The first rule of Fight Club. . .

. . . is you do not talk about Fight Club! The second rule of Fight Club is YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB! What does Fight Club have to do with running. . . Fight Club was an underground group created as a way for regular people to engage in a fight, that's it. Under normal conditions fighting occurs for a number of negative reason, in Fight Club it wasn't to see who was a better fighter or determine a champion, it was a way for people to experience pure joy. Those participating are happy to fight, happy to win, happy to lose. The joy doesn't come from the outcome of the fight, joy is the outcome because of the fight. Do to the rules of Fight Club, the outcome of a fight is irrelevant because you can't talk about it anyway. I think there's plenty of parallels to running as well as some things to keep in mind.

If you're not a runner and have zero aspirations to become one, then start your own Fight Club. If you prefer to fight, great, but find the activity where happiness comes from participation not completion. 99% of runners won't ever cross a finish line first, but ask most runners if that matters. While I was running the Estes Park Marathon I had the pleasure of meeting a couple people along the course while we were struggling with miles upon miles of hills. One individual, who's name I did not get, was a proud member of the Marathon Maniacs, and donned his Marathon Maniac jersey that can be seen at most races. If you're not familiar with this group, click the link and prepare to be amazed. The gentleman I walked next to for a bit was going to complete his 191st marathon that day. 191st. I asked him what his favorite race was. . . he had completed the fifty marathon in fifty states 3 times over, could choose a number of gorgeous places he'd seen including the one we were doing that day but instead he chose Louisville. I have nothing against Kentucky, I've been there, my family used to visit there, my middle name comes from someone from Kentucky, but why of all places he'd been and seen did he choose Louisville? He gave two reasons: 1. it was his 100th marathon, but more importantly 2. he ran it with his father, his father's first marathon. If you talk to a Marathon Maniac you'll find them to be one of the most modest groups you'll ever meet. They can be found with self made jerseys with names of all fifty states crossed off in their quest to do 50 Marathons in 50 States but you'd be hard pressed to find one bragging or boasting. For the first 14 miles of the Estes Park Marathon I ran near a first time runner and a guy who couldn't remember how many marathons he'd done. In their conversation the first timer asked why he was running and talking with her. He said that's what he liked best about marathons, meeting new runners and helping them out. There wasn't a hint of brash or ego in anything he said.

Fight Club was personal; every participant got something different out of the activity, a sense of accomplishment, participating in something generally frowned upon, getting beat up, but it was the fight pure and simple that mattered. Records weren't kept, wins and loses didn't matter, what mattered was fighting.