Running makes a person moral, argues Sabrina Little in her new book The Examined Run. The idea that athletics can shape a person’s character is not a new one. Around 375 BCE, Plato wrote of gymnastics as preparation for education. But with only 15% of the US population running, is there a danger that this moral person is on decline? Sabrina argues that this may be the case, running can diffuse into moral action outside of the trainers.

In early October 2016, I broke the navicular bone in my foot three weeks out from the Trail World Championships. I broke it through a combination of an imbalance, which had developed in my stride, and by running too many miles on hard surfaces. Having had little experience with broken bones, I did not detect a growing pain that should have been a cause for alarm, so I caught the injury after it was too late to recuperate with a few days of rest. The body is resilient if given the space to recover. I did not give it the space.

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This was a pitiable occurrence, so close to the Trail World Championships, and I was embarrassed to report my withdrawal from the team. I buried my sorrows in physical therapy appointments, where I went through the arduous process of rebuilding my body back to strength. It was a frustrating season of life.