It has been said that runners have their best thoughts of the day while out running. Runner and writer
Michael Selman shares his
"Thoughts on Running" with us here at ontherunevents.com.
It's been a while since I've written anything worth reading, and of recent
times, that fact has been gnawing at my inner soul. Over the years, every
time I complete an article, I wonder where the next profound running
thought is going to come from. There is only so much that can be written
about running before it's all been said. How many times can you put one
foot in front of the other for an hour a day, week in and week out, before
you run out of profound insights and inspirations to write about?
But somehow, month after month, year after year, the answer is always
found somewhere deep in the inner dimensions of the run. While the rest
of my day is occupied with everything else, the run is the recreation of
the body, the regeneration of the soul, and the creation of the next
thought, which ultimately ends up as the next essay.
The last few months, I've had this sickening feeling that maybe there is
nothing left to say. My inkwell started running dry in early March, when
I became so consumed with, and controlled by work issues that I stopped
running all together. I couldn't even entertain the thought of a run.
When perspiration is not a part of the beginning of my day, there is no
inspiration to follow. No run meant no writing.
March and April were drought months for me. I rarely ran, and I didn't
write at all. After a couple of months, things slowly started to sort
themselves out at work, and I started to gradually get back in to running.
For a while, I was forcing myself to get out only because for the last 20
years, I have been a runner. But something within the runs felt a little
bit phony, and the writing did not tag along close behind. The former
excitement and anticipation of the next run was gone, but at least I was
starting to get out again. Taking the "cup is half full" approach, I told
myself that even just going through the motions still keeps one moving
forward.
It took a couple more months before runs were again delightful, and during
that time, there was still nothing to write about. So I remained silent,
just waiting for that next unique thought to connect during the run, and
wondering if I would ever write again. But finally, the thrill started to
come back, and the reunion of body and soul started to return.
The name I write under is really the confluence of two different personas.
The Roads Scholar is an equal mixture of one part runner, and one part
writer. If there is no perspiration, there is no inspiration, and the
creative well runs dry. If either element is missing, there is no Roads
Scholar. That's why you haven't seen him lately.
But this morning's run took care of that, and it happened because, before
the run, I did something I hadn't done in a long time. I reminded myself
to be open once more to running's parables. Running used to teach me
something new almost daily, because I was receptive, and willing to be a
roads scholar. The student was once again ready for the teacher to
appear. Somewhere in the mayhem of earlier this year, I forgot how to run
that way. This morning, I reminded myself to remember.
As I ran down the Eliza Furnace Trail, which runs along The Golden
Triangle of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers, where the Monongahela and Allegheny
meet to form the Ohio, I realized that The Roads Scholar needs to run and
write, just as the Ohio needs the Monongahela and the Allegheny. In both
instances, the confluence of two from to create the one. That was the
message embedded within this morning's 70 minutes of ecstasy.
I know in my heart that I am back to writing, and the return of the
reemergence of the and of the body and soul, and subsequently, runner and
writer, is complete. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's early run,
because I know there is another inspiration to be plucked from thin air,
another moral to seek, and another essay to write. The Roads Scholar has
returned. Confluence at its best.
The Roads Scholar, Michael Selman runs and writes in Atlanta GA. He
would love to hear from you. Please e-mail him at TheRoadsScholar@aol.com
with any questions or comments. You can also subscribe to his Newsletter
at that same address.
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