An exploration of the reasons people put off running, the nature of hedonic inertia, and running as a form of mindfulness practice.

Probably the most common statement that I get when people find out that I am a running coach is some variation of “I know it’s good for you (wait for it), but running is so boring,” or “I want to run, but I lose interest so quickly.” I would be lying if that wasn't my exact sentiment before I took up the sport. I get it running requires us to spend time doing the same thing for what every length of time training plan or chosen workout prescribes. And to get better at the sport you need to do that same thing all-the-time, given that to really improve we need miles on our legs. On its face this doesn't sound fun, diverting, or engaging. But this seeming banality is an illusion that is compounded by hedonic inertia, the lack of goal oriented training, and experiential ignorance. I know what just happened when you read hedonic inertia and promptly checked out of this blog. Stick with me and I will explain what it is, how it works, and what ‘turning inward’ has to do with it.

If you don’t know who they are, crawl out from under your rock and look to the coverage of the games. Nikki is a 29 year-old, non-binary, AFAB, middle-distance runner who is dominating the Women’s 1,500-.meter. Most recently they destroyed the 1,500m at the trials setting a PB of 3:55. That is three minutes and fifty five seconds to self propel over .93 miles, aka a sub 4. That is 1 full minute faster than the gold medal pace of the men’s 1500m in 1896. But, this blog entry isn’t about exploring their form, which is perfect, or their training regime, which I would kill to see. I want to talk instead about Nikki’s healthy, self-justified, and principled sense of their self and their boundaries, and how these philosophical issues give them the edge they need to perform at the height of the sport.