The Law of Least Effort And Ultra Running

While rereading Deepak Chopra's classic text - The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success - I kept making note of how these same success principals could also be used for ultra running (of course) and the one that I am turning around in my head right now is the Law of Least Effort. A funny one for ultra running one might think where effort is king and the greater the effort the better the performance. True. Yet this law is not a principle of strength but of spirit and emotion. It's the struggle against ourselves that is most telling, along with fighting the trail and a refusal to fully accept our present conditions. Will power is often cited as the number one individual strength that sees us through difficult arenas - and will power will take us far for sure. But not far enough. Every will has a breaking point that varies in time and circumstances. One race we bully through and another (sometimes easier) we are buried by fatigue and frustrations. There's just no telling why, when or where. Will power in even the mightiest is a limited commodity. Yet spirit never fails. It is indefatigable and unlimited. It is also based on acceptance and surrender. Now these two principles aren't tools for the meek. It takes great strength of character to admit to ourselves that we need help from a higher power, that conditions have gotten the best of us (for now) and that we are ready to let go the struggle and accept things as they are now - and in ultras chances are this means something hurts. Probably bad. Like really bad. Feeling like this we can struggle for so long - maybe it will be enough to see us through the finish and maybe not. Yet how often have we reached a low point in a race to only push through to new levels of strength and stamina - I would argue that it was the total acceptance of present conditions - as is - that allowed this magical transformation to take place and with giving up the struggle, with a full embrace of the Law Of Lease Effort we are able to bring this force to play at a moments notice. A struggle means to fight and with a fight there is always a chance we may lose. With acceptance there is no loss - there is only what is and a deeper knowing that what is now- is not lasting. The next moment always brings promise and with promise comes true strength - because the very next step is now free of any expectation other then the one simple, irrefutable law of ultra running - moving forward.

Peace,
Eric