The Lost Art of Running: A Journey to Rediscover the Forgotten Essence of Human Movement

every movement you make invests in the next one.

if I was going to be in a wheelchair then I’d make the best of it. Having accepted it, I started to consider the alternative. This time, though, I did it in increments without the level of pressure or expectation that I’d had before. I supposed that if I could just stand up then I wouldn’t necessarily have to be confined to a wheelchair. And if I c

they have all learned to optimise this amazing body that we as a species have been gifted. One that is constantly rearchitecting itself and that we have the opportunity to influence and shape by taking ownership of the way we live and the way we move in everyday life.

Imagine a long train of elastic running up an invisible centre line in your body (from your navel to the top of your forehead) and adopt a tall posture that keeps it pulled tight, bringing your hips forward and your pelvis into neutral, thus optimising the resultant elastic energy.

Concentrating on something so intensely increases our perception of effort.

beautiful movement is not all about power. Balance and symmetry win every time.

If you run, you already understand what it’s like to crave that feeling over and over again. To want to get back in touch with that version of yourself. The one you relate to more than any other.

We didn’t see an antelope 5km away and just start running after it. It was simply not worth the effort and would lead to a negative calorie outcome. We developed a perception of effort in order to avoid expending energy for no reason.

I was cool eating meals with sand in. I was fine with the smell of elephant shit. I was OK with not sleeping well. I knew that I could suffer. I knew that I could go to some very dark places – right to the bottom of the barrel – and somehow climb back out again.’