the day after born to run

i just got back from a night run in brooklyn. it's my first run since completing christopher mcdougall's "born to run". burned out runners, scientists, anthropologists, and most of all aspiring runners. you've got to check this book out. and run like the wind "leaving no trace upon the ground" while you are reading it because when it is done and you are back to the literary same old same old your legs are going to get a little heavier.

i just had my first slow feeling run in weeks. slow feeling because i'm not going to wear a watch for awhile and i won'tlook up my route on google pedometer so i can't say for sure how far i went or how fast. running free of these things is only the most itty bitty step towards running like an ultra marathoner. and king of the ultra marathon is the tarahumara indian (pictured). dwellers of the copper canyons of mexico and running in bright red blouses and sandals - they never got the memo that running is bad for you. they are still of the mind that we are "born to run". mcdougall focuses on this group of born to runners after his physical therapist tells him his knees hurt because our bodies aren't made to run. mcdougall doesn't buy it and over the course of 300 pages he's convinced me of the same. going on runs while reading the book i too was convinced i was born to run.

end of book report - a few more random thoughts:

i'm going to run my third half marathon this spring. 13 mile racers are a dime a dozen but what is significant for me is that i never ran further than 6 miles until i tore my left knee and recovered from surgery just in time to put down six 10 minute miles in the third leg of the nyc triathlon. i used a deliberate shuffle kind of stride where my only focus was to stay out of pain. ever since i've been able to run longer distances.

abrupt segue to my wife in the next room watching the biggest loser show on tv. in preparation for this spring's race and - hopefully - subsequent triathlons i just used my birthday money to buy a swim class for the winter. it will be the third time i'm taking level II swimming for triathletes. the last time, 3 years ago (1 year B.A. - before Alexandra) i dropped 10 pounds from my weight of 15 years: from 185 to 175. i was too skinny. ever since the A.A. era (after Alexandra) i've weighed 215. not fat for a guy who's 6'-4" but a whole lot heavier than i want to be.

i'm in the middle of a terrific maragaret atwood book about life after THE flood (a time when running would be a useful skill) but it's just not providing the same inspiration on my runs as "born to run" did. again - my highest commendations to the book you can count on me rereading as i approach the starting line for next year's racing season!