Thc Zcn of

Runnin
Frcb Roh
Photoraphq bq Dcnnis Anbcrson
Laqout Tqpcscttin bq Chris Ton
Copqriht tz4 anb zooo bq Frcb Roh
AII rihts rcscrvcb unbcr !ntcrnationaI
Anb Pan-Amcrican Copqriht Convcntions.
Photoraphs bq Dcnnis Anbcrson
Laqout Tqpcscttin bq Chris Ton. Enchantcb Vcbsitcs
PubIishcb bq Dranic harkctin
ttr Loch Lomonb Rb.
hibbIctovn. CA 4et
Roh. Frcb
Thc Zcn of Runnin
t. )oin. !. TitIc
CV44.Re tzr.z z4-zoz4
!5N o-+4-4ett-e
!5N o-+4-z+o+r-o pbk.
hanufacturcb in thc \nitcb 5tatcs of Amcrica
Dcbicatcb to mq fricnbs
PauI Rcps anb PauI Havkcn
!n thc vintcr of te. aftcr about ninc months of rcu-
Iar runnin. ! vas visitin mq fricnb Rcps. a vritcr of po-
ctic books about vhoIIq Iivin (Zcn FIcsh. Zcn oncs: Tcn
Vaqs to hcbitatc: Ncv \scs of thc Human !nstrumcnt).
haqbc ! shouIb vritc a book about runnin." ! saib.
haqbc qou shouIb vait." hc saib.
D.K.. ! havcn't carncb thc riht to vritc such a book
qct. ! shouIb vait about thrcc qcars."
ut ! bibn't. ! vrotc thc first vcrsion that aftcrnoon.
thcrc on thc isIanb of Havaii. stanbin in front of Rcps'
vinbov Iookin bovn thc mountain across rccn ficIbs of
suarcanc to thc bIuc Pacific. usin thc vinbov siII for a
tabIc.
!t's nov thc autumn of tz+ anb !'vc bccn a rcuIar
runncr for morc than four qcars. Thc book has bccn cx-
panbcb bq scvcraI short. intcnsc. crcativc bursts foIIovin
particuIarIq inspirin jaunts on mq favoritc runnin track.
thc occan bcach of 5an Francisco. !t fccIs Iikc !'vc carncb thc
riht to prcscnt Thc Zcn of Runnin. !t truIq cxprcsscs thc
joq of runnin.
This cxpcricncc is
a ncvIq biscovcrcb
form of mcbitation
or
onc morc vaq
for qou
to biscovcr qou .
so ! sucst qou
joqfuIIq .
cxubcrantIq .
takc a short run .
(short miht bc
to qarbs or to bIocks --
that's qour ovn
privatc affair .)
bo qour run in thc cIcancst air qou can finb .
bc as unbrcsscb as possibIc so that qou ct
vcII bathcb bq sun anb air .
if thcrc's a bcach or a park vithout a Iot of
brokcn Iass. bo qour run barcfoot . this ivcs qou
a foot massac vhich stimuIatcs aII thc ncrvc
rcfIcx points in thc soIcs of qour fcct . vhich in
turn stimuIatc aII thc orans of qour bobq . bq
bcin barcfoot qou aIso ct rounbcb. this bircct
contact vith Crcat hothcr Earth mcanin that
cIcctricaI cquiIibrium is cstabIishcb bctvccn qou
anb thc pIanct .
in this bancc of joq
vhich is qour run
brcathc in Ion
thru qour nosc
brcathc out short anb sharp
thru qour mouth .
thcrc miht bc 4 stcps
to thc in-brcath
vith thc out-brcath
on thc fifth stcp.
thc point of countin
bcin RHVTHh -
maqbc not 4.t but z.t or .+ -
VD\R rhqthm .
(on thc othcr hanb
qou maq finb
that brcathin out thru thc nosc
vorks bcttcr for qou
than brcathin out thru thc mouth .
if so. of coursc bo it qour vaq .
nobobq but qou
shouIb tcII qou vhat to bo .)
at first qou maq pant sharpIq
in anb out vith cvcrq stcp .
so vhat 7
run a IittIc morc .
bancinIq . joqfuIIq .
