‘Be in the Moment’ Is Terrible Advice, Man Decides in Marathon’s Final Miles
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A local runner has decided that “being in the moment” is awful advice, Dumb Runner has learned, and has some feedback for everyone who has ever suggested it,
Jack Kornfield, 34, arrived at his conclusion in the closing miles of the Vipassana (Idaho) Marathon, when mounting fatigue and discomfort nearly drove him to his breaking point.
Mindfulness experts often tout the benefits of “presence,” i.e., being in the moment, as a way to improve focus and to reduce things like stress and anxiety—benefits that struck Kornfield as a cruel joke as he endured what he later described as a death march.
“I hate this moment,” Kornfield said to no one in particular as he passed the mile 22 marker, his face etched with pain. “I do not want to be in this moment.”
“In fact,” he added, “I will be so bold as to suggest that I would rather be in just about any moment that is not this particular one.”
The married father of two was also dealing with an old Achilles tendon injury that had flared up moments before, sources said.
“This moment can kiss my ass,” Kornfield said. “[Expletive]!”
Regrettably for Kornfield, that moment stretched into what seemed like hours, as his pace dropped from a brisk 8 minutes 49 seconds per mile to a shuffling 12 minutes 30 seconds per mile. By the time he crossed the finish line, in a painful limp, Kornfield looked bad enough that two medical volunteers ushered him into a wheelchair.
“Every single moment from mile 22 to mile 26.2 was a miserable one,” he muttered. “Being aware of them, one after another, made my mental health worse, not better.”
“Anyone who has ever told anyone else to be in the moment has obviously never run a marathon,” he said. “I think they should be required to run one, before using that phrase ever again.”
Reached hours later for comment at a nearby brewpub, Kornfield told Dumb Runner that he was feeling much better after a long, hot shower, a cheeseburger, and two craft beers.
“This is a very good moment,” he said. “I should have skipped right to this one.”
