ways.

It's the voice that whispers:

"Skip today's run. It's too cold. You're too tired. What's one missed day?"

Or even worse:

"Why bother running and training at all? You're not going to get better or achieve any of your running dreams.”

Resistance is the enemy of the runner's progress. It kills our dreams and scares us out of doing hard things.

As Steven Pressfield’s rule of thumb: The more resistance you encounter, the more you know this is the path you must follow.

The Divine Muse of Running

There is something undeniably sacred in the act of running. Just as Pressfield speaks of the Muse who visits the dedicated writer and artist, we runners experience our own divine inspiration. She arrives unexpectedly. In that perfect rhythm when effort seems to vanish, when heartbeat, breath, and footfall align into something beyond. In these moments, the Muse takes us by the hand and leads us to what Pressfield often calls "The Otherworld," "Hallow Ground," or "The Self." A plane beyond our ordinary existence where different rules apply.