You will make some orthopaedic surgeon very wealthy too if you overdo these activities......as the ancient Greeks and Stoics said: moderation in all things.......then again, passionate embraces for what one loves can exceed moderation.....at times.....
You are absolutely right on moderation. And it is one of the gaps I left open in the inquiry.
On initial reflection, I think there might be a temporal dimension to it. As a craft, or a "embodied focal practice" as I refer to it, endurance running is something we develop over time. We acquire skills, and our bodies and minds adapt over time. If each step along the way remains within the bounds of moderation (or at least below the threshold of lasting damage), and each step is upward, perhaps something like the Tor des Géants is not immoderate after all. It took me almost twenty five years to build to this point. Cumulative moderation?
I think another dimension might be the fit. I have been doing this for many years and, somehow, have not had a lasting injury in all those years. My physiology and psychology seem to be a good fit for the activity. The stars align when it also happen to be something I was compelled to do.
I don't think this balance is limited to physically-intense activities like running either. I suspect there are many artists, chefs, scientists, and others who have pushed themselves in their craft beyond limits (physical and mental).
However, these are still open question for me. I didn't address in them in this essay. How do we identify the fit? And how do we develop the craft over time, so that each step is upward and within the bounds of moderation?
As you mention, the concept has deep roots. Aristotle's Golden Mean and Confucius' dynamic equilibrium. I think I will have to revisit Nietzsche too to pressure test this.
But the thread that my mind goes to first is The Buddha’s Middle Way, where suffering often comes from desiring extremes. Rather than focusing on cultivating balanced desires in the Aristotelian sense, we can focus on understanding desire itself. In the essay, I argued that suffering in ultrarunning is inside of the game as long as we stay within our limits. The agent within the game endures the suffering, while the agent outside the game attempts to make sense of it.
Thank you my dear friend. I have never been one of those who believe "to live is to suffer" vs. my more hedonistic POV. Having said that, I earnestly feel that the absence of moderation, balance and the Middle Way is at the root of most, if not all, of the polity's and most personal miasmas and strife. I can be "militant" and "extreme",,,,,,but only rarely.....True confession: I only ran when the army made me.....but I love very long walks and hikes.....Namaste. PS- Aristotle's Golden Mean was I think a tad extreme....
Very enjoyable.....sublime. I happen to have a keen interest in this part of the world, not because I am an "outdoorsman" (quite the contrary) but because this region resonates with history.....its where Napoleon first gained major military fame (against Austria) and where Roman Legions and Hannibal also marched. Kudos on your eloquence and zest!
This brought me so much joy to read. Thank you
You will make some orthopaedic surgeon very wealthy too if you overdo these activities......as the ancient Greeks and Stoics said: moderation in all things.......then again, passionate embraces for what one loves can exceed moderation.....at times.....
You are absolutely right on moderation. And it is one of the gaps I left open in the inquiry.
On initial reflection, I think there might be a temporal dimension to it. As a craft, or a "embodied focal practice" as I refer to it, endurance running is something we develop over time. We acquire skills, and our bodies and minds adapt over time. If each step along the way remains within the bounds of moderation (or at least below the threshold of lasting damage), and each step is upward, perhaps something like the Tor des Géants is not immoderate after all. It took me almost twenty five years to build to this point. Cumulative moderation?
I think another dimension might be the fit. I have been doing this for many years and, somehow, have not had a lasting injury in all those years. My physiology and psychology seem to be a good fit for the activity. The stars align when it also happen to be something I was compelled to do.
I don't think this balance is limited to physically-intense activities like running either. I suspect there are many artists, chefs, scientists, and others who have pushed themselves in their craft beyond limits (physical and mental).
However, these are still open question for me. I didn't address in them in this essay. How do we identify the fit? And how do we develop the craft over time, so that each step is upward and within the bounds of moderation?
As you mention, the concept has deep roots. Aristotle's Golden Mean and Confucius' dynamic equilibrium. I think I will have to revisit Nietzsche too to pressure test this.
But the thread that my mind goes to first is The Buddha’s Middle Way, where suffering often comes from desiring extremes. Rather than focusing on cultivating balanced desires in the Aristotelian sense, we can focus on understanding desire itself. In the essay, I argued that suffering in ultrarunning is inside of the game as long as we stay within our limits. The agent within the game endures the suffering, while the agent outside the game attempts to make sense of it.
Thank you my dear friend. I have never been one of those who believe "to live is to suffer" vs. my more hedonistic POV. Having said that, I earnestly feel that the absence of moderation, balance and the Middle Way is at the root of most, if not all, of the polity's and most personal miasmas and strife. I can be "militant" and "extreme",,,,,,but only rarely.....True confession: I only ran when the army made me.....but I love very long walks and hikes.....Namaste. PS- Aristotle's Golden Mean was I think a tad extreme....
Very enjoyable.....sublime. I happen to have a keen interest in this part of the world, not because I am an "outdoorsman" (quite the contrary) but because this region resonates with history.....its where Napoleon first gained major military fame (against Austria) and where Roman Legions and Hannibal also marched. Kudos on your eloquence and zest!
Thank you!