INVOLVEMENT WITH running and racing at any level can be viewed as a personal journey, a lifetime of discovery and learning. Training is far more than just physical activity or competition. It offers the opportunity to look deep inside and uncover weaknesses and strengths. The lessons appear on many different levels—mental, physical, and even spiritual—as you allow yourself to open up to them.

Whether you’re running competitively or for health and fitness, you can encounter the full range of knowledge and experience required for success in life. The sports setting is like a miniature rehearsal for life’s trials, with all the pleasures and hardships, successes and setbacks, victories and shortcomings that you face in day-to-day living. Participation in sports—in our case, running—can provide a path to personal discovery and development. Running is a perfect metaphor for understanding how to live your life to the fullest.

Running teaches us about many aspects of life that would be difficult to learn in any other way. The power and energy of athletics, the feeling of being completely absorbed in an activity, can bring out your absolute best. Competition offers a unique opportunity to challenge yourself, test your limits, and perform as you never have before. Few activities in life offer the kind of intensity and accelerated learning you find in athletics.

I once interviewed Payton Jordan, one of the legendary U.S. runners and the model for longevity in sport. Payton is now 83 years old and is still setting world age-group records on the track. He looked back on his association with Jesse Owens, considered one of the greatest sprinters in the world: “I remember when I ran against Jesse Owens in the 100 yards at a college meet at the LA Coliseum. I was 17, and he was 25 years old. You just knew when you talked to Jesse, the aura of confidence, commitment, and preparation. There are certain athletes who, when they walk up to the starting line, you know they’re going to do their job. It was just the way Jesse carried himself.”

You can attain that same kind of confidence and inner strength through a daily commitment to your marathon training.

THE GAME OF LIFE

The pursuit of excellence can be both demanding and satisfying. To do well in running, you are simultaneously learning what it takes to do well in the rest of your life. The principles for distinction in both areas are the same. The difference between a mediocre athlete and a champion is in the willingness to persevere in the face of adversity.

The qualities that employers look for in their workers are the same ones that coaches seek in their athletes. Character and integrity come first, followed closely by positive attitude, self-discipline, desire, and commitment.

THE “SOFTER” QUALITIES

Behind the mental toughness and competitiveness of training and performing in sport, another, far deeper level of learning takes place when you get involved in running. You may not appreciate this part until you lose a race, or become injured, or sink into a performance slump. For deep fulfillment and personal growth through athletics, you also need to learn the “softer qualities” of patience and humility and accepting responsibility for mistakes.

You learn to search deep inside to discover your vulnerabilities and your strong points. After you recover from an injury, you expand your appreciation of health and life. Through riding the waves of successes and failures, you learn how to win and how to rebound from defeat. You accept the ups and downs in running, and also in life.

When you train and compete, over time you’ll face an array of emotional states as you respond to demanding situations. You learn to handle difficult emotions and express your feelings even when it’s uncomfortable to do so. Along with emotional awareness, you may also develop a new sensitivity to your body, so you can tell when it’s time to push hard and when you need to rest and recover. Through these experiences you’ll develop a firm belief in yourself and a faith in your plan. You’ll know yourself well enough to make wise decisions. You’ll have an inner direction and a sense of purpose in life.

Once these qualities are acquired through running, they will naturally flow into your professional and personal life. Your belief in your ability as a runner helps you keep confident during a job interview and remain under control in pressure situations. World champion marathoner Mark Plaatjes talks about how running carries over into other aspects of life:

Running has defined my life as a person, a physical therapist, a husband, and a father. The way my running goes is the way my life goes. When I am running well, I am focused, goal-oriented, and single-minded. This translates into other areas of my life as well. I am sharper at work and make fewer mistakes. I have more energy to do things with my family. I am generally more productive in all spheres of my life. Running brings passion to everything I do in life.

LIFE’S LESSONS FROM RUNNING

There are many parallels between athletics and our day-to-day living. Here are ways you can incorporate the lessons of running into your personal life.

Positive Vision

Find your passion and follow your path. In sports and in life you need to find what you love doing and carry it out with your heart and soul. Discover an activity that is meaningful for you. Follow your intuition and choose the path that serves you best. Then move forward on your course with passion and commitment. Stay true to your dreams regardless of what others say. When you enjoy what you’re doing and know you’re pursuing worthwhile goals, anything is possible.

When asked about his unorthodox running form, Michael Johnson would respond, “Some people think it looks different, some people think it’s strange. What do I call it? How about beautiful! I think the best description is effective. My style is more smooth, more effortless than most of the people I’m running with. Some coaches were leery at first. They’d say, ‘Yeah, he’ll be really good when I change his style.'”

But the irony is that Michael’s “funny” running style is actually a quick cadenced biomechanical marvel—a huge factor behind his mind-boggling speed. Michael noted: “A lot of commentators would say, ‘God, if he changed his running style, if he ran like everybody else, just imagine what he could do.’ Yeah, I say, if I ran like the other guys, I’d be right back there with everybody else.”

Despite what others may say, sometimes you have to keep the faith and push through to your dreams.

What is your true passion in running? What turns you on and energizes you in life? Are you allowing enough time for these things? The best performers in athletics, education, the arts, and engineering do what they love and love what they do. They pursue their goals for the pure joy of engaging in the activity. They invest so much of themselves in the activity because they see their goals as rewarding and worthwhile. Thus they can continue to create with excitement and vision.