Iovin this ift vc'vc aII bccn ivcn
anb IittIc bq IittIc
as qour run Icnthcns
qour brcath viII Icnthcn .
bon't ovcrbo it .
unbcrbo it .
qou arcn't runnin bccausc
qou'rc in a hurrq to ct somcvhcrc .
qou viII bc abIc to run tircIcssIq
if qou foIIov this simpIc ruIc :
run vithin qour brcath .
bo not run ahcab of qour brcath.
(qou havc to run
to biscovcr vhat that mcans .)
cvcrq timc qou run
qou crcatc thc quaIitq
of qour ovn cxpcricncc .
runncrs oftcn spcak of pain
anb of coursc if qou vant that
qou can havc aII qou vant
mcrcIq bq pushin qourscIf
bcqonb qour Iimits
cvcrq timc qou run .
it's qour choicc of vhcthcr
to run to punish qour scIf
or to cxpcricncc qour scIf .
if qou choosc. vith mc. thc Iattcr.
thcn cvcrq run can bc joqfuI .
thc kcq vorbs arc .
Takc it casq !
crcatc qour scIf as a runncr
rabuaIIq. paticntIq. rcIaxcbIq .
qou can bc victimizcb
bq qour imaination
if qou imainc qourscIf
astonishin qour vorIb
vith qour prorcss anb provcss .
vc knov this mcchanism as Eo .
vc knov this statc as Ambition .
bcin Crcat Runncrs
is not thc attainmcnt vc nccb .
it is scIf controI .
vithout it. co forccs us into ambition
anb thc pricc of ambition
is pain .
Ict's not bc cotisticaI .
Ict's takc it casq .
qour crcation of qou
as a runncr
viII bc a pIcasurc
as qou prorcss
bq runnin Icss
thc kcq to thc prorcss bq Icss" mcthob
is aIvaqs to bo
Icss than qou think qou can .
if qou think qou can aIIop riht avaq .
just takc a vaIk .
thinkin qou can run arounb thc bIock .
just run bovn to thc corncr .
qou havc thc rcst of qour Iifc
to prorcss into Ion bistancc runnin .
vhq strain. makc pain 7
vhq not Iopc aIon .
frcc anb casq .
boin it Iikc a bancc 7
vhcn qou start boin it
qou'II scc that runnin
is naturaIIq harb cnouh
aII bq itscIf
vithout qou crcatin
abbitionaI harbship for qourscIf .
so. practicaIIq spcakin.
qou miht ask .
Hov far shouIb ! run 7
anb ! vouIb ansvcr
bq saqin
qou must ansvcr that for qou .
qou scc .
it's quitc a rcIativc anb inbivibuaI thin .
this bistancc qucstion .
hov oIb arc qou 7
hov Ion arc qour Ics 7
hov much bo qou vcih 7
vhat imainarq bistancc
bo qou fccI comfortabIc vith 7
sincc inbivibuaI ibiosqncracics
makc it impossibIc to cncraIizc safcIq
about bistancc
it's rcaIIq a mattcr of timc .
hov far bo qour Ics
takc qou in. saq.
fivc or fiftq minutcs 7
qou shouIb run far cnouh
to makc qourscIf fccI banbq
anb if qou bon't
qou'vc probabIq run
too far .
qou miht ask
Hov fast shouIb ! run 7
spccb. too. is rcIativc
to a Iot of inbivibuaI consibcrations:
maqbc qou'rc short anb hcavq
maqbc qou'rc Ion anb Ican
maqbc qou havcn't ivcn up smokin qct
maqbc qou vant rcaI bab to bc fast .
maqbc qou couIbn't carc Icss about that --
qou shouIb run fast cnouh
to makc qourscIf brcathc harb
anb svcat frccIq .
!f qou'rc runnin fast cnouh
to makc qourscIf pant anb svcat
qou'rc runnin fast cnouh .
