Chapter 8: Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner

Part 3 of The Runner’s Paradox quietly dims the spotlight: this time we’re not chasing paces, we’re chasing presence.

In a conversation that’s equal parts wit and wonder, we invite you into the lonely miles where silence becomes your most honest running partner.

We explore the “missing witness” that haunts every long-distance runner, unpacking how thousands of Strava likes can still leave you feeling invisible, and how social media’s applause can ring hollow.

We reflect on solitude as both sanctuary and rupture, drawing on cutting-edge research into loneliness in sport, psychological rest in athletes, and the hard-won difference between being alone and being lonely.

By the end, we’re not just running through Chapter 8 of The Runner’s Paradox—we’re reinhabiting it.

Based on The Runner’s Paradox by Mok Ying Rong, available now for purchase at therunnersparadox.com.

Subscribe and press play—best experienced mid-run. Let’s embrace the echo together.

New research explored beyond the book (2023-2025)

​Jackman, P. C., Hawkins, R. M., Bird, M. D., Williamson, O., Vella, S. A., & Lazuras, L. (2024). Loneliness in sport: A systematic mixed‑studies review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. ​Owen, K. B., Manera, K. E., Clare, P. J., Lim, M. H., Smith, B. J., Phongsavan, P., … Eime, R. (2024). Sport participation trajectories and loneliness: Evidence from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 21(12), 1341–1350. Ahn, J., Falk, E. B., & Kang, Y. (2024). Relationships between physical activity and loneliness: A systematic review of intervention studies. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, 6, Article 100141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbeha.2023.100141

Eccles, D. W., Caviedes, G., Balk, Y. A., Harris, N., & Gretton, T. W. (2021). How to help athletes get the mental rest needed to perform well and stay healthy. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 12(4), 259–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2021.187320

Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010). Loneliness matters: A theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 40, 218–227. ​Tubed, T., Đorđević, V., Đorđević, D., & Đorđević, M. (2023). Loneliness and physical activity in children and adolescents: A systematic review. Children, 10(2), 276. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10020276

Zhou, F., Liu, Y., Huang, X., Zhang, M., & Chen, H. (2025). Body image, loneliness, and physical activity: A bidirectional relationship. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 12124. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16307-8

Eagleton, S., Alford, J., & Patel, M. (2025). The role of sport in tackling loneliness: More complex than it seems. Tackling Loneliness Hub. https://tacklinglonelinesshub.org/the-role-of-sport-in-tackling-loneliness-more-complex-than-it-seems/

Mile 5 – Phenomenology of Training

What if training wasn’t just about building a faster, stronger body—but about sculpting a deeper, more attuned self?

In this episode, we step into the lived world of training as more than physical sweat or mental grit. We unpack how intentional, disciplined effort—whether alone or with a partner—becomes a phenomenological practice of being fully alive.

From the solitary runner negotiating every breath and stride in an existential dialogue with their body, to the subtle synchrony of training partners whose hearts, strides, and even moods align, we explore the overlooked layers of endurance.

Drawing from cutting-edge research in physiological synchrony, emotional contagion, and somatic intelligence, we ask: how does repetition teach resilience? Can training together foster empathy—not just fitness? Why do long runs with a buddy often feel timeless?

Blending science, philosophy, and real-life narratives, this conversation journeys through Merleau-Ponty’s intercorporeality, Thomas Csordas’s Somatic Modes of Attention, and recent findings on how our bodies literally “tune” to each other in motion.

Latest research (beyond the book):

Physiological Synchrony & Dyadic Training ​Flory, S., Guglielmini, S., Scholkmann, F., Marcar, V. L., & Wolf, M. (2023). How our hearts beat together: a study on physiological synchronization based on a self‑paced joint motor task. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 11987. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39083-9

Boukarras, S., Placidi, V., Rossano, F., Era, V., Aglioti, S. M., & Candidi, M. (2025). Interpersonal physiological synchrony during dyadic joint action is increased by task novelty and reduced by social anxiety. Psychophysiology, 62(3), e70031. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.70031

Emotional Contagion & Mood Dynamics West, T., & Mendes, W. B. (2023). Affect contagion: Physiologic covariation and linkage offer insight into socially shared thoughts, emotions, and experiences. In B. Gawronski (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 67, pp. 73–129). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aesp.2022.11.002

Coutinho, J., Pereira, A., & Behrens, F. F. (2025). Synchronous smiles and hearts: Dyadic meditation enhances affective and physiological synchrony. Mindfulness, 16(2), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02588-7

Mile 4: The Act of Running

What happens when running stops being about performance and becomes a way of being? What if running was not simply an act of moving forward but a laboratory for consciousness itself?

In this episode, we step into Mile 4, the moment where running ceases to feel mechanical and begins to reveal itself as a deeply embodied practice. We explore how attention transforms pain into flow, how the nervous system reconfigures itself through rhythm, and how dynamic environments awaken the body’s sensorimotor intelligence. Drawing on interoception research, somatic psychology, and Thomas Csordas’s concept of somatic modes of attention, this is a rich and reflective journey into the inner landscape of running. Each footstrike becomes a microcosm of presence and each breath a quiet rebellion against distraction. This is running as you have never considered it before.

