How Running Makes You a Better Writer

Every run has a beginning, middle, and end. The same can be said about stories, essays, articles and poems. The commonalities between running and writing do not end there.

Many writers run miles to come up with ideas, clear the mind, break the desktop monotony and burn calories. Famous writing runners include Joyce Carol Oates, Haruki Murakami and Benjamin Cheever.

How can the fundamentals of running make you a better writer?

First Step

It is often said in running, that the first step is the hardest step, and it’s true, getting your foot out the door is the hardest part. Once cruising along at a moderate pace the winds of motivation propel you forward. Writers face the same challenge of putting that first word squarely on the page. Many writers find that after they get started with a word or sentence, they are able to get into a flow of writing, the forward motion builds momentum. So write down that first word, and enjoy the inertia.

Run for Fun

Competition can provide inspiration and motivation, but also may cause undue stress. The whirlwind of competition, whether it is publishing or meeting deadlines, has the ability to smother the fun factor — the I’m doing this because I love it aspect. Runners do well to remember that they’re runners before they are racers, by keeping this in mind, they get on the road or trail and free the mind through the mechanical motion of movement. Writers who find the time to enjoy the pure movement of words appearing on the page will keep the joy in their craft. Even if you write for a living, don’t neglect setting aside time to enjoy the act of writing. Write a short story, essay or poem for yourself and no one else.

Freedom of Free

What is the price of five miles? The same as an hour of writing, absolutely free. The results of those five miles of running or sixty minutes of writing are priceless. Many hobbies leave people with empty pockets and debt, but neither running nor writing will suck your wallet dry. The initial investment to start running is minimal, a pair of running shoes. Writer’s have a hard time finding ways to waste money. A pen and paper can only cost so much. It’s true the deeper you get into running, the more ways you find to spend money, but you can keep it cheap.

Goals

The beginning runner sets the goal of running a mile. The beginning writer wants to finish one short story. The veteran marathoner goes out to win or maybe run up to 200 miles a week. A novelist may strive to put out 2000 words a day. Successful runners and writers follow the advice of Seneca, “When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.” The importance of goals can’t be emphasized enough. Runners and writers keep a dynamic goal list and consistently scratch off these achievements. So choose your harbor or goal, and align yourself to reach that goal.

Races

Nothing can get a runner moving like a filled out race entry. Runners that realize they only have 2 or 3 months to train, will find the necessary oomph to put one foot in front of the other. Do you feel your writing needs a push start, then why not enter a contest? The contest can help you see where you line up, and by signing on the dotted line you know you need to give it your best. One great writing challenge to train for is, the National Novel Writing Month, check out the website www.nanowrimo.org. Other challenges can be found by simply searching writing challenges on the internet.

Mentors

A list of the running greats could fill encyclopedias. From the ones that have been running for over 50 years to the up and coming speedsters, they inspire the mortals to give it their best. Following in the footsteps of writing greats like Tolstoy or Kraukauer, can provide inspiration. These hardworking writers show us it can be done. Just write.

Anyone with the will to write, will write. Anyone with the will to run, can run. Don’t stop at one mentor, let the well overflow. Reading advice from these mentors can be of great help. Running and writing magazines regularly carry this advice to us.

Clubs

It’s Sunday morning, and getting out of bed at 6 am is not at the top of your list, but the running the club awaits. And you know if you’re not there, the phone will be ringing. A running club can help with motivation, training, and critiquing.

Writing alone or holed up for years can be done, but most writers need more than inertia and caffeine. Getting involved with your writing community will educate and motivate you. This can be done by joining forums, reading with a club, and finding a critique group. Writing clubs can give you critiques that you can’t find anywhere else.

Training

The late George Sheehan wrote in his essay, Give the Mind Equal Training, “mind is not different from the body. It requires daily training. Only through regular use will it continue to function well.” Dr. Sheehan followed this philosophy, he regularly ran and wrote. Guaranteed, your first run will not be you greatest, and your first short-story or article will need some polishing.

For the runner, every mile traveled brings endurance and speed. A runner’s work is never done, this is a part of the challenge that pulls runners in. Persistence is also the key to becoming a successful writer. After a million words down the road you will be a better writer, with increased endurance, efficiency and speed. Will you put in the daily training?

Nutrition

The malnourished runner can run for a jaunt, but burnout is on the horizon. Every accomplished runner recognizes the importance of food and drink. Balanced athletes know that junk food in controlled rations will bring no harm, as does the balanced writer who is well read. If writers only feed on the junk food of writing, they will only put out what they take in. Nourish yourself with poetry, creative non-fiction, short stories and the list goes on.

Motivation

Runners find motivation in family members, quotes, fellow runners, magazines, websites and plainly put, all things running. The realization is, runners know that they need motivation, as do writers. Find your motivation through quotes, fellow writers, magazines, websites and all things writing. These are extrinsic motivations.

To stick with running or writing, motivation needs to come intrinsically, that is, form within us. Nobody can force us to enjoy what we do, it’s our choice whether we love it or not.

The Early Riser

Polls of runners show that many awake with the song of the robin. Before the breakfast bell, they are satisfied knowing that the miles are in. The sooner in the day that you write, the less chance of other daily obstacles stealing your writing time away.

Platform

“Build your base” is common advice from running professionals. The bigger and better the base, less are the chances of getting injured. Every mile you run is an experience that will never be erased from your inner logbook. A writers platform can only grow, there is nowhere to go but up. Just like there are no junk miles, every mile counts, every word and finished piece of writing builds your base. Thinking about writing doesn’t count as writing, so start building today.

Never Give Up

“I’m too old to run,” will never cut it. Not with 90 year olds doing marathons. Real runners never give up, they keep on running and running, there is no other option. The same can be said of real writers.

Most runners will never win a race. Very few writers avoid rejection, for instance, Jack London received six hundred rejection slips before he sold his first story.

The devoted runner puts one foot in front of the other, success is found not only in medals and trophies, but in knowing you are further ahead than when you started. Placing in your age group or a personal record is great and worthy of praise, still the most important thing is that you love the run. A published book or short story brings rushes of euphoria, but the true source of joy comes knowing your letters have become words, that have grown into sentences, paragraphs, pages and stories.