Earlier this week, we talked about the value of the pursuit of running goals. Like they say, the journey matters more than the destination.
Amit captured this idea in the comments:
I just like achieving near impossible goals in life… slowly grinding them down, piece by piece.
Tackling those big goals (not necessary achieving them) is what’s so deeply satisfying about being a runner. Discovering the depths of your resolve, tenacity and courage reveal your inner character.
Any runner who’s been at it for years understands that running makes you a better person. The lessons learned from chasing goals helps you in every area of life.
Since this week has morphed into “goals week” here on Strength Running, I’m thrilled to share Tom Foreman’s story.
You might know Tom – he’s an emmy-award winning broadcast journalist for CNN who’s been reporting for more than three decades.
He’s worked in war zones and ground zero at many natural disasters. He’s interviewed serial killers and traveled through more than 20 countries covering economic meltdowns and civil wars.
But what you may not know is that Tom is one hell of a runner. In just the last few years, he has…
- returned to running after a 20+ year absence
- run a comeback marathon – and then another, and many more races
- completed numerous ultramarathons
All while being one of the most recognized faces on CNN and raising two daughters.
His new book, My Year of Running Dangerously, tells the story of how an innocent question from his daughter rekindled his love affair with distance running. She asked him:
How would you feel about running a marathon with me?
The answer, of course, was yes!
“Whether something is unpleasant or uncomfortable has no bearing on whether it should be done”
Recently I sat down with Tom to talk about this journey. The questions we discussed were far reaching:
How is it possible to train for endurance events like ultramarathons while raising a family, working a demanding job, and writing a book?
What role did Tom’s family play in the pursuit of his goals?
More importantly, what did Tom learn from diving headfirst into running after the age of 50?
Maybe it’s the fact that Tom has a degree in theater, but I found this to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable interviews I’ve ever recorded – and I’m thrilled to share it with you.
Click the button below to play it directly from your browser – or right click here to save it to your computer or playlist.
[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/StrengthRunning/Tom+Foreman_Full+Interview.mp3]As you’ll notice in the book, Tom has a way of capturing the thoughts, dreams, fears, and hopes of runners.
Before we spoke, I tore through his book in less than two hours and wrote down many quotes that captured what it’s like being a runner.
Here are a few of my favorites:
“Whether something is unpleasant or uncomfortable has no bearing on whether it should be done. The decision and commitment must be made… with recognition that sometimes good things require bad days.”
“What happens with today’s run doesn’t matter if it makes you unable or unwilling to run tomorrow.”
“Doubt is a constant companion of long-distance runners. We’re always wondering if we are training too hard or too soft. If we are running too many hills or not enough.
We worry about finishing too slowly, and we fret about whether we will finish at all.”
My Year of Running Dangerously is an interesting account of one busy man’s return to running and how that journey has shaped who he is as a man. I highly recommend it for the running geeks out there.
Win a Free Copy of My Year of Running Dangerously
Tom’s publisher has agreed to ship a copy of his new book to a lucky member of the Strength Running team.
So if you’d like to enter this mini-giveaway, leave a comment on this article answering this question:
What has running taught you about life?
Open-ended questions are the best 🙂
I’ll randomly choose a winner over the weekend so be sure to leave your reply by Friday night.
And please, head on over to Twitter and thank Tom for doing the interview. I know he’d appreciate it!
