Introduction: Hello, this is Jack Su, and this article is about some of the thoughts I’ve had in the past three years while running 2000 kilometres.

Undoubtedly, I believe that running has changed my every day.

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I have outlined the main content below, so if you find it interesting, you can jump to your favourite section directly.

• Running Within Myself: The Origin of Everything
• Running in Nature: Blending with the World
• Running with Others: Connecting with People
• Running with Meaning: Finding Joy in Hardship

If you’re interested in exploring different lifestyles, I hope this article can provide you with some insights.

Running Within Myself: The Origin of Everything

Speaking of the initial purpose of running, we need to go back to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, it was the peak of the pandemic, and schools had switched to online classes. I had to stay confined at home every day. The impact of COVID-19 was mostly psychological for me. The feeling of being constrained by intangible things was more likely to erode one’s sense of existence than the virus itself.

Repeating the monotony of facing boring PowerPoint presentations and online classes every day, the accumulating anxiety and restlessness urgently needed a way to release the pressure. So, I decided to take running seriously again. I can’t exactly remember why I chose running at that time. The only thing I can confirm is that, unintentionally, I put on my shoes and began the journey of running.

I have stared at the sunrise in the morning, and I have been trapped in the pitch-black night at eleven or twelve at night. Looking back at three years of running, I am filled with gratitude for countless moments of self-realization.

For me, running is not just a sport but a part of my personality. Running, as a form of inner expression, means experiencing the world in a whole new way. I gradually realized that my physical and mental well-being is the cornerstone of everything. Only when you have a stable foundation, you can build a tall tower continuously. Running has become my solution to relieve stress. In the process of running, I can feel the happiness that comes from the flow of my inner self, an experience that cannot be compared to any other activity. Perhaps running fulfils our fundamental need for movement — “moving the body.”

When it comes to the discomfort of running, it may seem like “hardship” on the surface, but in reality, it’s just an external “SURFACE.” The genuine joy and satisfaction that come from within, born out of plain happiness, are the essence of this simple activity.

The sound of footsteps, the rhythm of breathing, and the beating of the heart intertwine to create a unique symphony. — Haruki Murakami

I believe that “PERSISTENCE” is perhaps the core of running. These two words encompass the challenges and difficulties of running, reflecting the value of running. When I first started running, not every day was filled with motivation. Even though I understood the need to continue, I often felt physically and mentally exhausted and hesitated about whether to engage in this activity. Therefore, to make this behaviour consistent, I realized I needed to turn running into a habit. When something becomes a habit, it no longer requires external stimuli and is automatically executed, which is unparalleled.

However, “persistence” is not just simple repetition. Some things do not align with one’s personality and character, no matter how hard you try to force yourself to do them. During this period of self-exploration, two books provided me with insights and deep understanding: James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” and Dr. BJ Fogg’s “Tiny Habits.”

If I were to distil the essence from these two books, “Atomic Habits” taught me to “reduce resistance to doing something.” For instance, I prepare the clothes and running shoes I need for running every day in advance. Although it seems simple, it generates a powerful effect. Whenever I see these items, they serve as triggers, urging me to go for a run.

In “Tiny Habits,” I learned about the importance of “celebrating small successes.” Dr. Fogg explains that habits are actually a result of emotions. Timely celebrating our small successes can boost our emotional well-being, and I strongly agree with this. The sense of joy after completing a run is one of the key principles that keep me repeating this behaviour.

For me, running has become an indispensable part of my life, just like reading and learning are the steps to finding the truth. These activities shape me, and our daily actions and choices shape our character and self.

As mentioned in “Atomic Habits”:

Success is not a goal to reach or a finish line to cross. It is a system to improve, an endless process to refine.

Running in Nature: Blending with the World

Since I started running, I have always preferred running in nature. On the indoor treadmill, I always feel like I can’t experience the exhilaration of running in nature. I guess it’s because the cold machine can’t provide the same feeling of unity with the world as nature does.

When running in nature, I feel like I can draw strength from the trees, the blue sky, the radiance, and the clouds. I sense the regularity and unity of the natural surroundings, forming an invisible connection with them. This may be what sociologist Hartmut Rosa described as “resonance” in his book “Resonance: A Sociology of Our Relationship to the World.” I gradually realized that running in nature is not just a physical activity; it’s an experience of blending the soul with nature—a vertical resonance axis where the universe, divinity, and eternal time establish some ethereal connection.

The second form of resonance exists between humans and nature, and even beyond the natural world, such as gods, the universe, and eternal time. Rosa vividly calls this form of resonance the “vertical resonance axis.”

Every run is a form of meditation, a departure from the noise of the city and the clutter of thoughts. Immersed in the embrace of nature, I feel its power and serenity. In the process of running, I seek inner peace and harmony, becoming one with nature and a part of this world.

