Written by the late, beloved Dr. George Sheehan, Running and Being tells of the author's midlife return to the world of exercise, play, and competition, in which he found "a world beyond sweat" that proved to be a source of great revelation and personal growth. But Running and Being focuses more on life than it does, specifically, on running. It provides an outline for a lifetime program of fitness and joy, showing how the body helps determine our mental and spiritual energies.

Drawing from the words and actions of the great athletes and thinkers throughout history, Dr. Sheehan ties it all together with his own philosophy on the importance of fitness and sport as well as his knowledge of training, injury prevention, and race competition. Above all, he describes what it means to experience the oneness of body and mind, of self and the universe. In this, he argues, we have the power to discover "the truth that makes men free".