Footnotes: How Running Makes Us Human

But the longer and farther I ran, the more I realized that what I was often chasing was a state of mind—a place where worries that seemed monumental melted away, where the beauty and timelessness of the universe, of the present moment, came into sharp focus. I don’t think anyone starts running distances to obtain that kind of vision. I certainly di

At the start of every run, my anxiety was super heightened, but as I ran, that rhythmic repetition lulled me into a moving meditation where the thoughts dropped away. And a realization that the body was strong. The body holds the wisdom, it was sending a message, ‘Actually, you’re healthy, Katie.’”

Running has awarded me an accelerated degree in bodily intuition, thorough knowledge of all my vital functions—physical and psychic—and how they vary from context to context. I started out corporal-illiterate, accustomed to talking about my body and perceptions with childlike inaccuracy and approximation. Ever since I began to run, “I’m tired” has

Many of the positive changes here described—increased BDNF levels, better-functioning neurotransmitter systems, growth in the hippocampus—are key to running providing short- and long-term relief from depression and anxiety.

It is not only about the mental and emotional side either; there are biological reasons that we thrive on running in groups. We came across this concept reading Brad Stulberg’s The Practice of Groundedness. Brad discussed Kelly McGonigal’s work on the collective joy that our species is hardwired to feel when we move in synchrony with others. We kno