The ancient Greeks told the story of Sisyphus, a man condemned by the gods to spend eternity pushing a massive boulder up a hill. Every time he neared the top, it slipped from his hands and thundered back to the bottom.

Most people hear that story and think punishment.

In 1942, while France was under Nazi occupation, philosopher Albert Camus wrote The Myth of Sisyphus. The world around him felt uncertain, and he asked a simple question:

If there is no final victory, how do you avoid despair?

His answer surprised people. Sisyphus wasn't miserable. Once he accepted the rock would always roll back down, he stopped waiting for the work to end. The climb itself became enough.

Runners understand this better than almost anyone.

We spend months building fitness, then lose some of it after a week off. We finally feel strong, then July humidity shows up. We race well on Sunday, and Monday we're back at mile one.

From the outside, it looks absurd. We work for something we can never keep.

But runners know the secret.

Fitness was never meant to be permanent. The satisfaction comes from building it, losing it, and building it again. The training never ends. You simply stop wishing it would.

Camus ended his essay with a line people still quote today:

"One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

I think he would have made a pretty good runner.

Happy running!

George