Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills And a Search for Nirvana

by David Clark

I had nothing to prove to anyone, including myself, by this point. But I decided this race was worth fighting for anyway, if for no other reason than because I was here, and because I was afraid, and because I wanted to quit. I really wanted to quit—and there isn't a better reason to fight.

But to me happiness means something different. Something more like the ability to be at complete peace right now despite what is going on around me. The ability to let go of all the beautiful ways life could be better, and see the million previously unnoticed joys surrounding me. And all this happens without words, without changing places, without income, or without any other superficial craving. We don't need teachers, yogis, or an exorcism to be happy. We just need to be still and be present—open to the miraculous moment we are in.

There is beauty in struggle, and there is redemption in pain—and without those two experiences, we will never appreciate life when it smooths out. We will never get far enough down the road to see what’s on the other side of the valley.

You don't need to be smart to be an ultrarunner—you just gotta hate quitting more than pain.”