Playfulness and Fun

Work extremely hard toward your future goals in running and in life, but don’t sacrifice the rest of your life to arrive there. It’s possible to balance working hard and playing hard while having a fulfilling life in the here and now. You can achieve your dreams and have fun in the process. No matter how intense things become in your life, always leave time for play. Nothing should get in the way of laughter and fun; they allow you to lighten up and keep life in perspective. Play can enrich your life as much as any other goal or achievement. It cleanses your spirit, recharges your batteries, and allows you to return to work with renewed enthusiasm.

Keep playfulness at the center of your life. Create opportunities to laugh or play at least once a day. You can even do it while you’re working. I once had a client come in and ask me about an article he was reading in a magazine. He said: “Dave Scott, six-time Ironman winner, was talking about lactate threshold. But later he was also talking about nutrition and including a lot of milk in your diet.” The client then asked me: “So what is this lactate threshold anyway? Does it have something to do with milk?”

I laughed and told him, “Oh, you’ve reached your lactate threshold when you’ve consumed the most milk you can possibly drink.” (Fortunately, he knew I was joking.)

Do you view your workouts as a time for work or play? Perhaps there should be time for both.

You can play in both running and in life. Remember when you first discovered running? Can you recapture that feeling of spontaneity and curiosity, the total absorption in your activity, of being in the moment?

You can bring back a simple focus, having a mind that is free from anxiety and distractions, with no concern about the judgments of others. You can become totally connected to what you’re doing at each moment, whether it’s an interval workout or writing a proposal for your supervisor at work. You can enjoy a fresh outlook each day and look forward to continuous learning, in running and in life. Never forget the power of play.

Appreciation for Life

Recognize the value of your journey in running and in life, and realize all that you have gained. As you look back on the road you have traveled, you can take a broader view and acknowledge the many goals you have achieved along the way. Remember all the friends you have met and the opportunities that have come your way. Realize how much your body has allowed you to accomplish, and treasure the fun and satisfaction you’ve experienced. You’ll identify a host of benefits you have been receiving without even realizing it.

Cathy Freeman, 2000 Olympic gold medalist at the 400 meters, related this story:

I remember as a child this sense of being inferior, that we had no right to be in a white restaurant, or a white store. There’s always a sense of loss, with all that was taken away from us. We were taken away from our homes and put into orphanages and camps. It makes me very sad, but also very determined. I carried both Aboriginal and Australian flags at the last World Championships. Now I am proud of my origins. The effect I have on children is a by-product of what I do best. I am very honored. I feel very proud.

Cathy Freeman’s victory in Sydney was one of the most stirring moments in Olympic history. She is the best definition of grace under pressure. Her winning of the 400 meters is a representation of the way things are supposed to be.

Practice the discipline of gratitude on a daily basis. Enjoy and savor every moment of the day. Take time to appreciate each experience in life, and connect with the precious friends and family around you. Remind yourself to look for the simple joys before beginning each day and before starting each new activity. Find meaning and value in everything you do. Let those special moments, people, and pleasures enrich your body, mind, and spirit. Remember where you came from and be grateful for your accomplishments. Be thankful that you have another day to live.

I interviewed 2000 Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila at the Stanford Invitational track meet just moments after she broke her own world record two times in the pole-vault. She told me: “When I am running down the approach toward the bar, sure I’m focusing on making the height. But more importantly, I feel so fortunate that I can just experience the pleasure of running fast and jumping high.”

Your Performing Edge

Take risks, challenge yourself, and stretch your limits. You can learn to think, train, and feel like a champion; you keep the Olympic spirit with you every day. Follow your dreams and pursue what is most important to you with vision and passion.

When you consider all those who have lived before us, and all those who will come after, our lifetime is relatively short. So live your life to the fullest, with vitality and intensity. Be present each step of the way. Train for the pure enjoyment of moving your body. When you’re running, run; when you’re working, work; when you’re outside, open up your senses to your environment and let it heal you. Capture the energy of the moment.

When you do an activity purely to enjoy the process, you become open to the most fulfilling moments. There’s no external reward at stake. You require no praise or honor for your accomplishment. There’s no need for others to see or even know what you’re doing. The value is internal and exists in the doing. You do it for its own reward.

THE SAME PRINCIPLES APPLY

Running challenges the body, mind, and spirit. Competition develops awareness, self-confidence, cooperation, and sensitivity to yourself and others. The same traits apply to academics and the work environment. Learning and working require the same energy and commitment as competitive running, and they yield the same kinds of benefits. Running and learning go well together to help people discover and realize their true potential in life. If athletics can give you an inner desire, courage, and determination—and if you can combine that with a firm belief in yourself—you’ll be a success in the game of life.

Our way of life is perfectly expressed through our physical training. All of the strengths that make up our humanity—the passion, the competition, the pressures, and the willingness to overcome adversity—are all found in the spirit of sport. As you grow both athletically and personally, you’ll open up to the value in yourself. When you keep the right perspective in your training, regardless of the final outcome, you’re bound to emerge from the running experience a better person. You’ll discover that your voyage has no final destination. The purpose of traveling is for continued growth as you keep redefining what you can achieve in your life.