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Zen and the Art of Running byShapiro
"All that I am, I am because of my mind."Paavo Nurmi, Olympic runner with nine gold medals in track & field All runners strive to get in the "zone," but here they'll learn to enter the ZEN "zone" By adopting Buddha's mindful approach, you will discover you can run longer, faster, and harder. This book shows how to align body and mind for success on--and off--the track Iron Man triathlete and philosophy professor Larry Shapiro coaches you Walk the Get out and run Practice Train harder Visualize Race the Zen way Accept and let Cope peacefully with injuries and aging Complete with case studies, testimonials, and training techniques, this guide inspires seasoned runners and first timers alike to pound the path to enlightenment--one stride at a time
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First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
June 9, 2019
Great book for beginners in running. My first book on running was 'the Chi of Running', which is also a fabulous book. While chi was more technical and focused on the right type of running, zen, as the name suggests, focusses on the mental part, which is a significant part for any runner. Happy running , I mean reading!
December 16, 2010
one step closer to not hating running
August 25, 2012
Practice mindfulness by separating fact from attitude. Figure out what thoughts & emotions prevent you from running. Figure out why you are attached to those thoughts & emotions. Negative attachments to an idea are a choice. Figure out what you can do to get rid of the attachments and just accept the facts. Obstacles arise from within.
Knowing and acting on knowledge are two different things. Don't let a harmful attachment control your mind and actions. Prioritize commitments, deadlines & responsibilities, then deal with the attachments that are causing fear, worry & dislike. You may not be able to change the task, but since it has to be done anyways, seek to change your negative attitude towards it.
Choose "right effort" to replace negative emotions with positive ones. The goal of "right effort" is to alleviate dukka, or a battle of clashing desires. This is one of the hardest skills for anyone to learn, but it complements mindfulness. Look for areas of compromise when dealing with a conflict...perhaps there are negative attachments?
Knowing and acting on knowledge are two different things. Don't let a harmful attachment control your mind and actions. Prioritize commitments, deadlines & responsibilities, then deal with the attachments that are causing fear, worry & dislike. You may not be able to change the task, but since it has to be done anyways, seek to change your negative attitude towards it.
Choose "right effort" to replace negative emotions with positive ones. The goal of "right effort" is to alleviate dukka, or a battle of clashing desires. This is one of the hardest skills for anyone to learn, but it complements mindfulness. Look for areas of compromise when dealing with a conflict...perhaps there are negative attachments?
March 18, 2024
I was pretty excited about this book when I first picked it up so it's unfortunate that I didn't quite like it. To start with positives, I think Shapiro did have some really unique ideas, analogies, metaphors, and I do really like some of the concepts of mindfulness and some other Buddhist beliefs. I look at them from a Christian perspective but they can still be valuable and I think they are. Buddhism can highlight aspects of truth that I think align with Christianity and needs no reconciliation. Where this happens, Buddhism can offer unique insights into suffering with others well, being very aware and conscious of the world around us, and also the benefit of something like meditation and knowing that things will pass away. (Before negative stuff begins, I would recommend Born to Run or Eat and Run as book alternatives that are well worth your time).
Unfortunately, I feel Shapiro contradicted his own views and ideas throughout the book. It would take too much looking back through the book to find all the examples but here is one. He talks about the "Middle Way" and a balance that is right for each person, but the previous chapter, anytime he was working through how someone might not like something he says "well other people like it and if they can so can you!" He ends his chapter on the Middle Way of how he can't stand a certain type of running and really would never do it unless he has to, meanwhile encouraging people to begin pushing themselves to doing things they don't want to do because it's good for them. This is minor, but he also advocated for runners to use the RICE method for recovery which has started to be shown as an ineffective recovery method and something that could even slow down recovery at times. It was written in 2009 so that might be part of the problem but I was just upset to see that recommendation hah.
In terms of Buddhism principles helping people, I found his description of impermanence interesting but something that only holds up when it's convenient for the individual. For example, why should YOU be upset that you aren't running as fast as YOU used to? That person existed at a point in time that no longer exists. You are now someone else entirely. That was a different person entirely and you can be proud of who they were but you are someone new and different (and each and every second you are someone new again). This idea can unfortunately be used as a tool for someone who does something bad as a cop out (well that wasn't me who did it but someone else). Similarly, it seemed contradictory how he encouraged you to push aside bad feelings in one moment, then to embrace them in another, only to push them aside again. Out with bad, in with good. Something hurts or doesn't fit with your expectations for life? Drop your attachments to everything and nothing can ever hurt again! It just seems like more of an escape from reality rather than facing reality. I've studied Buddhism more than any other religion and there is a lot that I respect in it, but some of the ideas he chose to capitalize on seemed like they weren't fully developed.
