Running With Reverence

While reading Thor Gotaas's excellent book - Running: A Global History - I was struck by his passage on the ancient Inca messenger runners and the reverence in which they ran.The viewed their enviorment with humility and devotion. Never feeling threatened because they did not see themselves as separate from which they ran through and on. They were part of the Divine order of things. They believed that every step they took was being watched and guarded by millions of beings. This reminded my of the passage in the Talmud -

“Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, 'Grow, grow.'”

 

It's comforting to think that we never run alone and are protected in the the darkest and most isolated sections of trails and roads. This reverence is the perfect expression of how I wish to run. 100 miles is the perfect place to practice.

 





 

Peace,

Eric