The Vices of Perseverance
Sabrina Little examines the virtue of perseverance, and what happens if we practice it in excess in our running.
Jenn Lichter and Vincent Bouillard won Saturday’s Western States 100! Read our results article and watch Vincent’s and Jenn’s post-race interviews.
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.
Mere Admiration
An essay by Sabrina Little about the value of imitating the good qualities of those around us.
Performance-Enhancing Virtues
Sabrina Little’s essay about how virtues might help you perform better as a runner.
Toughness Reconsidered
An essay about appropriately balancing toughness and softness in our running.
Running on Pride: The Vice of Superbia
Sabrina Little writes about superbia, or the vice of pride, in competitive sports.
Persevering in Place
After college, I lived in Washington, D.C. for a year, working as an intern and taking a few courses. One of the courses assigned weekly essays. One weekend, when I…
Vocation: On Re-Entering the Arena
What we can learn through time off from competition during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bowling Alone and Sheltering in Place
Sabrina Little reflects on the changing dynamics of our relationships due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Recency Bias (And Other Mistakes You Are Probably Making)
Sabrina Little writes about the fallacies and biases related to training and racing.
Dear Sirs, I am.
An essay about how we can raise the culture of our community through our own actions.
Ode to Some of My Habits
Sabrina Little writes about how habits can both positively and negatively impact your character and life.
Trading Cleats for Sneakers: A Primer on Freedom
Sabrina Little applies the philosophy of freedom to running.
On Baselines and Finish Lines
Sabrina Little writes about running in the Hoka One One Project Carbon X.
Practicing Bravery in My Sneakers
Sabrina Little talks about using running to develop virtues for life and vice versa.
A Discourse on Cheating
Sabrina Little writes about cheating in sports and her hope of changing our culture so it happens less.
Admiration and Awe: Learning from Redwoods
Sabrina Little’s essay on the merits of admiring and emulating our sport’s greatest athletes.
