Today, a serious runner is somebody who
- buys running shoes customized to the profile of their feet
- wears the latest fitness tracker
- has an app that tracks their runs
- consumes as many grams of proteins as their bodyweight in kilograms
- reads articles on books on running
- joins a running group
A few decades ago, a serious runner was merely somebody who ran everyday.
Gadgets, apps and accessories are all artifacts of the practice of running. But they are often confused for the practice itself. The reason this has changed is because it is more profitable for somebody to sell you those things than to help you cultivate a running practice.
In our era of consumerism, it is often easy to confuse the artifacts of a practice for the practice itself. Let us not forget that there is no alternative to showing up and doing the work.
Observations 