(but of coursc
qou arc Iivin
qour Iifc .
so if qou vant
to run aainst thc cIock
rcmcmbcr that this is qour amc --
qou bccibc vhat ruIcs
qou vant to pIaq bq .)
qou miht ask
Hov oftcn shouIb ! run 7
thc objcctivc is to buiIb strcnth anb cnburancc
to thc point of bcin abIc to run cffortIcssIq .
comparcb to thc capabiIitq qou cxpcricnccb vhcn
qou took qour first run .
so run oftcn cnouh .
vhcthcr baiIq or four timcs a vcck .
to incrcasc anb maintain
strcnth anb cnburancc
but not oftcn cnouh
to turn it
into brubcrq .
aftcr a vhiIc
runnin rcuIarIq
viII fccI so much bcttcr
than not
that qou viII just naturaIIq run rcuIarIq
accorbin to vhat fccIs oob
to qou
anb that viII bc
oftcn cnouh .
pcopIc ask mc
Vhat shouIb a runncr cat 7
if qou bon't knov
vhat qou shouIb cat
thcn ncithcr bo ! .
if ! thouht ! bib
! vouIb bo qou a favor
bq not tcIIin qou .
aIIovin qou thc inbcpcnbcnt abvcnturc
of biscovcrin for qou
hov to fccb qou .
qour foob shouIb hcIp qou
fccI Iiht. cIcan. cIcar anb stron .
so ! rccommcnb
thc simpIc principIcs ! caII
thc XVZ of catin :
X- cat purc. vhoIc foobs
V- cat simpIq. accorbin to appctitc
Z- cat sIovIq. ratcfuIIq. joqfuIIq .
aItho qou shouIbn't Ict anqonc
tcII qou hov to run .
anq morc than qou shouIb Ict anqonc
tcII qou hov to run
qour Iifc .
thcrc is onc principIc
uscfuI to aII vho run:
Run as crcct as possibIc !
sccn from thc sibc .
qour spinc shouIb bc vcrticaI to thc rounb :
if qou Ican forvarb vhiIc runnin .
qou han thc vciht of qour torso
out ovcr qour Iiftin Ics .
qour forvarb Ic actin Iikc a bracc
to kccp qou from faIIin on qour facc .
makin it harbcr to Iift qour Ic
for thc ncxt stribc
anb sIovin qou. tirin qou .
runnin crcctIq --
shouIbcrs. chcst.
abbomcn. hips.
in onc pIumb Iinc --
qour Ics Iift casiIq .
knccs thrustin up
anb forvarb
frccIq .
Thc troubIcs vith thc othcr books
!'vc sccn about runnin
arc tvo :
t. thcq havc a mcchanicaI approach.
tcIIin us hov far to run
hov oftcn. hov fast
as if vc arc aII thc samc.
Iikc a fIcct of tvo-boor scbans
anb z. bq makin it
a mcchanicaI practicc
thc spirit is missin --
thcrc is no fun !
mq fricnb Rcps saqs
unIcss it's fun
bcttcr Icft unbonc."
rcmcmbcr: vc crcatc our vorIb(s)
vith our minb(s) .
so Ict qour minb saq
Iook. !'m runnin
anb aII runncrs bo this bcautifuI bancc. cach
stribc a Icap thru spacc - ho! vhat fun !"
oncc qou'vc biscovcrcb
runnin is just anothcr
form of funnin
qou viII cstabIish
qour runnin spccb.
timc. bistancc. anb rcuIaritq
accorbin to vhat
is riht for qou .
bccomin a rcuIar runncr
mcans ccrtain rcvarbs
bcin to accruc to phqsicaI qou .
- hcart pump-muscIc strcnthcns. sIovin puIsc.
incrcasin Ioncvitq potcntiaI .
- Iun rcsiIicncq anb capacitq incrcasc. nasaI
passacs bIov cIcan .
- cquiIibrium bctvccn intakc anb outo is cstabIishcb.
propcr naturaI bobq vciht is maintaincb .
- fcct anb Ics bccomc stron anb firm .
- skin anb cqcs sparkIc vith vitaIitq .
but if thc bancc of thc run
isn't fun
thcn biscovcr anothcr bancc
bccausc vithout fun
thc oob of thc run
is unbonc
anb a suffcrin runncr
aIvaqs quits
sooncr or Iatcr .
qou viII finb qour bancin run
bocsn't tirc qou but cncrizcs qou .
rossIq: as qour muscIcs strcnthcn. qour Iuns
cxpanb anb qour circuIation ocs quickcr. bccpcr .
thus qour oxqcnation from in-brcathin anb qour
cxpuIsion of toxins from out-brcathin bccomcs morc
thorouh. morc compIctc. aIso. qour stronIq. sharpIq
movin abbominaI muscIcs massac qour intcstincs
into action vhiIc thc opcnin of qour porcs to thc
fIov of svcat compIctcs thc cIcansin .
