Every weekend, we choose two of the best stories published in Goodmorning Runlovers, the newsletter edited by Andrea Corradin that you can read in less than a minute.
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Some stories rise to the surface after remaining submerged for years.
They have been experienced by people who, especially in times like these when every aspect of private life becomes public, have chosen by temperament or will to remain in the background and silently live out their running experiences.
Still arriving, in the end, to be an inspiration to everyone.
Life is short, there is no time to waste
Yuji Komatsu is the monk of a Buddhist temple located near the summit of Mt. Shichimen.
Japan.
Yuji is known in his community as “Running Monk.”
In a documentary he told how following Buddhism and running through the woods are two complementary activities for him.
He does them not for ambition or competition, but to find spiritual calm and strength.
To value time.
“The mind and body are connected. People who are struggling in their daily lives tend to have a bent back and look down. If you ask them to run like that, they won’t be able to do it. Even in races, some runners proceed like zombies. Certainly they are tired and are in great pain, but they are much more mentally fatigued. If you find yourself struggling trudging along, try sticking your chest out and swinging your arms back and forth, look straight ahead and keep going. You will begin to feel more energetic. Do this in your daily life as well: if you are upset about something, pull your chest out. Your heart may already clear up a bit by doing this simple gesture.”
The underdog that took the top spot
Annency is a small French town surrounded by mountains.
Vincent Bouillard was born there and in 2016, a recent engineering graduate, he joined Hoka, a brand founded there, as an intern.
He began a path that would lead him to become a manager involved in the development of a product we know very well: running shoes.
Since childhood Vincent has always dreamed of running the most iconic race: UTMB.
And this seems to be the year: he manages to qualify.
After many years as a volunteer supporting his team’s athletes, he finally finds himself at the starting line to run it.
Okay, not in the front rows.
The ranking has him starting in 139th place.
To the general public and the social media world, he is a complete stranger:
For the sake of fulfilling a dream.
And that’s okay, in daily life he is not a professional athlete, but a simple employee.
💣 19 hours, 54 minutes and 23 seconds after the start, Vincent Bouillard wins the UTMB.
In a crazy time, becoming the fifth athlete in history to go under 20 hours.
Upon arrival, journalists are at a loss; they do not know him.
The crowd goes crazy for him, celebrating in disbelief.
He doesn’t even look tired.
He realizes he has written a romantic page in the history of trail running.
“I have a full-time job and no sponsorship contract. I don’t know now if I will necessarily seek one, because why not, but I also enjoy the freedom of not having any contract. No pressure of having to attend certain events or make social media posts, which I don’t do at all! So it’s also fun to enjoy this full freedom.”
I like to imagine him on his return to the office, among his Hoka colleagues.
Ready to ask his boss for a few days off, because over the weekend he won UTMB 😎