In today’s intricately woven virtual world, Apple Vision Pro and virtual reality are changing our connection with the world in unprecedented ways. This innovation has sparked a social transformation akin to an intense symphony, shaping the backdrop of an ambitious era.

However, this captivating transformation may also give rise to a series of profound and complex questions. We cannot evade the question: as people’s interactions with the natural world are increasingly dominated by virtual reality, could we lose our resonance with real nature? While chasing ever-changing virtual beauty, might we abandon our deep connection with the natural world? This remains an unresolved proposition that touches on matters of the heart and moral conscience.

As we look ahead into the future, we need to ponder how to balance technology’s steady march with the human soul’s deep desires. How can we reexamine nature in a transformative way, wrap technology in poetry, and create more delicate, splendid, and authentic interactive experiences without forgetting what is real?

Perhaps, in this age of a sprawling virtual world, running has become the bridge that tightly connects me to the real world, and I am deeply grateful for the wonder birthed by countless collisions of particles. I believe that contemplating the mysteries of nature, the vastness of the universe, and the connections between humanity and them is one of the reasons we continuously explore the world.

Running with Others: Connection with Others

Undoubtedly, we live in a world of connections with other people, and our lives are filled with various interpersonal relationships. Aristotle once said, “Even if one has all the treasures in the world, life is not worth living without friendship.”

When one is running, one can enjoy the solitude it offers, as we indeed need some alone time to recharge our energy to connect with others. As Nike fitness coach Joe Holder mentions in his Master Class, caring for our bodies allows us to better love others.

This seems to stem from deep reflection on the self and relationships with others. On the surface, running shapes individual strength, but fundamentally, running shapes a more positive energy field for the self, which indirectly impacts those around us. As American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “I no longer hope for the world to become a better place; I hope to become a better person so I can build better relationships with those around me.”

However, running alone and running with others provide vastly different experiences. When running with others, I feel I have more spiritual energy, and individuals can support each other in terms of mental resilience. It’s amazing that simply doing the same activity as a group can create extraordinary meaning and a close bond with friends. This kind of joy in challenging oneself with friends is unparalleled in other forms of entertainment.

Running with Purpose: Finding Joy in Hardship

I greatly admire the author Haruki Murakami, who considers running his lifelong hobby. In “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running,” he writes:

“Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don’t even remember leaving open: that’s what I’m thinking. Happiness is not something you have to achieve. You can still be happy during the process of achieving something.”

I don’t think I have as profound insights and experiences with running as he does, nor can I boast of great achievements in this sport. It’s just a hobby I’ve pursued for some time, and it’s hard for me to articulate its profound significance in my life. Nevertheless, the joy and experiences I gain from this hobby make me feel genuinely happy. The feeling of satisfaction when my body is drenched in sweat after a run is a unique moment in my life.

Running, to me, is a pure and minimalistic sport. It only requires putting one foot in front of the other and sprinting forward continually. Each time my feet touch the ground, it feels like I’m infusing my soul into the world. This sense of unity between body and mind is fulfilling and joyful!

There’s a saying: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

In “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,” Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explores the relationship between pleasure and enjoyment. We often think that the pursuit of life lies in “pleasure,” enjoying various forms of entertainment such as games, movies, and travel. While these things can momentarily satisfy our desires for novelty, they are often fleeting, and we quickly find ourselves chasing new desires.

“Enjoyment” is different. Enjoyment is often long-lasting, like concentrating all of one’s mental energy on solving a difficult problem or running with complete focus. These self-challenging activities stimulate our enjoyment of self-awareness and self-improvement, creating a sense of fulfilment that lingers. In this feeling, nothing else matters except the self and the interactions with the self or the task at hand.

For me, instead of believing that something has inherent meaning and value, I believe that meaning can be assigned to things after thoughtful consideration, shaping my state of mind. Through running, I feel my true self’s existence by facing challenges and hardships. This may be the meaning I’ve attributed to running. Or perhaps, it’s because of running that this article came into being, and that’s the meaning of running.

I believe that running is fundamentally about the continuous pursuit and transcendence of a better self. Each one of us has an idealized version of ourselves in our hearts. We may never become the person we envision, but as long as we keep exploring, investing, and learning one day, we can become a multidimensional variant of our ideal self, or even better.

The key to happiness lies in resonating with the world, in the special bond between our inner selves and the universe. What we pursue is not just material wealth but also spiritual fulfilment. We need to find inner serenity while maintaining the pursuit of desires. This balance requires continuous experimentation and growth.

References

• “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” by Haruki Murakami
• “The Fogg Behavior Model” by BJ Fogg
• “Atomic Habits” by James Clear
• “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• “The Birth of Alienation” by Hartmut Rosa
• Nike Fitness Coach Joe Holder’s Master Class