We love to find more entertaining replacements for spiritual practice. This, unfortunately will not work, because spiritual practice is fundamentally a practice of being with the intensity of right here-right now.
If running, any other form of exercise, or art is used as a solution it is just another form of busyness. If, on the other hand, one's run is a celebration or an expression of sanity and self-respect, then it is a prayer. Of course, sanity and self-respect are cultivated by spiritual practice.