Lastly, I was slightly sad to find out that Shapiro is an atheist. Reading a book on Zen and Buddhism in running would have been much more effective had the author been a practitioner/believer of that faith himself. Sure, you can take ideas from other religions or belief systems, but theoretically you know your own view the best and hopefully you could draw from it for help. I think it's unfortunate that where his worldview in atheism offered no help, (dealing with suffering or monotony) he had to borrow from another worldview. As Tim Keller says, if your worldview has to smuggle in other beliefs or values from other worldviews, then maybe yours isn't all that great or accurate to begin with.
Unfortunately, I feel Shapiro contradicted his own views and ideas throughout the book. It would take too much looking back through the book to find all the examples but here is one. He talks about the "Middle Way" and a balance that is right for each person, but the previous chapter, anytime he was working through how someone might not like something he says "well other people like it and if they can so can you!" He ends his chapter on the Middle Way of how he can't stand a certain type of running and really would never do it unless he has to, meanwhile encouraging people to begin pushing themselves to doing things they don't want to do because it's good for them. This is minor, but he also advocated for runners to use the RICE method for recovery which has started to be shown as an ineffective recovery method and something that could even slow down recovery at times. It was written in 2009 so that might be part of the problem but I was just upset to see that recommendation hah.
In terms of Buddhism principles helping people, I found his description of impermanence interesting but something that only holds up when it's convenient for the individual. For example, why should YOU be upset that you aren't running as fast as YOU used to? That person existed at a point in time that no longer exists. You are now someone else entirely. That was a different person entirely and you can be proud of who they were but you are someone new and different (and each and every second you are someone new again). This idea can unfortunately be used as a tool for someone who does something bad as a cop out (well that wasn't me who did it but someone else). Similarly, it seemed contradictory how he encouraged you to push aside bad feelings in one moment, then to embrace them in another, only to push them aside again. Out with bad, in with good. Something hurts or doesn't fit with your expectations for life? Drop your attachments to everything and nothing can ever hurt again! It just seems like more of an escape from reality rather than facing reality. I've studied Buddhism more than any other religion and there is a lot that I respect in it, but some of the ideas he chose to capitalize on seemed like they weren't fully developed.
Lastly, I was slightly sad to find out that Shapiro is an atheist. Reading a book on Zen and Buddhism in running would have been much more effective had the author been a practitioner/believer of that faith himself. Sure, you can take ideas from other religions or belief systems, but theoretically you know your own view the best and hopefully you could draw from it for help. I think it's unfortunate that where his worldview in atheism offered no help, (dealing with suffering or monotony) he had to borrow from another worldview. As Tim Keller says, if your worldview has to smuggle in other beliefs or values from other worldviews, then maybe yours isn't all that great or accurate to begin with.
May 18, 2016
I've had a hard time motivating myself to get myself up and run when I wake up. I was going to force myself to run this morning but yesterday a callus formed on my toe that made walking painful. I opted not to run so I could hopefully let the callus heal. The first chapter deals with motivating yourself to run. I will definitely be utilizing some of these techniques.
I have been training to run faster as I am very unhappy with 15 minute mile. There are tools in this book that will help you train or just accept your pace for what it is.
I can also see applying the lessons in this book to your life. Meditating sounds interesting.
(I skipped 2 chapters because they weren't applicable at the moment.)
I have been training to run faster as I am very unhappy with 15 minute mile. There are tools in this book that will help you train or just accept your pace for what it is.
I can also see applying the lessons in this book to your life. Meditating sounds interesting.
(I skipped 2 chapters because they weren't applicable at the moment.)
August 2, 2012
For an author who has gained his PHD in philosophy Larry Shapiro's Zen and the Art of Running reads like an average fifth grade essay assignment; complete with tips on how to double tie your shoelaces. On the other hand, could his writing style actually reflect the true spirit of Zen? Simplicity after all is synonymous with both practices. Zen and the Art of Running is either a brilliant handbook for a contemplative approach to running or a professors bored attempt at reaching the 200 page goal before publishing.
April 25, 2011
I always am motivated when I read a good running book. Most of the book will help me, especially if I'm tired & still have further to go in the run. Shapiro still didn't convince me, however,to run outside on a dark, cold rainy morning. I can't dismiss it as being what it is & just run anyway. Its still cold & wet & unpleasant.
June 8, 2016
An excellent book explaining the fundamental concepts of zen through the activity of running. Using simple and clear examples, the author shows how to use the power of mindfulness, right effort and the middle way to look at the reality in a different light, objectively and free from personal attachments.
May 28, 2011
This book is not perfect, but I think I can give it partial credit for the fact that I consider myself a runner now. I have my first 5K coming up next month and while I've tried to start running before, I believe I always had the wrong mindset going in - this book definitely helped in that regard.
