At the beginning of the plot, Dan Millman is a locally famous gymnast who dreams of winning an Olympic competition, sexually couples with numerous young women who are impressed by his agility and skill, and suffers from psychological restlessness. On one occaision, Dan attempts to compensate for the restlessness by running along streets before sunrise. At a car-service station, he encounters an old man who seems to know more about Dan's problem than Dan himself knows, whom Dan later nicknames "Socrates". Dan is unsettled by Socrates' knowledge, by the fact that Socrates had appeared in a nightmare as a faceless janitor, clad in mismatched shoes (by which he is identified in waking life), who sweeps up the pieces of Dan's shattered leg, and by the old man's extraordinary speed, agility, and co-ordination. As a result of his exposure to the last, Dan seeks to learn the secret behind it.