Resisting Despair
Sabrina Little writes about resisting despair when experiencing running setbacks.
Sabrina Little
Title: Columnist
Location: Newport News, Virginia
Social Media Links:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Expertise
- Topics of Expertise: Trail running, ultrarunning, ethics, classical philosophy, moral psychology, character education
- Amount of Expertise: A lifelong runner with 18 years trail running and ultrarunning. Sabrina has been an iRunFar columnist since 2018 and a “Psychology Today” contributing writer since 2024. Her first book, “The Examined Run,” was published by Oxford University Press in 2024. She has published articles in academic journals including “Theory and Research in Education,” “Journal of Philosophy of Education,” and “Journal of Value Inquiry,” and popular publications including “Bloomberg,” “Aeon,” and “Women’s Running Magazine.”
Education & Certifications
- Education: Doctorate, Philosophy, Baylor University; Master of Arts, Philosophy of Religion, Yale University; Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy and Psychology, College of William and Mary
- Years of Professional Experience Relevant to iRunFar: 8 years of academic and public writing
- Awards or Recognitions: Emerging Education Policy Scholar, Graduate School Cross-Training Fellowship in the Natural Sciences
- Other Relevant Positions, Current or Past: Assistant Professor at Christopher Newport University; previous academic posts at Morehead State University and Baylor University; trail and ultrarunner for HOKA and DryMax; former head cross country and track coach at Live Oak Classical School (6 years)
A Word from Sabrina Little
There is a rich tradition of inquiry about virtue, vice, flourishing, and suffering in Philosophy and in the Humanities. This tradition has been a great resource in my own running, so I would like to share it with others. My personal interests include trail running, ultrarunning, reading, baking, spending time with my family, and telling jokes.
Are We All Just Liars?
Sabrina Little examines the little lies we tell ourselves during training and racing.
Advice for New Ultrarunners
Sabrina Little imparts advice to those beginning their ultrarunning journey.
What Does It Mean To Be Resilient?
Sabrina Little writes about what it means to be resilient, and the rewards we can reap from this virtue.
What We Learn From Tara Dower
Lessons we can learn from Tara Dower’s recent Appalachian Trail overall supported FKT.
A Case Against Supershoes
Sabrina Little offers her opinion on the detrimental effects of supershoes on the sport of running.
What We Learn from Paris
Sabrina Little writes about lessons in sport and life taken from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Virtue of Courage
Sabrina Little examines courage as an excellence with respect to fear, and how it shapes our perception of the world.
Emotions Do Dictate Outcomes
Sabrina Little takes a look at the oft-quoted slogan of “emotions don’t dictate outcomes” to see if it’s actually true.
The Optimization Craze: When Optimizing Ourselves for Athletics Conflicts With Living a Good Life
A beautiful life and an optimized life may not be the same thing.
Hero Stories: The Uncanny Connection Between Ultrarunners and Our Literary Heroes
Sabrina Little examines how ultrarunning narratives often parallel the great hero stories, and ponders lessons we can learn from both.
Where Your Attention Goes
Sabrina Little ponders how the singular focus that running requires allows us to take time away from the distractions of life.
An Excerpt from Sabrina Little’s Debut Book “The Examined Run:” Training in Suffering
In an excerpt from “The Examined Run,” Sabrina Little discusses suffering in training, and where to draw the line to avoid injury and burnout.
Fallow Season
Why an extended period away from running and racing is not something to be feared, and may even prove beneficial.
Running on Social Media
Sabrina Little examines the positives and negatives of social media in the context of trail running and ultrarunning.
Virtue and Competition: Getting it Right
Sabrina Little’s thoughts on virtue in running competition.
Running Accountably
Sabrina Little’s thoughts on accountability in running — on both good days and bad.
The Ethics of Running Contracts
Sabrina Little’s thoughts on some of the moral considerations of entering into a contract with a running brand.
The Virtues I Do Not Want
Sabrina Little comments on the virtues we gain from difficulties experienced in life.
Running on Intellectual Virtues
Sabrina Little writes about the importance of intellectual virtues in running.
The Man in the Arena
Sabrina Little’s thoughts on the trap of single-mindedness to which runners can fall victim.