July 31, 2012
If you like running and reading about running it's hard to understand why you wouldn't like this book.
August 10, 2014
Not only great for running, Zen and the Art of Running has insightful bits for life.
May 25, 2015
A refer to this book often when I need a lift in my daily runs.
December 31, 2019
Zen and the art of running turned out to be more of a book about Zen Buddhism then I was expecting. The chapters are all about running, but the principles all come from the philosophical perspective of Zen. This is not a book about a religion, yet it's easy to see how the Zen practices would apply to many other elements of life outside of running. I was impressed by the author's ability to pull elements from this spiritual practice without ever making a dogma of it.
I found the text very easy to read and the examples meaningful as someone in a bit of lull in my running.
The book increased my appreciating for running(specifically racing) and drastically increased my interest in Zen Buddhism.
I think this is probably a better text for more experienced runners, but that might be my bias because what is it like not to be a runner?
I found the text very easy to read and the examples meaningful as someone in a bit of lull in my running.
The book increased my appreciating for running(specifically racing) and drastically increased my interest in Zen Buddhism.
I think this is probably a better text for more experienced runners, but that might be my bias because what is it like not to be a runner?
December 22, 2020
I struggled with this book. Not sure if it was the writing style, content, or both. Finally skim finished it off. I may come back to this at times in my life (for example the chapters on injury and aging), but I currently found it repetitive and too narrow focused (men have a different experience running than women -- he could have broadened his perspective in order to better connect with his audience). Tldr: mindfulness in running and life is good.
April 1, 2018
Nice book, on Zen, watered with running. A bit repetitive after 75% of the book.
If you run, you already know that "trance" feeling after a while focusing on your breath and steps.
But it is interesting the "zen" and "buddhism" part of the book where he explains some of the basic principles of mindfulness and "best effort" zen thinking.
The author should, probably, write a book "just" on Zen.
If you run, you already know that "trance" feeling after a while focusing on your breath and steps.
But it is interesting the "zen" and "buddhism" part of the book where he explains some of the basic principles of mindfulness and "best effort" zen thinking.
The author should, probably, write a book "just" on Zen.
August 25, 2023
Terra incognita
Buddha says
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it from without.
Annoyances are annoyances only if you let them be.
Common sense rails against the idea that our emotions and attitudes are least as much of our own doing as they are the product of the outside world.
Buddha says
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it from without.
Annoyances are annoyances only if you let them be.
Common sense rails against the idea that our emotions and attitudes are least as much of our own doing as they are the product of the outside world.
July 21, 2021
Fabulous introduction to both running and Zen. Easy to read. Helpful and wise. Thank you for this gem!
June 29, 2023
Easy read, some interesting perspectives on running, some common sense
October 27, 2014
6am in the fall, in New England, is dark, and cold. I get out of my warm bed, just a couple stretches and some juice, and out the door quickly... I keep my mind focused on the *feeling* - ignore the cold, ignore the rain, the traffic, just feel... My feet know the route, I can run it in the dark... my feet know every dip in the sidewalk, every curb, where the tree roots cross my path. When I hit mile 2 the sky begins to turn rose coloured and all I feel is peace, and I'm happy to be out and, yep, happy to have another 2-3 miles to go. I hear my feet, I hear the cars and the birds. It's a meditation in motion.
So Larry didn't get to this feeling until chapter 5, I think, and that's what I was looking for - how to go even more deeply into this feeling. I would have put the book down, except it's an easy read and a small book. If you don't have this feeling already and would like it - read the book. If you do, and you want to share with someone else - share the book. If you already feel this, just smile and high five me on the road.
So Larry didn't get to this feeling until chapter 5, I think, and that's what I was looking for - how to go even more deeply into this feeling. I would have put the book down, except it's an easy read and a small book. If you don't have this feeling already and would like it - read the book. If you do, and you want to share with someone else - share the book. If you already feel this, just smile and high five me on the road.
May 12, 2012
Meh. Got it as a Nook deal of the day thing, so I think I paid 99c for it. It was worth about that.
