After a squash injury last November, the doctor told me to lay off the sport for a while. All that lunging around tore a muscle, which took months to heal.
When I recovered in April, I decided to give running another try. For the first time I enjoyed it, probably because of the fantastic trails a few blocks from my New Haven apartment.
Some people just run. I, naturally, have to read books about running first. I tried three.
My favorite will surprise you. Get Fit Running is written by Owen Barder. Yes, that Owen Barder, of developing blogging and podcasting fame. Turns out he is one of those nutbar people who runs ultramarathons.
That I knew beforehand. I didn’t know I’d like the book so much. It’s nowhere near as comprehensive as The Runner’s Handbook, but this is probably its chief advantage. Bob Glover’s book is great, but a bit of a marathon to read. (Yes, you should groan at the metaphor.)
Book three was the Non-runner’s Marathon Trainer. That I did not like so much, possibly in part because I have none of the nutbar desire to run a marathon.
I would, however, like to get up to 10 miles. Currently I am at 5, and I am exceedingly slow. I received a motivational boost this week when I learned that Mike Huckabee has run four marathons since 2003. (A more apt description than ‘motivational boost’ would probably be ‘shame and self-loathing’. Mike Huckabee is running circles round me? Seriously?)
Yesterday I arrived in Liberia, where my running options are (1) run at a civilized 6pm, when it is 100 degrees and 100% humidity, or (2) run at a nutbar 6am, when it is a mere 80 degrees and 80% humidity.
I have brought my little steel stovetop espresso maker just in case I’m feeling nutbar…
10 Responses
I’ll recommend Why We Run: A Natural History, by Berndt Heinrich. Great combination of science and sport from an interesting guy.
Echoing Charles – I think you would enjoy Born to Run a lot. Maybe even enough to give barefoot running a try (or in a place like Liberia, best with minimalist shoes like Vibram Five Fingers at first).
6 a.m. is a nutbar hour?
Try Born to Run by Christopher McDougall — interesting story interspersed with new thinking about running training and equipment.
C.
What? No air-conditioned fitness centres in Liberia? You got to be kiddin’ me! :-)
Keep it up, Mr. Chris.
Phillip.
Early morning running in Liberia too fine oh! Get into it: time is an illusion.
Also, Haruki Murakami’s “What I talk About When I talk About Running” is pretty hype in Murakami’s way of being touchingly profound in one second and dull the next. However, it does offer an inspiring look at his fixated passions for writing and running fairly well.
I’m like Huckabee–I’ve run 5 very uncharacteristic marathons–so you might not be inclined to read this, but I found Chi Running (http://www.amazon.com/ChiRunning-Revolutionary-Approach-Effortless-Injury-Free/dp/1416549447/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278098900&sr=1-1) very freeing. If nothing else the theory behind the book will intrigue you.
Dear Chris
You obviously got my check … :-)
Glad you are enjoying the running
Owen
You might enjoy Murakami’s book on the subject – his writing is fantastic as always.
you likely have already come across this, but this is the definition of nutbar:
Eddie Izzard running 43 marathons in 51 days:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8256589.stm