"High"lights of Running and Reading

How two seemingly disparate activities share so many commonalities

Although sports and various forms of physical activity have always been a part of my life, I didn’t start running until I was in my mid-twenties. I participated in a local half-marathon as a walker and watched with envy as the runners raced by. While I was a bit intimidated and unsure of how to get started, it was the motivation I needed to begin my decades-long running career.

Similarly, I’ve been an avid reader since kindergarten (I even won the National Library Award) and have always loved books. Still, I only started reading books from the canon within the past five years. I began following accounts on X that posted about those timeless works, and I became envious of their knowledge and insight. Once again, I found myself intimidated and unsure about how to get started, but it was the motivation I needed to begin what I hope is a lifelong venture in reading the Great Books.

Recently, a comment by a new acquaintance resonated with me as both a runner and a reader. In a conversation with Zohar Atkins about his latest project, which he built to promote the reading of the classics, he compared a runner’s high to the same feeling one gets from reading. I had never thought about it in that way, but I agree with him and think it is actually just one of the many similarities between my experience as a runner and a reader of the classics. By sharing them here, I hope I can inspire others to take the first step.

Twenty-five years ago, I never would have dreamed of running a marathon. I was proud of myself just for running a few miles consecutively without stopping to walk. After a bit more experience and training to build up my endurance and stamina, my confidence grew, and I ran my first 5K. Shortly after that, I completed a half-marathon. Suddenly, running a marathon was on my bucket list. Before I knew it, I had completed the Boston Marathon.

Five years ago, I never would have even considered reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. At that time, I was delighted to get through the latest best-selling historical fiction book in less than three months. Thanks to recommendations and encouragement from some great accounts on X, I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and read books by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, G.K. Chesterton, Homer, Dickens, George Eliot, and more. With each one, I grew more confident and more curious about others. As I currently work my way through Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, I have decided to add Dostoevsky, among others, to my bucket list.

When I was very involved in competitive running, I always got excited when I would meet a fellow runner in social settings. We would talk about our latest races or share favorite courses for our long runs. We might talk about our goals for the next year and how we plan to achieve them. If someone who wasn’t a runner or was new to running joined in the conversation, I would try to encourage them to start slow, train at their own pace, not to be discouraged because they weren’t as fast as someone else, and most of all, to enjoy it.

Similarly, when I come across a fellow reader of classics in a social setting (or even at the grocery store), it’s easy to get carried away discussing our favorite book, latest read, and what we plan to dive into next. We might talk about the one book we hope to finish someday, but seems out of reach in the moment. Our advice to anyone listening in on the conversation who might be a bit intimidated by or new to reading the classics would be to choose one that interests them, read at their own pace, don’t worry about how long it takes to read them, and most importantly, enjoy them.

After some consideration, I suppose it’s no coincidence that I enjoy running and reading the Great Books. Both are activities that allow for and encourage deep thinking about life, the universal human condition, and what part of either I have any control or influence over. I’m grateful for those who have always supported and encouraged me on my running journey. The “runner’s high” is real and indescribable. I’m also thankful to the patient and wise guides who have helped me navigate my more recent journey through the beautiful books in the canon. I am convinced there is such a thing as a “reader’s high,” and I hope others will pursue and experience it.