Facing Ourselves

By Daniel Shaye, DC

Ah, running. It's a joy to be back, cavorting over hills and through neighborhoods and amidst the trees. A hand fracture (3/20/2010) has forced me back to running, as basketball (my other love) wasn't fully feasible for a few weeks. I must say that I've re-learned much.

Running is special. All sports are, yet running is uniquely peaceful, satisfying, personal. Allow me to expound.

Running is peaceful. Sport has an element of competition to it. Most sports have winners and losers; and in some sports, the losers must be literally pounded into submission. Mixed martial arts and boxing are the most obvious violence-based submission sports, yet I've discovered a surprising level of aggression on the basketball court. Like the classic sprinters, many basketball players "talk trash" and attempt to psychologically devastate and intimidate opponents during competitions. In my experience, this simply doesn't occur in distance running. Should we compete, or just run with others, we join fellow competitors, not opponents. Opponents oppose us, and are akin to the enemy, the force against us. By contrast, competitors join together in a quest for excellence and shared experience. Runners seem to understand this in a way that other athletes often miss.

I've found that basketball has developed into a VERY physical sport, and some players feel something akin to obligation in using at least some of their allotted 5 fouls. I've been assaulted on the court, sometimes intentionally; and a basketball player who shies away from contact has poured chum into the shark tank. Though I've learned to stand my ground and perform despite physical and psychological intimidation, running has been a peaceful blessing, a return home. I've never heard trash talk during a distance race, and a fight during such an event is unthinkable. We have no fouls to give, and no desire to give them. It's me vs. you, or the clock... or perhaps it's just me, vs. me. Heck, perhaps it's not even about me vs. ANYONE. Perhaps it's just me, exploring me; and you, exploring you. Together we learn our potential, who we are; and revel in the joy of motion, of life.

Running is satisfying. There's a unique joy to each and every sport. I can still remember certain shots I've taken in basketball, or a dramatic steal or blocked shot; yet unlike basketball and certain other sports, running is all ours to hold on our own, or to share if we choose to. There's no bad pass to blame, and no one else to take credit for the day's outcomes. Running is something that can become more than a sport, more than a pastime. Running can become a part of us, it can shape our minds (not just our bodies). Running can inform who we are at rest, at work, in our relationships. It can even help shape who we are after we hang up our spikes or training shoes for the day, or for a lifetime. For me, and for many of us, running is a deep part of life.

Running is personal. Basketball players get together and play. Yes, many of them work very hard; yet you "play" a basketball game. Running can be done ALONE, and still be validly described as "running." We can also get together and "play" running. The Swedish term fartlek means "speed play." A running competition can be a party in motion, and a group run can be a very social event. Then there are runners who are interested in performance, and these runners don't just "play" running-- they train to run. Whether or not you and I choose to race, we must overcome physical limitations and discomfort, balance time pressures and non-running obligations, even stare into the face of nature itself (heat, rain, wind, pollen, bugs, snow, ice, etc) and decide to move forward. Running forces us to face ourselves.

When we compete, we never hurt another. We seek peace, satisfaction, personal transformation. I recall telling a coach (hello, Dave Sobal) that I'd "hurt" another runner with a hard surge. His response stuck with me: "You didn't hurt him. I mean, you didn't punch or strike him, right? You chose to hurt your SELF, and then he had a choice to make." His nonviolent, self-explorative approach to running and competing became a subtle part of me. Though this fractured bone will become part of me in the form of a lump on my hand and possibly a little residual stiffness, running is a deeper part of life for we runners than any physical lump or external equipment (a shoe, a ball, a racquet). I'm grateful for each and every step in this life's running journey. I hope you take the time to appreciate your path, too.

I'll see you on the roads and trails, my friends.


-Dr. Daniel A. Shaye
Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician
Fellow, International Academy of Medical Acupuncture

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