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“For me, running is both exercise and a metaphor. Running day after day, piling up the races, bit by bit I raise the bar, and by clearing each level I elevate myself. At least that’s why I’ve put in the effort day after day: to raise my own level. I’m no great runner, by any means. I’m at an ordinary – or perhaps more like mediocre – level. But that’s not the point. The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be.”
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
“I'm often asked what I think about as I run. Usually the people who ask this have never run long distances themselves. I always ponder the question. What exactly do I think about when I'm running? I don't have a clue.”
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
“Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.”
― The Alchemist
― The Alchemist
“People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But I don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life—and for me, for writing as well. I believe many runners would agree.”
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Amanda’s 2025 Year in Books
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