Get the book at therunnersparadox.com

⸻

New Evidence Introduced (Not in the Book) ​ Interoceptive awareness and the runner’s high Recent studies suggest that the runner’s high may depend less on endorphins and more on interoception, the brain’s capacity to sense internal states such as heartbeat and breath. A 2024 review highlights how improving interoceptive ability enhances emotional regulation and flow experiences, supporting its relevance to endurance running (Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2024). ​ Dynamic environments and sensorimotor integration Outdoor running engages proprioceptive and vestibular systems more fully than treadmill running, according to a 2021 comparative study. Changing terrain demands constant recalibration of the body, awakening sensorimotor networks in ways that static environments cannot (Journal of Motor Behavior, 2021). ​ Somatic psychology and polyvagal regulation Emerging research shows that rhythmic, repetitive movement activates the vagus nerve, shifting the body from sympathetic arousal to parasympathetic calm. This mechanism may explain why long-distance running helps process emotional states such as grief and anxiety (Frontiers in Psychology, 2025). ​ Phenomenology of movement and somatic literacy Building on Csordas’s somatic modes of attention, recent phenomenological studies explore how repetitive physical activity develops embodied awareness. These findings suggest that running cultivates a fluency in reading and responding to bodily sensations (Phenomenology and Cognitive Science, 2023).

Mile 3: The Greatest Sucky Thing

What if pain isn’t the enemy but the teacher? What if “sucky things” aren’t obstacles but doorways?

In this episode, we dive deep into the strange logic of running: where suffering births joy, stiffness hides in cushioning, and smooth flow demands awkwardness first. From biomechanics to philosophy, we unpack seven paradoxes that will change how you think about effort, rest, and resilience. Expect cutting-edge research, stories of runners who found breakthroughs in the suck, and Camus’s rebellious Sisyphus pushing his boulder smiling. Smart, witty, and unflinchingly honest, this is running as you’ve never heard it.

New Points & Evidence (Not in the Book)

Cushioning Paradox (2025 Update): New data from Malisoux & Theisen (2025) show runners in maximal-cushion shoes can actually land harder and experience stiffer biomechanics. Yet, this doesn’t reduce injury rates . ​ Economy vs Gait Transitions: Stearne et al. (2023) highlight that changing footstrike patterns may temporarily worsen mechanical loading and injury risk during adaptation . ​ Master Runner Paradox Validated: Robinson et al. (2024) confirm older runners maintain oxygen economy even with age-related biomechanical shifts, and yet their tissue resilience declines, raising injury risk. ​ Propulsion Paradox (Elastic > Muscle): Kram & Arellano’s (2025) biomechanics work indicates that ~80% of metabolic cost supports body weight or propulsion via passive elastic recoil, and not active calf push-off. ​ Multivariate Risk Paradox Nuance: A 2024 MDPI study confirms that multifactorial models (e.g., inflammatory markers, body composition, demographics, stress) predict ~67% of injury risk, while single metrics like gait mechanics predict far less. This clarifies the illusion-of-control paradox: biomechanical tweaking doesn’t grant safety in a complex system. ​ Flow–Unsmooth Paradox Reinforced: Reviews in motor learning affirm flow emerges only after the “awkward” stage, confirming that early-stage discomfort is essential to achieve “smooth” performance. ​ Rest Paradox (Quality vs Quantity): Both overtraining research and athletic recovery science agree: too much rest stalls adaptation, too little invites breakdown. Real growth lies in balancing load with purposeful rest. ​ Camusian Rebellion Theme: Sisyphus’s “lucid confrontation” (from The Myth of Sisyphus) resonates with runners who choose to press on in spite of knowing there’s no end to the struggle, yet find meaning in the rebellion anyway.

Not Just Born to Run: Why We Keep Going

What if running isn’t just motion, but meaning in motion? Episode 2 explores the hidden currents—autonomy, competence, relatedness—and the brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN), where mental chatter fades into flow. With philosophy from Sartre, Camus, and Merleau-Ponty, we reflect on running as an act of persistence in a world of distractions. Get the book at therunnersparadox.com

We were born to run — Or were we? In this episode, The Runner’s Paradox Podcast uncovers the science, psychology, and philosophy behind our evolutionary design for endurance. From our ancestors’ persistence hunts to the challenges of modern sedentary life, we explore how running connects body and mind, and why it remains such a powerful, primal act today.

The book’s insights are paired with the latest research breakthroughs, including how outdoor running influences neuroplasticity, why minimalist strides may outperform tech-heavy shoes, and how running transforms your brain and emotional health.

We also ask: is running an act of rebellion in today’s world, or a return to something we’ve forgotten?

Tune in for a thought-provoking journey, and a sneak peek into Chapter 2’s “Primary Motivators” that keep us moving even when running feels like the greatest sucky thing.