The long fuse is growing short. In four days, the long train-up for the Colorado Marathon will yield to the real thing. I have one more short and easy maintenance run--3 miles--to do tomorrow. Friday is drive day. Hog Heaven west to Ft. Collins. So, I'll be away from my computer and unable to blog until returning home early next week. At that time, I'll post a marathon post-mortem. Then, after three weeks of recovery, I'll be off and running (pun intended) in preparation for the Pikes Peak Ascent in August. I wish all of you best of luck and good running on Sunday, May 6.
I'll leave you for the time being with some thoughts about running.
Running is not life. I'm not even sure that we were born to run. If early humans were vegans, then they didn't need to hunt. Only gather. And, apples and berries don't require chasing. Doesn't it seem reasonable that the earliest humans ate fruits, nuts, and grains? Raw meat isn't very appetizing and fire requires an inventor. How soon did that happen? Just saying.
Anyway, enthusiasts of all sorts seem to go overboard in assaying the object of their enthusiasm. I once had a t-shirt that announced "Baseball Is Life." Runners are no different. Check out this quotation from Roger Robinson in the April 2012 Running Times referring to John J. Kelley, an early winner of the Boston Marathon:
"He was way before his time in perceiving that running is part of the greater movement of world
environmentalism and a return to pre-industrial, non-materialistic values."
You think? Running is part of an environmentally-conscious, pre-industrial, non-materialistic culture? Why do I see so many iPods and $400 Garmin watches at the starting line of races? Not to mention expensive hi-tech shoes, shirts, sports bras, and shorts? Why are 5K entry fees $30? Marathon entry fees $100? Why are the race parking lots filled with expensive, gas-guzzling SUV's?
How about this gem from Oprah Winfrey:
"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."
The problem here is that you can substitute all sorts of activities for running and the rest of the quotation would still be true. How about "playing the piano"? Oprah likely said running because she was a runner at the time. As far as I know, she's never played the piano.
And this from legendary miler Sir Roger Bannister:
"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help
ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find
some outlet for this craving for freedom."
It damn well better be doing me some good! I guess that it's either running or therapy for Sir Roger. And, running is cheaper. Anyway, when I think of people craving for freedom, I think of Syrians, not some stockbroker with a BMW and $120 running shoes.
And, here's Patti Sue Plummer on racing:
"The gun goes off and everything changes... the world changes... and nothing else really matters."
Maybe it works that way in the temporary bubble that envelopes the competitors. Otherwise, the world goes on its merry way. Even for the runners, the illusion is ephemeral. All the old problems and worries that existed before the gun went off are still there once you've crossed the finish line.
All running quotations aren't pretentious, hyperbolic, or silly. Some are modest, measured, or wise. Here are a few:
"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."--Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder
"No doubt a brain and some shoes are essential for marathon success, although if it come down to a choice, pick the shoes. More people finish marathons with no brains than with no shoes."--Don Kardong, marathoner
"Maybe I shouldn't have had breakfast at Denny's."--Jordan Kent, runner
I'll leave you for the time being with some thoughts about running.
Running is not life. I'm not even sure that we were born to run. If early humans were vegans, then they didn't need to hunt. Only gather. And, apples and berries don't require chasing. Doesn't it seem reasonable that the earliest humans ate fruits, nuts, and grains? Raw meat isn't very appetizing and fire requires an inventor. How soon did that happen? Just saying.
Anyway, enthusiasts of all sorts seem to go overboard in assaying the object of their enthusiasm. I once had a t-shirt that announced "Baseball Is Life." Runners are no different. Check out this quotation from Roger Robinson in the April 2012 Running Times referring to John J. Kelley, an early winner of the Boston Marathon:
"He was way before his time in perceiving that running is part of the greater movement of world
environmentalism and a return to pre-industrial, non-materialistic values."
You think? Running is part of an environmentally-conscious, pre-industrial, non-materialistic culture? Why do I see so many iPods and $400 Garmin watches at the starting line of races? Not to mention expensive hi-tech shoes, shirts, sports bras, and shorts? Why are 5K entry fees $30? Marathon entry fees $100? Why are the race parking lots filled with expensive, gas-guzzling SUV's?
How about this gem from Oprah Winfrey:
"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."
The problem here is that you can substitute all sorts of activities for running and the rest of the quotation would still be true. How about "playing the piano"? Oprah likely said running because she was a runner at the time. As far as I know, she's never played the piano.
And this from legendary miler Sir Roger Bannister:
"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help
ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find
some outlet for this craving for freedom."
It damn well better be doing me some good! I guess that it's either running or therapy for Sir Roger. And, running is cheaper. Anyway, when I think of people craving for freedom, I think of Syrians, not some stockbroker with a BMW and $120 running shoes.
And, here's Patti Sue Plummer on racing:
"The gun goes off and everything changes... the world changes... and nothing else really matters."
Maybe it works that way in the temporary bubble that envelopes the competitors. Otherwise, the world goes on its merry way. Even for the runners, the illusion is ephemeral. All the old problems and worries that existed before the gun went off are still there once you've crossed the finish line.
All running quotations aren't pretentious, hyperbolic, or silly. Some are modest, measured, or wise. Here are a few:
"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."--Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder
"No doubt a brain and some shoes are essential for marathon success, although if it come down to a choice, pick the shoes. More people finish marathons with no brains than with no shoes."--Don Kardong, marathoner
"Maybe I shouldn't have had breakfast at Denny's."--Jordan Kent, runner
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