Consistency of LIFE & RUNNING

I believe we all think about the improvement of life quite a bit... especially the distance runners.  However, the nature of someone who favors holistic distance running is to not ONLY to "think" about improvement in life or in running, yet to within their running expression, ACT towards seeing improvement come to pass!  These two quotes from Leo Tolstoy's, The Law of Love, will be great to join the following thoughts...

If only instead of wishing to save the world, people looked to save themselves, to liberate themselves rather than humanity, they would be doing so much more for the salvation of the world and the freedom of humanity. ~ Herzen

In both personal and public life there is only one law: if you wish to improve life, be prepared to sacrifice it. ~ UA

It is amazing to me how much time the average distance runner thinks about the days they get to run... the consistency of their running... even how many days they might have been consecutively running.  I believe part of this drive and desire for consistency is rooted in our hunger for improvement.  It is natural.  But what does the holistic distance runner look to improve MOST?  Certainly our running efficiency, yes... but more-so and more honorably, OUR HUMANITY.  Ego aside.  

Sure, we have our devotions to distance running and they are ardent and thorough, but while employing all the means needed to deliver us again and again to the trail and road, we also concede to the revolution of our own humanity.  We all should remember the words of the late Dr. George Sheehan, "Running has made this new me.  Taken the raw material and honed it and delivered it back ready to do the work of a human being".  Indeed!  His book Running and Being was a first in the exploration of holistic aspects in distance running!  We need not let that go!

There is a fantastic quality I look to encourage in distance runners as often as possible... their independent, consistent pressure 'to liberate themselves rather than humanity'.  That is their non-need to change others!  With the consistency we love and desire, in covering miles on foot, we are usually also in pursuit of the continual internal revolution which is inseparable from such efforts.  Distance running is indeed a type of sacrifice, often such a COMPLETE sacrifice, and our desire to improve life for ourselves and for others, often begins with THIS sacrifice!  And it is as simple as one foot in front of the other!  Cheers HD Runners!