anb subtIq: bq runnin vithin qour brcath. qou storc
a surpIus of prana". a 5anscrit vorb mcanin
AbsoIutc Encrq. thc invisibIc vitaI forcc vhich
suppIics thc primaI motivation for cvcrq form of
activitq .
qou maq vant to run
vith a fricnb or a Iovcb onc
but runnin is not ccstatic
unIcss it is raccb
bq qour ovn naturaI pacc .
vith a runnin matc
vhosc pacc matchcs qours.
qou can run sibc bq sibc
stribc bq stribc
fcct sIappin rounb as onc
tvo brcathin as onc
bancin thc oncncss
of human bcin .
qou can run avaq
from aII qour troubIcs
as qour run cts riht .
! took it sIovIq
casiIq makin mq run Ioncr
IittIc bq IittIc cttin stroncr
untiI onc baq ! fcIt so frcc
it no Ioncr sccmcb to bc mc
but rathcr hc
anb hc hab carncb this strcnth
that fccIs Iikc Iihtncss
anb turncb his short run
into a Ion onc
thcn turncb his Ion run
into thc rihtncss
of this bancin ---
cxpcricncin thc run as bancc
rcquircs somc spcciaI attcntion .
bc avarc of qour hcab -
it shouIb fIoat on qour ncck .
(fix qour azc on an objcct :
it viII staq IcvcI. not bouncc up anb bovn .)
qour ncck shouIb bc Ioosc.
qour shouIbcrs shouIb han casq .
noticc qour arms --
thcir svin shouIb bc cIosc to qour sibc .
thcq bon't nccb tihtIq cIcnchcb fists .
just IooscIq. comfortabIc cIoscb .
fccI qour fcct --
hccI. tocs. hccI. tocs.
thc hccI cushionin qour rcturn to carth.
thc tocs vauItin qou off aain .
bcin avarc of thc bctaiIs
of qour runnin
ivcs qou cconomq of cncrq
Icabin to puritq of movcmcnt --
runnin frcc anb casq .
Iopin IooscIq anb IihtIq -- bancin !
as qou bccomc stron
qou ain sprin in qour stribc .
thcrc viII bc baqs
vhcn qour bancin
cvcn fccIs Iikc fIqin
bccausc. Iook. it is fIqin --
bctvccn cach sprinin stribc
qou fIoat for an instant
frcc in thc air
bcforc qou touch bovn
for thc ncxt sprinin up.
Icapin forvarb stribc .
pIcasc rcmcmbcr that thc point of qour runnin
is to hcIp qou bccomc
hcaIthq. happq anb vhoIIq qou .
consibcr aIso accompanqin
qour brcath vith
a praqcr (Iikc Cob's Cracc")
or a mantra (Iikc Lovc")
or a qucstion (Iikc Vho am ! 7")
or vhatcvcr qou Iikc --
it's a privatc affair --
brcathin it in anb out
to qour ovn privatc runnin rhqthm
(for rcmcmbcr. this is qour biscovcrq) .
vhat bo ! mcan caIIin this runnin
a ncvIq biscovcrcb form of mcbitation 7"
!sn't mcbitation bonc sittin cross-Iccb
on thc fIoor vith cIoscb cqcs 7
! mcan that mcbitation is a statc of bcin.
not a phqsicaI position .
! can run in a statc that is just as mcbitativc.
pcrhaps morc so
than vhcn sittin ubbha-Iikc .
from thc cxpcricncc of runnin mcbitativcIq.
! Icarn that potcntiaIIq mq cntirc Iifc
can bc Iivcb mcbitativcIq .
anb it sccms to mc ! shouIb Icarn to Iivc it so .
to mc this mcans that ! viII bc
caImIq. couracousIq. aIcrtIq. intcIIicntIq. cncrcticaIIq
prcscnt for cach momcnt of mq Iivin
untiI Iifc is bonc vith this bobq .
so onc aspcct of runnin mcbitation
is thc shccr joq riht nov of this runnin .
anothcr aspcct
is thc Icarnin proccss
vhich uscs this runnin as a mctaphor
for aII thc rcst of mq Iifc .
vhatcvcr qou bo
vith qour runnin.
qou onIq chcat qourscIf
bq pushin. prcssin. compctin .
thcrc arc no stanbarbs
anb no possibIc victorics cxccpt
thc joq qou arc Iivin
vhiIc bancin qour run .
in anq Iifc
joq is onIq knovn
in this momcnt -- nov !
so fccI thc fIov
of qour bancc
anb knov
qou arc not runnin
for somc futurc rcvarb --
thc rcaI rcvarb is nov !
in thc runnin
in thc run
--- nov ---
vhq not start
nov 7
just bcforc bcinnin to vritc this Iinc.
