The Running Ground

A memoir by Nick Thompson, out today.

It’s easy to think of running as an event.

An action.

Or a series of significant life events that impact who we are.

And that is true for Nick Thompson, who details the exploits of his remarkable running journey in his newest book, The Running Ground, which I was thankful to receive an advance copy of this summer.

But that misses something.

Nick was fortunate to be introduced to running by his father as a child. Such familiarity with the sport afforded him both heartache and triumph, as a youth, a young adult, and ultimately as a Masters athlete, but that still doesn’t capture the core of his story.

Because Nick’s father failed at maintaining running as a lifelong pursuit.

As the book eloquently explains, his father was blessed and cursed with early success that eventually amounted to far less than he had hoped.

So, yes, running can be embodied in key races and heroic efforts, but what emerged from reading The Running Ground is my understanding of running as a life force that moves us through each day.

From college to career success to parenthood, Nick has managed to surf a wave of momentum, propelled by a lifetime of movement.

Even through cancer.
Running aligned him toward opportunity.

I’ll let you order and read the book for yourself (pub date today!)

I finished this story with a smile, a sigh, and a resounding wish that more runners would put pen to paper to share the ways that running has offered meaning in their lives.

Because, despite Nick’s outlier success, the age group records and top marathon finishes, what I enjoyed most was his reflections on the mundane. His appreciation and illumination of when running offered him intense moments from which to reflect.

Sure, not every runner comes from an esteemed background like The New Yorker and The Atlantic, but we’d be better off if more athletes attempted to share the tales of their running life with the world.

The Running Ground, a book chronicalling the adventures and lessons of Nick’s life so far, as well as anecdotes about other athletes that he admires, leaves the reader with the space to reflect on their own life, even as they’re being entertained by the exploits of Nick’s complicated relationship with his late father.

This memoir left me wondering. It’s easy to think of running as a beaded necklace; as a series of beautiful treasures, hard-earned through effort and attention, but what if running is actually the thread? What if the true meaning of the motion is the streak that connects each day? The tension and direction supplied by this sport have continued to bless Nick now into his 50s.

I encourage you to find a copy of the story of his running life, and to use the space he creates to reflect on your own.

---

Nick’s adapted an essay from his book for the Atlantic, available here.

Cheers!
Peter