Thirteen lessons learned from running.

stories, essays, articles, and poems. The similarities between running and writing do not end there.

Many writers run miles to come up with ideas, clear the mind, break the desktop monotony, and burn calories. Famous writing runners include Joyce Carol Oates, Haruki Murakami, and Benjamin Cheever.

How can the fundamentals of running make you a better writer?

F ss tun has a beginning, middle, and end. The same can be said about

First step

It is often said in running that the first step is the hardest step, and it’s true—getting your foot out the door is the hardest part. Once you are cruising along at a moderate pace, the winds of motivation propel you forward. Writers face the same challenge of putting that first word squarely on the page. Many writers find that after they get started with a word or sentence, they are able to get into the flow of writing, that the forward motion builds momentum. So write down that first word, and enjoy the inertia.

Run for fun

Competition can provide inspiration and motivation but also may cause undue stress. The whirlwind of competition, whether it is publishing or meeting deadlines, can smother the fun factor, the I’m-doing-this-because-I-love-it aspect. Runners would do well to remember that they are runners before they are racers; by keeping this in mind, they get on the road or trail and free the mind through the mechanical motion of movement. Writers who find the time to enjoy the pure movement of words appearing on the page will keep the joy in their craft. Even if you write for a living, don’t neglect setting aside time to enjoy the act of writing. Write a short story, essay, or poem for yourself and no one else.

Running free

What is the price of five miles? The same as an hour of writing: absolutely free. The results of those five miles of running or 60 minutes of writing are priceless. Many hobbies leave people with empty pockets and debt, but neither running nor writing will suck your wallet dry. The initial investment to start running is minimal: a pair of running shoes. Writers have a hard time finding ways to waste money. A pen and paper cost only so much. It’s true that the deeper you get into running, the more ways you find to spend money, but you can keep it cheap.

Goals

The beginning runner may set a goal of running a mile. The beginning writer wants to finish one short story. The veteran marathoner goes out to win or maybe to run up to 200 miles a week. A novelist may strive to put out 2,000 words a day. Successful runners and writers follow the advice of the Roman philospher Seneca: “When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.” The importance of goals can’t be emphasized enough. Runners and writers keep a dynamic goal list and consistently scratch off these achievements. So choose your harbor or goal, and align yourself to reach that goal.

Races

Nothing can get a runner moving like a filled-out race entry. Runners who realize they have only two or three months to train will find the necessary oomph to put one foot in front of the other. Do you feel your writing needs a push? Then why not enter a contest? It can help you see where you line up, and by signing on the dotted line, you know that you need to give it your best. One great writing challenge to train for is the National Novel Writing Month. Check out the website www.nanowrimo.org. Other challenges can be found by searching for “writing challenges” on the Internet.

Mentors

A list of running greats could fill encyclopedias. From those who have been running for more than 50 years to the up-and-coming speedsters, they inspire the mortals to give it their best. Following in the footsteps of writing greats like Leo Tolstoy or Jon Krakauer can provide inspiration. These hardworking writers show us it can be done. Just write.

Anyone with the will to write, will write. Anyone with the will to run, can run. Don’t stop at one mentor; let the well overflow. Reading advice from these mentors can be of great help. Running and writing magazines regularly provide this advice.

Clubs

It’s Sunday morning, and getting out of bed at 6:00 a.m. is not at the top of your list, but the running club awaits. And you know that if you’re not there, the phone will be ringing. A running club can help with motivation, training, and critiquing.

You can write alone or holed up for years, but most writers need more than inertia and caffeine. Getting involved with your writing community will educate and motivate you. You can do this by joining forums, reading with a club, and finding a critique group. Writing clubs can give you critiques that you can’t find anywhere else.

Training

The late George Sheehan wrote in his essay, “Give the Mind Equal Training”: “The mind is not different from the body. It requires daily training. Only through regular use will it continue to function well.” Dr. Sheehan followed this philosophy; he regularly ran and wrote. It’s guaranteed that your first run will not be your greatest and that your first short story or article will need some polishing.

For the runner, every mile traveled brings endurance and speed. A runner’s work is never done; this is a part of the challenge that pulls in runners. Persistence is also the key to becoming a successful writer. A million words down the road, you will be a better writer, with increased endurance, efficiency, and speed. Will you put in the daily training?

Nutrition

The malnourished runner can run for a jaunt, but burnout is on the horizon. Every accomplished runner recognizes the importance of food and drink. Balanced athletes know that junk food in controlled rations will bring no harm, as does the balanced writer who is well read. If writers feed only on the junk food of writing, they will put out only what they take in. Nourish yourself with poetry, creative nonfiction, short stories—the list goes on.

Motivation

Runners find motivation in family members, quotations, fellow runners, magazines, websites, and, plainly put, all things running. Runners know that they need motivation, as do writers. Find your motivation through quotations, fellow writers, magazines, websites, and all things writing. These are extrinsic motivations.

If you want to stick with running or writing, your motivation needs to come intrinsically—that is, from within you. Nobody can force us to enjoy what we do; it’s our choice whether we love it.

The early riser

Polls of runners show that many wake with the song of the robin. Before the breakfast bell, they are satisfied knowing that the miles are in. The sooner in the day that you write, the less chance of other daily obstacles stealing away your writing time.

Platform

“Build your base” is common advice from running professionals. The bigger and better the base, the less are the chances of getting injured. Every mile you run is an experience that will never be erased from your inner logbook. A writer’s platform can only grow; there is nowhere to go but up. Just as there are no junk miles and every mile counts, every word and finished piece of writing builds your base. Thinking about writing doesn’t count as writing, so start building today.

Never give up

“T’m too old to run” will never cut it, not with 90-year-olds doing marathons. Real runners never give up—they keep on running and running. There is no other option. The same can be said of real writers.

Most runners will never win a race. Very few writers avoid rejection; for instance, Jack London received 600 rejection slips before he sold his first story.

The devoted runner puts one foot in front of the other. Success is found not only in medals and trophies but in knowing that you are farther ahead than when you started. Placing in your age group or achieving a personal record is great and worthy of praise, but the most important thing is that you love the run. A published book or short story brings rushes of euphoria, but the true source of joy comes from knowing that your letters have become words that have grown into sentences, paragraphs, pages, and stories.