It seemed mostly a collection of obvious statements. I guess if you've truly never thought about Buddhism/zen/meditation/whatever concepts before *and* you've never thought about running before, you could get things out of this book, but...then why are you picking up the book? I'm not even a practitioner of Buddhism; I've just read enough to read this and go "yep, yep, yup, okay, yup, skimming now." That said, it's also slightly unfair of me as a lot of these concerns just don't apply. I could pretty much skim the entire chapter on using these concepts to make running while having a family or while aging easier, since neither apply. Maybe someday I'll go "hey, he was right!" and rewrite this review. :)
It seemed mostly a collection of obvious statements. I guess if you've truly never thought about Buddhism/zen/meditation/whatever concepts before *and* you've never thought about running before, you could get things out of this book, but...then why are you picking up the book? I'm not even a practitioner of Buddhism; I've just read enough to read this and go "yep, yep, yup, okay, yup, skimming now." That said, it's also slightly unfair of me as a lot of these concerns just don't apply. I could pretty much skim the entire chapter on using these concepts to make running while having a family or while aging easier, since neither apply. Maybe someday I'll go "hey, he was right!" and rewrite this review. :)
July 24, 2015
La prima metà del libro mi ha lasciato parecchio deluso..nozioncine e consigli veramente troppo basici ed elementari, adatti forse a motivare chi a stento si alza dal letto, non certo adatti a chi, a mio avviso, acquista un libro dal titolo "lo zen e l'arte della corsa" con aspettative di un certo livello.
dopo metà libro invece il testo si fa più interessante, pur restando in superficie sia nell'ambito zen che in quello podistico, è in grado di suscitare curiosità sui temi trattati e in un certo senso dispensa consigli utili anche per la vita di tutti i giorni. Se non altro invita a pensare in modo diverso ai problemi della quotidianità.
E' utile tenere presente che è in sostanza un libro introduttivo alla filosofia zen ed alla corsa, nulla di specialistico o comunque adatto a chi già esperto in questi due ambiti.
dopo metà libro invece il testo si fa più interessante, pur restando in superficie sia nell'ambito zen che in quello podistico, è in grado di suscitare curiosità sui temi trattati e in un certo senso dispensa consigli utili anche per la vita di tutti i giorni. Se non altro invita a pensare in modo diverso ai problemi della quotidianità.
E' utile tenere presente che è in sostanza un libro introduttivo alla filosofia zen ed alla corsa, nulla di specialistico o comunque adatto a chi già esperto in questi due ambiti.
February 27, 2011
I tried to read this book straight through, but came to realize that it's more of a reference book that I'll go to when I need it. For example, I loved the "Zen Motivation: Getting Out the Door" section since I often need an extra push to convince myself to go running when it's dark and I'm tired from working all day. However, I gave myself permission to just browse about half the book (the racing, injury, and aging sections) since it didn't pertain to my life right now. I enjoyed reading about Zen practices and have actually used some of the techniques to clear my head of distracting thoughts while trying to fall asleep.
September 11, 2011
The book promises a bit more than it delivers, or at least it creates expectations that it can't quite meet. I'd have liked to read more about zen then about running. At times, it feels like Shapiro ran out of things to say about zen and instead started writing a running guide. Other books do that better, this book should have staid closer to the zen side of things. There are some good parts, like the meditation exercises and how to meditate during a run, but that part felt a bit too short and shallow in comparison to the rest.
January 4, 2014
I like the idea of mindfulness and right effort while running. The practice of meditation has also helped me find moments in my day to just breathe. The authors examples are often flat and difficult to relate to and the book is written almost like a high-school project, but taken with a grain salt this book is useful and my first zen run was very pleasant. I'm one who can talk myself out if nearly anything so using zen principles helped me stick to the run and not count down the seconds until it was over.
January 11, 2015
I really enjoyed reading this book. I have read many books on running but this was the first about the mental part of it. Shapiro does a good job of explaining how to apply Zen to your life in general and running in particular. It is easy to apply some of these but it takes a lifetime to master.
I do wonder about the simplicity of "Zen teaches us ...." I don't know if Zen is as monolithic as that.
The running advice is a big simple. Don't read this as your first running book but if you want to learn about how to use Zen in your running, this is recommended.
I do wonder about the simplicity of "Zen teaches us ...." I don't know if Zen is as monolithic as that.
The running advice is a big simple. Don't read this as your first running book but if you want to learn about how to use Zen in your running, this is recommended.
May 15, 2016
I hope I can try and use some of these techniques to my running and also the Zen attitude and beliefs to my everyday life and relationships. This book, I feel, is for hardcore runners, even though he does add in some novice acknowledgements as well.
May 1, 2012
I learned more about Zen Buddhism than I did running. It's kind of an introduction to Buddhist thought presented as a runner's guide. There's certainly a lot of practical application for runners but it's more about how you think about running than how you actually do it.
July 21, 2012
Motivational, yet at times you may feel like it opens more questions than answers. A good book that can make you, think, reflect and focus on what's important in your life. Being in the present is its main philosophy.
January 23, 2014
Easy introduction to the ideas of Zen. The correlation of mindfulness, right effort, meditation, and The Middle Way to running was clever. It's always nice to read something that makes you think about something in a new way. I enjoyed applying the new approach to running.
April 27, 2016
Book for an aspiring long-distance runner. Finding work-sport-life balance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews