Running Log 2012

Friday, September 10, 2010

the least I can do

John Nguyen recommends reading Born to Run. Seems like a good way to pass the time while I follow his progress Saturday. Lucked out and got a copy from the library so I'm in business.

Many years ago, I went in halvsies on a 20 foot fishing boat with a buddy of mine. It was an old boat that needed some work. Price was right and somehow being 20 miles off shore in a boat with engine problems didn't seem that dangerous to a couple of guys in their twenties. Anyway, my friend spends all kinds of time researching everything there is to know about navigation, finding fish, tackle, knot tieing, fuel consumption, you name it. For my contribution to the effort, I bought a paper back copy of The Old Man and the Sea.

So here I am contemplating running a marathon for the first time. I suppose I should be reading Hal Higdon or some other expert on the subject of preparing for a marathon. I suppose I should be mapping out a training schedule and start obsessing over my pace in every mile of my long run. And I'm sure I don't have a clue yet of the range technical knowledge I should be aquiring.

But first things first. I've just got this idea that desire and imagination are always the first order of business in any endeavor. So I'm taking John's advise. How could I not?

2 comments:

  1. Get "Running & Being" by George Sheehan. You can get it on Amazon. All you need to know. Seriously.

    When I was young the fastest marathoner in town was a guy named Tom Mayfield. Truly a mythical kind of guy. First adult I ever knew who wore nothing but old straight-legged Levi's and battered trainers as work clothes. I've done it ever since.

    The paper did a story on him once and asked him what the key to running the marathon was. "Start before daylight," he said, "and run till it gets dark."

    He was just saying run a lot. I'm thinking the rest is just clutter.

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  2. Thanks for the tip. Wow, that must be some book Coach. It's all over the place on price from around $13 up to around $100. I'm picturing something like a trade handbook for runners. I was always happy with used text books in college, so I think I'll pick out one in the $25 range that sounds clean and just hope it wasn't being thumbed by some 5k runner.

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