Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness

by Scott Jurek

Be in shape. Work hard. Have fun.

What we eat is a matter of life and death. Food is who we are.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

The point was living with grace, decency, and attention to the world, and breaking free of the artificial constructs in your own life.

Running with the Whole Body,

yoga (which I struggled with until I understood that it was a practice, not a competition),

four-step checklist. Number one: I was exhausted. I let myself feel that and I acknowledged it. Number two: I took stock. I was slightly pissed off that I had just expended so much energy, all to put distance between myself and someone I needn’t have worried about. And I was still exhausted and upset. But it wasn’t life-threatening. Three: I asked myself what I could do to remedy the situation. I could stop, but that wasn’t an option. The answer: Keep moving. And four: Separate negative thoughts from reality. Don’t dwell on feelings that aren’t going to help. I kept moving.

Eating well and running free helped me find mine. It can help you find yours. You never know where that path might take you.