Rumors of athletic prowess

Rumor has it that Kleiner ran the Top of Utah marathon today. Is this true? If so, most impressive! Excellence in soul and body.

Author: Huenemann

Curious about the ways humans use their minds and hearts to distract themselves from the meaninglessness of life. View all posts by Huenemann

4 thoughts on “Rumors of athletic prowess”

It’s been confirmed! He finished in a shade under 5 hours. Well done, Kleiner!

LikeLike

Prowess, no. But yes, I ran it. My time was not much to boast about. My running style and pace can best be described as “plodding”. It was a bit discouraging to consider, upon my crossing the 13 mile halfway mark, that the elite runners would be finishing soon. Around that time I tried to remind myself that the first ever marathoner (Pheidippides – a Greek soldier who ran 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens to tell them about a military victory over the Persians), upon finishing the run dropped dead on the spot. I was pretty sure my day was going to go better than his.
Anyway, all a part of being a good Aristotelian Holdout. Aristotle thinks there are 3 kind of human excellence: 1) Excellence of the intellect and 2) Excellence of character and 3) Excellence of the body. All three are required for eudaimonia. I defend Aristotle enough, I thought I ought not be hypocritical about it! (now to work on intellectual and moral excellence!).

Long distance running is, in my experience, a lot like long distance cycling (about which Huenemann knows a thing or two). Of course one needs pretty good fitness to run (or bike) a long way like this. But it is also a very difficult mental exercise. It is very easy to want to give up and walk (I didn’t, I ran the whole way – albeit slowly – so I am proud of that). I saw a sign along the way that said “Running doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” At that time it seemed true – though I was worried about what would be revealed!

LikeLike

Well done indeed! I certainly wish I had the mental prowess to hold on to running for 5 hours, let alone over 26 miles. Very impressive. Congrats Kleiner!!

LikeLike