The Running Writing Connection

I went running yesterday. It was raining, but only as a light drizzle. Which is ideal. There’s no Sun so it’s not too hot, and it’s not a downpour either so your shoes don’t get squishy.

I figured I could begin earlier and pack in much more. Usually, at this time of year, the Sun is too high up in the sky to begin any running before 6.30p.m. This makes it very difficult to pack in too much ‘cos then it gets dark and I’m not a fan of running in the dark. I have sprained my ankle many times that way. And I’ve been chased by dogs. As in wild ones. And I’m not wild about domesticated ones either.

Anyway, so it started pleasantly enough but by the ninth kilometre my clothes were thoroughly soaked (after all, a light drizzle is still rain). If you think lounging around in wet clothes is painful try running in them.

And I had already made the mistake of setting 15k as my target. And once I’ve set a target then I have to do it, come hell or high water. And hell and high water did come. In the form of abrasions. Painful as it was, the constant scratch of wet cloth against already irritated skin, I gritted my teeth and carried on with it. After all that’s the point of endurance sport isn’t it? To overcome all personal discomforts and triumph?

And I started thinking, is there a connection between running and writing? Is writing an endurance sport?

I mean, look at it. While running you warm up by starting at a gentle trot, gradually pick up speed, peak at a certain time, hit a wall where your muscles run out of fuel. Yet, you find reserves of energy from somewhere and finish your race. At the end of the day all it boils down to is one step at a time.

It’s the same with a book. You have warm ups, peaks and troughs. You hit writer’s blocks. Yet if you keep chipping away at it, one word at a time, voila you have a novel/screenplay.

I was so intrigued by the idea that I came home and Googled running writing connection. Or should I say, Scoured it. And came up against surprising results. Actually not so surprising results. Many successful writers indulge in some kind of endurance sport. Among famous ones, I believe John Grisham runs regulalry. And you can’t get more prolific than him!

Bears thinking about, doesn’t it?

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