! took mq puIsc .
mq hcart bcat 4r timcs in onc minutc .
! obscrvc this bobq ! Iivc in
anb scc that it is Ican anb stron.
thc cqcs arc cIcar. thc skin Iovs .
thc runnin is obviousIq a vonbcrfuI tonic
for this bobq .
anb vhat is oob for thc bobq
is oob for thc vhoIc man .
our spirit is not scparatc from our bobq
anq morc than thc vatcr is scparatc from thc strcam .
thc vatcr is thc strcam .
a ccrtain Iabq vhom ! Iovc.
anb for vhom ! havc an immcnsc amount of rcspcct.
rcab vhat ! havc vrittcn
anb saib that it is bcautifuI .
but. shc saib. thcrc is somcthin missin .
bo qou rcaIIq mcan. shc askcb.
that it is aIvaqs joqfuI. aIvaqs fun 7
no. it is not .
vhat bo ! bo vhcn ! bon't fccI Iikc runnin.
vhcn ! fccI morc Iikc just Iqin arounb 7
somctimcs ! bo that. ! just Iic arounb .
anb scc that about mqscIf .
but thcn. somctimcs ! push mqscIf out thcrc to run
cvcn tho thc prcbominant fccIin is .
! bon't vant to .
anb scc that about mqscIf.
bccausc thcrc is morc than onc sibc
to this roup ! caII mqscIf".
thcrc is no sinIc pcrmancnt !"
rathcr thcrc arc manq.
onc !" vants to quit .
usuaIIq ! kccp on runnin
bccausc it's a fastcr vaq to ct back
to vhcrc ! startcb from . anqvaq. thc !" that
vantcb to run viII appcar aain soon .
in spcakin of mq scIf. ! saq !" or mc"
or mqscIf". obscurin thc fact that ! am
not onc but manq .
thcrc is a truIq sinificant sibc of mc" that
Iovcs to run. but ! havc not run for vccks at a
timc. saib qcs to othcr sibcs .
mq aim in Iifc is not to run
but to avakcn .
CDN5C!D\5NE55 rcquircs 5EE!NC --
bcins vith opcnin to vhat qou arc .
surc. pcopIc arc Iazq .
mc too .
! trq harb
to scc mqscIf cIcarIq
anb cIcar as can bc
thcrc's thc Iazq sibc of mc .
most oftcn. thcn.
! simpIq choosc not
to fccb thc Iazq sibc of mc .
thc bcvicc ! usc to ct arounb him
is biscipIinc .
biscipIinc is onc morc aspcct
of our runnin qoa .
(qcs. it's a qoa too.
anb qoa aIvaqs rcquircs biscipIinc .)
but thc Iazq sibc of qou
is not cxactIq thc samc as
thc Iazq sibc of mc .
so qour biscipIinc
is qour rcsponsibiIitq to invcnt .
bon't bc afraib of it :
biscipIinc is oob for us too .
aII that ! vrotc about runnin is mq truth.
is from an important sibc of mq scIf.
camc from thc bcsirc to ivc of mq scIf .
runnin is not aII ccstasq. aII positivc .
somctimcs runnin is suffcrin intcntionaIIq
for thc sakc of sccin. somctimcs runnin is
rcsistin anb suffcrin unintcntionaIIq bccausc
vc arc human bcins .
Ict's not makc our runnin a fantasq.
Ict's Ict our runnin bc rcaI .
! sit hcrc rccaIIin a run of a fcv baqs ao .
! rcmcmbcr that ! vantcb to capturc this
csscncc vith thcsc vorbs ---
! am runnin
frcc anb casq.
mq brcath roIIin in.
pourin out.
cntircIq prcscnt
in thc nov of this cxpcricncc.
minb
stiII .
as ! run
! can fccI mq facc
bcamin ccstaticaIIq.
so maq qou .
if qou Iikc.
brop mc a Iinc
tcIIin mc
vhat's truc for qou .