cognitive dissident

Burfoot, Amby. The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life (New York: Skyhorse, 2007)

Runner's World editor and 1968 Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot (website, Wikipedia, RW blog) has collected fifteen "lessons" under the title The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life. One of Burfoot's earliest observations rang truest for me, when he stated "running clarifies the thinking process as well as purifies the body. I think best--most broadly and most fully--when I am running:"

Running is the most vigorous exercise known to science. It forces your heart to pump vast quantities of blood throughout your body--including your brain. So the brain's getting all this oxygen at a time when it doesn't have any work to do. You're just running. You're not putting together business plans, solving quadratic equations, or trying to keep your drive from slicing off the fairway.

No wonder the brain spins out the most fantastical thoughts while you're running. No wonder fresh, creative ideas pop into your head when you're least expecting them. No wonder millions of runners consider their workouts the perfect time to reenergize both their bodies and their minds. (pp. 5-6)

His section "A Runner's Essential Reading" (pp. 121-129) contains an uncommon choice that's an old favorite of mine: Douglas Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach--a great illustration of the sort of things that my mind ruminates on while I'm running.

The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life would make an excellent stocking-stuffer for the runner on your gift list, except that you may want to correct this passage about a winter run:

There are no cars on the street, no wind rattling through the bare tree branches. The snow falls straight down, the big five-sided flakes dropping so slowly that I can spot one in mid-descent, run toward it, and stick out my tongue to catch it. I've never tasted anything as pure and coolly refreshing. (p. 64)

Minor faults aside, The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life is a worthwhile read for runners. Here's my Quote of the Day:

We runners are the luckiest of athletes. We don't need any special equipment or facilities or conditions to enjoy all the benefits of our sport. No clubs or gloves or racquets. No pools or courts or country clubs. We don't need to wait for a particular season--summer or winter--to go out and have a great workout. (p. 84)