Like anything or anyone else I encountered a challenge...a running challenge. With the help of my friends (love you guys), my coaches (Skinny V, Sid, Asteria, Coach B and Neil) and with my new favorite book of all time, Born to Run, I worked my way though it. It was a hard battle but I did it, I fell back in love with running, its a sport you have to love. I feel that running humbles you, breaks you down but then on a random whim you either PR at a race or you run longer than you ever have. Its an amazing sport and for those that love it the way a runner loves it you can appreciate the love/hate relationship you have with it.
Thankfully I didn't quit and I was reminded why I love the sport and how it has changed me and has made me. I know that the book changed the way I look at the sport here are some amazing quotes from the book:
"Your body becomes so familiar with the cradle-rocking rhythm that you almost forget you’re moving. [Eventually,] you break through to that soft, half-levitating flow. You have to listen closely to the sound of your own breathing; be aware of how much sweat is beading on your back; make sure to treat yourself to cool water and a salty snack and ask yourself honestly and often, exactly how you feel. What could be more sensual than paying exquisite attention to your own body? "
"That was the real secret of the Tarahumara: they’d never forgotten what it felt like to love running. They remembered that running was mankind’s first fine art, our original act of inspired creation. Way before we were scratching pictures on caves or beating rhythms on hollow trees, we were perfecting the art of combining our breath and mind and muscles into fluid self-propulsion over wild terrain"
"You don’t stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running. "
"Strictly by accident, Scott stumbled upon the most advanced weapon in the ultrarunner’s arsenal: Instead of cringing from fatigue, you embrace it. You refuse to let it go. You get to know it so well you’re not afraid of it anymore.”
last but not least, " Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter if you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better be running"
Holy Wow!
Sorry I haven't been around for almost a month! I cant believe it has been that long. Well the good news is that I haven't been around because yes, I took that week off. I did however pick up this great book titled "Born to Run". I cannot believe that this book moved me the way that it did. I realized I needed a break and now, well, now I am over it.
"Light, Easy...Smooth". That's from Born to Run, and I kept telling myself that as I ran my 20 miler. Yes, you read correctly I ran 20 miles last Saturday. It was an amazing run and my favorite course Brooklyn Bridge to Battery Park City all the way up the West Side Drive to the George Washington Bridge and back to 72nd and the West Side. It was a great run and I finished feeling great!
Vane and I ran the whole thing on our own. This was a training run, not a race, and we both wanted to feel good afterwards.
"Light, Easy...Smooth". That's from Born to Run and I keep telling myself that as I ran my 20 miler. Yes, you read correctly I ran 20 miles last Saturday. It was an amazing run and my favorite course Brooklyn Bridge to Battery Park City all the way up the West Side Drive to the George Washington Bridge and back to 72nd and the West Side. It was a great run and I finished feeling great!
Vane and I ran the whole thing on our own this was a training run not a race and we both wanted to feel good afterwards.
This weekend I was Philly to do the Philly Half, a flat course. I loved Philly it was so nice there and the people super nice...and the food oh the food!! Insert picture of my very first REAL Philly Cheesesteak from PATS!
On another great and positive note...do you know what time it is?? It's Football time!! Yes, it is that amazing time of year again. Man do I love Football! I prefer College Football, but I also love my NFL teams, in particular the Bears. Uhmm yeah can we not talk about the win on Sunday.
Who is my college team you ask?
Well I love my Fighting Illini....and I will leave it there.
Other teams I root for are:
Bama
Wisconsin
Gators
I will throw in LSU in the loop as well.
As I said this weekend I will be in Philly (First time) rolling with Vane and Kevin and I cannot wait to see what will come out of this weekend.
PS...Question have you donated? Please do if you haven't!
http://www.runwithtfk.org/Member/PublicPage/74
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