Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs with Distance Runners 1. The distance runner is always fully hydrated, and maintains a healthy diet of complex carbohydrates prior to any race, supplementing the body with fuel needed to endure. While we suffer during our weekly long distance runs, we know that our physiological needs will be met. A cold beverage, hearty nourishment, a cool shower, and well-earned comfort is the reward which awaits us at the end of the run. In a race, the body is under intense stress and the body suffers.
Runners have an uncanny ability to recognise danger.
We have a keen perception of reality, and have no fear in a race or on a daily run with snarling canines nipping at our feet. We have a heightened awareness of how far we can push, how fast we can move, and we do so with superior efficiency. He was expressing his admiration for his competitors, and acknowledged that, at the starting line, they each shared a bond unlike those of ordinary people. As a runner, I have the respect of my fellow runners, and the love of my supporting family who encourage me to meet my challenges. Despite our sometimes-undernourished thinness and scrawny upper bodies, long distance runners are at peace with themselves and the world.