The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life: What 35 Years of Running Have Taught Me About Winning, Losing, Happiness, Humility, and the Human Heart

"As runners, we all go through many transitions-- transitions that closely mimic the larger changes we experience in a lifetime. First, we try to run faster. Then we try to run harder. Then we learn to accept ourselves and our limitations, and at last, we can appreciate the true joy and meaning of running."

As its opening pages reveal, The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life is not merely about running. It is about living-- to your fullest potential. Amby Burfoot, one of running's wisest voices, here presents 15 essential life lessons about passion, courage, materialism, failure, regeneration, and more, all learned from experience during more than 35 years of running. In this book, Amby discusses the essential traits of a runner-- traits that also are essential for all people wishing to reach their long-term goals. He discusses the writings, music, and quotes that have inspired him throughout his long career. Most important, he explains that winners are not those who cross the finish line first, but rather those who are able to discover more about themselves with every step.

The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life is one in a series of Daybreak books that provide life lessons and spiritual perspectives from the vantage point of different occupations and passions.

A lifelong runner and running advocate, Amby Burfoot has been executive editor of Runner's World magazine since 1985. In 1968, he won the Boston Marathon, the first American to do so in 11 years. He is the author of The Principles of Running and Runner's World Complete Book of Running.