Every journey of life is determined by what is in our hearts: how malleable—or how insipid and vapid—we decide, or even condescend, to become.
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A Journey of 26.2 Miles Begins…in the Heart
Daniel Zeigler
Christian novelist at Pyrotechnic Books
April 24, 2026
When Czech distance runner Emil Zápotek stepped up to the starting line for the marathon race at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, he had already earned a spot in the history of the games. Zátopek had won the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races, breaking Olympic records in both events.
At the last minute, Zátopek decided to enter the marathon race as well. It was the first time he had ever run a marathon in competition. He won—and set his third Olympic record.
Seventy-four years later, Emil Zátopek remains the only person ever to win the gold medal in the 5K, 10K, and marathon in the same games. No wonder that Runner’s World named him the greatest runner of all time!
What does distance running have to do with creative writing? I thought you’d never ask! Stay tuned. But first, enjoy these Emil Zátopek quotes:
- “If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.”
- “When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physically. Is it raining? That doesn’t matter. Am I tired? That doesn’t matter either. Then willpower will be no problem.”
- “What has passed is already finished with. What I find more interesting is what is still to come.”
- “If I can get better, why not?”
- “I was unable to walk for a whole week after that, so much did the race take out of me. But it was the most pleasant exhaustion I have ever known.”
- “An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.”
- “Today, we die a little.”
- “To boast of a performance which I cannot beat is merely stupid vanity. And if I can beat it, that means there is nothing special about it. What has passed is already finished with. What I find more interesting is what is still to come.”
Emil Zátopek was a talented athlete. But it’s also beyond all doubt that he won races thanks to his heart and head, not just his legs. His running style wasn’t pretty. His face often contorted in pain while his torso twisted from side to side. His loud wheezing earned him the nicknames “Emil the Terrible” and the “Czech Locomotive.” But he ran with dogged determination, forgetting past success and pressing towards future growth.
As a distance runner with big dreams and little talent, Zátopek’s quotes resonate with me. I’ve run five marathons in my life. Will there be a sixth? Never say never!
As a creative writer with big dreams and little talent, those quotes speak just as loudly. By coincidence, I’ve also published five novels. Will there be a sixth? This time, I can answer “yes.” Unless God intervenes with mortality or a clear redirection—and He sovereignly can do either at any moment—a new novel will be published this fall.
For as with running, so with writing.
Each of my marathons was a unique experience, with its own challenges, lessons, and rewards. I trained hard for each, alongside partners who were equally committed to the challenge. There were aches, pains, setbacks, and uncertainties—but on race day, when I stepped up to the starting gate, my attitude was always the same: I will finish what I start. Period.
Each of my novels sprang from a similar mindset. The entire process, from conceiving characters and plot to approving the final draft for publication, puts a high priority on endurance.
Your challenges may be different than mine. Distance running and creative writing are optional—but endurance and resilience are not. If you are a follower of Jesus, then the mindset of finishing what you start is essential. As the Master Teacher said, “Whoever puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
When Paul wrote the Colossian believers about what it would take for them to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way,” he prayed that they would “be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, so that they might have full endurance and patience.”
That’s what it takes to run a marathon, write a novel, or complete whatever assignment you’re given for Jesus’ sake: Endurance. Patience. The willingness to forget what’s behind and press on towards the goal.
Because the race may end at the finish line, but it begins in the heart.
