About The Author
Jim Fisher has been an ultrarunner… a long distance, high altitude, mountain, trail runner for 22 years. He has completed 5 Hardrock 100’s and 5 Leadville Trail 100’s. Additionally he completed the Pikes Peak Quad, a 100 miler, and a 24 hour track run with over 100 miles… just as training runs. Jim hasn’t kept track of how many 50 milers that he has run.
Endurance athletes in Boulder Colorado USA have an excellent opportunity to develop their minds as well as their bodies. When a person runs for 34 months and 10 days without missing a single day dedication and discipline are bound to arise. These carry over to other aspects of life… such as maybe to a private personal project which has taken on a life of its own, leading on… and on… and on.
While running on the trails 2 hours a day 6 days a week, at high speed, a person develops the ability to think quickly. Rocks and roots are always coming at the feet. Over the years the need to think fades. Sensory impressions go in the eyes and out the legs. The brain is not required. The body completely trusts the legs to know what they are doing. The mind is free to focus on other matters… such as the beautiful scenery… or maybe mathematical equations.
While running in the mountains 8, 10, 12 hours one day every weekend, a person has a wonderful opportunity to think… freely… clearly… intuit new ideas. The peace and quiet and beauty become a pure land through which one floats on their legs.
While out running on the trails Jim indulged in his other favorite pastime, mathematical physics. He would come up with ideas and test them out on his computer later at night. Slowly over the years precise models for most of the physical properties for the leptons and photons were discovered. That is, discovered not developed. Found by trial and error. No preconceived molds or models were imposed upon the particles. The particles presented themselves. The human observed.
Eventually old and broken down ultrarunners end up in yoga studios. There the same fading of intellectual thinking into just doing and being occurs. Except, in yoga sanctuaries this is even easier… because within them there is an uplifting group energy. Over the years when the running and mathematics have receded, then the important matters in life start to reveal themselves.