3 Ways Anarchist Running Will Improve Your Life

Anarchist Running? Now that’s gotta be a joke, right? Well, not really. The relationship between anarchism and fitness is an area all too often overlooked in libertarian circles, and that’s a real shame. The mind/body connection, learning the logistics of surviving alone and on the move, mapping out one’s surroundings and planning successful routes — not to mention networking with like-minded individuals — are all reasons DIY short runs, marathons, and ultramarathons are a great way to thrive in the current less-than-desirable statist paradigm.

Anarchist Runners Get It

While the niche “anarchist runner” may seem extremely narrow, there are actually quite a few out there, and we understand the deep connection between freedom, self-ownership, and pounding the trails and pavement with our own two feet. There’s also an understanding of the value of agoristic exchange and living (trading food and supplies for example), especially on long runs where one basically becomes homeless for a day or two. So, while the rest of the world is busy shooting up their Krispy Kreme gene modifications, trying to lock us all into their sunless, godless existence of hand sanitizer and suffocation, anarcho-runners are getting dirty, getting sun, and smiling at others on the trail. Snot-rocketing our way to glory and never looking back.

What follows are three ways this anarchist/voluntaryist/agorist approach to running can help improve your life. Let’s hit the trail!

            • Mind and Body

Let’s face it, anarchists are often severely depressed. Understanding we live on a slave planet where the slaves don’t even know they are slaves, and want to physically harm us just for being free, sometimes puts us in a pretty dark place. To combat this spiral into despair, movement is necessary.

Recent brain research has shown that lateral eye movement associated with running can actually calm the amygdala, or fear center of the brain. When this eye movement is happening, the body knows it is moving forward and must therefore pay attention to the panoramic environment. As a result, fears and stress are quieted.

According to this research, the brain is especially receptive to reprogramming while this eye movement is occurring. Meditating and thinking while running can therefore ostensibly reprogram neural pathways, sending messages to your mind that you are running directly into the monsters you face, no longer hiding in fear of them. This can inspire a feeling of confidence and well-being.

There’s also the famous ‘runner’s high,’ that euphoric feeling of invigorated positivity, thanks to the chemicals the brain releases during exercise, and to just being outside in nature in the fresh air. It’s amazing what new ideas, solutions, and cathartic expressions of emotion can bubble to the surface. It’s really a kind of dynamic meditation. As Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami puts it, “I just run. I run in void. Or maybe I should put it the other way: I run in order to acquire a void.” A very necessary escape and respite from the madness of the world, preparing us to return to life and the battle against statism more focused, mentally and physically stronger, and more prepared.

Of course, being fit and in shape by itself helps people to feel more confident and happy, and that is useful for countless applications in business and personal life alike. Happy people typically don’t want to harm others with the state, either. The physical edge is useful when it comes to self-defense and/or flight.

               • Strategic Mapping of Surroundings

There’s a weird thing about runners. They know where shit is. If you need a shortcut, restaurant location, or to know where some interesting, off-the-beaten path landmark may be, ask a runner. They know this stuff. There is often so much in people’s own backyard and neighborhood that they are unaware of, which could be of use for travel, trade, networking, or survival, but they simply don’t know it’s there. Taking exploratory runs is not only fascinating, but each little backstreet, alleyway, hiking path, waterfall, hidden ramen shop, abandoned shack, temple or campground presents a unique opportunity for thriving. In the worst case scenario, if you are being chased by an assailant, state agent or otherwise, knowing your surroundings gives an advantage in fight and flight.

              • Learning Self-Sufficiency

When the crown virus hysteria started last year and races I had signed up for were canceled, I had to begin planning my own events. These ‘guerrilla runs’ as my friend calls them, were self-organized, self-supported, and not subject to cancellation by anyone but ourselves.

Over the course of this DIY year, I began to learn many things. I was stronger than I thought. I was weaker than I thought. Surviving and staying on the move in all kinds of weather and wonderful and shitty conditions builds mental and physical fortitude…

And a unique ability to think on one’s feet (pun intended).

Over the course of a year I ran in suffocating heat, ice, and blowing snow and rain, with a knee that felt like it could snap at any second, and a cumbersome pack full of gear and nutrition. There are animals to think about, traffic to think about, and places to sleep which must be considered. Drop boxes become necessary if running a long race overnight without support. Learning to rest undetected becomes important, to finish runs on time without being harassed by anyone.

All of these skills are beneficial to the anarchist, the agorist, and the voluntaryist who must also be strong, quick-witted, and creative to thrive in a world that was not built for us.

When you run, you choose your own path. You are the lone, individual anarchist. Unlicensed, unbeholden to roads, and with everyday social norms thrown out the window. You enter your own personal void of self-responsibility and explore the borderless world. Temples, alleys, abandoned factories, mountains, rivers, people, plants, animals, smells, sights, sounds, feelings, and impressions. Wind, rain, sunshine, sweat, freezing cold, fatigue, self-loathing, elation, euphoria, pain, gain, loss, drive, and determination. Distance running is really quite the apt metaphor for life, and life without a ruler, especially.

Getting Started Is Easy

For those wondering how to get started running, it’s easy. Just put on some shoes and shorts and go outside. In my case, I just ran down the road a little ways until I felt too tired and gradually began to increase that distance. Whereas one mile initially winded me quite a bit four years ago, I’m now able to go much further. I did 100 miles in just over a day recently, and I’m an average kind of runner. Not especially gifted, or even close to front-of-the-pack, but I’m stubborn, inspired, and have made running my own.

And that really is the main thing. Make running your own. It’s a creative act for me that has deep meaning. I love it. As with anarchy, it’s all about the individual. It’s not about how good you are compared with someone else, but about running your own individual race, for your own individual reasons, everything else be damned. It’s about discovering things along the way nobody else but you can find.