I've been running again recently. Last week I listened to Scott Jurek's audiobook "Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness" and was blown away by what I was hearing. Ultrarunners I discovered are the masochists who think 26-mile marathons aren't long enough. The most common distances for ultramarathons range from 32 to 100 miles but there are many races that have much longer distances. Some races are run by time insead of distance, for example the author set an American record by running 165 miles in 24 hours.
At one point as a result of hardcore training and a vegan diet Jurek could wake up, go for a short run (5-6miles), go to work for 8-10 hours and then run 10-20 miles in the evening. He said that because he had a plant-based diet his recovery time accelerated so much he woke up fresh each morning with more energy and no muscle soreness. He was able to eat more, lose excess weight and build lean muscle simultaneously. As well as providing some tips on running and some interesting recipes he also references some fascinating books:
Some quotes from Running and Being by George Sheehan:
To his children: "If you don't have a challenge, find one."
"A runner is not in a game. He is in a contest. And that is a word whose Latin root means to witness or testify. Therefore anything else than all he can give is not enough. When you race you are under oath. You are testifying as to who you are."
"Sin is the failure to reach your potential. Guilt is the unlived life."
Jurek also mentioned the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei by John Stevens. It is about a sect of Buddhist monks who as the final part of their training run 100 marathons of 52.5 miles in 100 days.
Jurek, Sheehan and the Marathon Monks (although I haven't read the latter) made me realise I wasn't really running before - I was jogging, staying in my comfort zone most of the time. A common thread running through all these books is using running as a way to transcend physical limits and with them the limits of the self. They are not really books about running, they are books about freedom, about going beyond our comfort zones, beyond our limits to experience transcendence and realise our true potential.
No comments:
Post a Comment