Back around 2010 I became a big fan of ultra-marathon runner Dean Karnazes, whose book Ultramarathon Man greatly inspired me to have a serious go at long distance running and accompanying races. Just the other day while on YouTube I came across the name of Gene Dykes, about 73 now, who has defied all the traditional wisdom about how old age makes people more feeble and less athletic. After astonishing the running world with a marathon under three hours as a 70-year-old, he has, like Karnazes, gone on to tackle ultra-long runs, one of them a 250-mile event! To these two I say bravo, but as far as I personally am concerned, were I to follow (more slowly, I'm sure) in their footsteps, my life experience of sometimes getting carried away with my success in an area would wear thin with me. There are lots of cool areas in life to focus on, not just running: just looking at athletics, I see a more viable future for myself in swimming and, especially, speed-walking. But still, beyond sports, there are many things I'm interested in and I'd rather be immersed in them on a mediocre level than just continue going on to extremes in one tried-and-tested activity...but that's just me. Still, there are a few remaining goals in running I'd like to get past first, and if possible, I'd like to continue the sport as long as possible as the years advance...
Showing posts with label Interests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interests. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Friday, April 13, 2018
Quote of the Week...from Emil Zatopek
If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.
---Emil Zatopek
Emil Zatopek was a famous distance runner from Czechoslovakia who won the Olympic gold medals in 1952 for the 5,000 meter, 10,000 meter, and marathon (26.2 miles) races. He was a talented athlete who probably worked harder at his sport than any others of his era, with a harsh, self-imposed training regimen. But I didn't select him for those reasons...it is the quote's meaning that I'd like to discuss here...
I've run a mile many times...and I've managed to finished two marathons, one public and one while training on my own. Back in February 2010 I ran my first-ever half marathon race here in Gainesville and began to set my sights on the marathon event. I trained hard the rest of the year and by the time fall arrived I was regularly going out on runs for fifteen miles or more. When I hit the twenty-mile mark toward the end of the year, I knew that a marathon run was attainable...which I accomplished the afternoon of January 15, 2011 (actually I ran about 27 miles). But I soon came to the conclusion that, at least for myself, this distance took up too much of my time with training and that it made me too injury-prone...I subsequently would only train for half-marathons, which I have run over the past eight years...
The point to all this is that while Zatopek's quote sounds like an either-or, strictly binary proposition, in truth you can experience a markedly different life and run some pretty impressive distances without letting it overshadow everything else you're doing in your life. And, quite frankly, if you've participated in some of these marathon races, you'll find that in many of them the course is doubled over in places so that you're just repeating much of the same terrain...that's no fun! I'm glad I downsized from trying to do marathons and my body appreciates it as well...a half-marathon is a good, solid long-distance event as are 10Ks (6.2 miles) and 15Ks (9.3 miles). As a matter of fact, as I find myself mysteriously getting older each year, I'm finding those last two more fun to run in. But having said all this, I also recognize that each of us is different and some have come to consider the marathon as the crowning event of their running aspirations. And, of course, if you're not into running, none of this applies except as an analogy to other areas with which you are engaged. The main thing is to avoid automatically buying into how others define your interest: that's something you...and only you...get to do...
---Emil Zatopek
Emil Zatopek was a famous distance runner from Czechoslovakia who won the Olympic gold medals in 1952 for the 5,000 meter, 10,000 meter, and marathon (26.2 miles) races. He was a talented athlete who probably worked harder at his sport than any others of his era, with a harsh, self-imposed training regimen. But I didn't select him for those reasons...it is the quote's meaning that I'd like to discuss here...
I've run a mile many times...and I've managed to finished two marathons, one public and one while training on my own. Back in February 2010 I ran my first-ever half marathon race here in Gainesville and began to set my sights on the marathon event. I trained hard the rest of the year and by the time fall arrived I was regularly going out on runs for fifteen miles or more. When I hit the twenty-mile mark toward the end of the year, I knew that a marathon run was attainable...which I accomplished the afternoon of January 15, 2011 (actually I ran about 27 miles). But I soon came to the conclusion that, at least for myself, this distance took up too much of my time with training and that it made me too injury-prone...I subsequently would only train for half-marathons, which I have run over the past eight years...
The point to all this is that while Zatopek's quote sounds like an either-or, strictly binary proposition, in truth you can experience a markedly different life and run some pretty impressive distances without letting it overshadow everything else you're doing in your life. And, quite frankly, if you've participated in some of these marathon races, you'll find that in many of them the course is doubled over in places so that you're just repeating much of the same terrain...that's no fun! I'm glad I downsized from trying to do marathons and my body appreciates it as well...a half-marathon is a good, solid long-distance event as are 10Ks (6.2 miles) and 15Ks (9.3 miles). As a matter of fact, as I find myself mysteriously getting older each year, I'm finding those last two more fun to run in. But having said all this, I also recognize that each of us is different and some have come to consider the marathon as the crowning event of their running aspirations. And, of course, if you're not into running, none of this applies except as an analogy to other areas with which you are engaged. The main thing is to avoid automatically buying into how others define your interest: that's something you...and only you...get to do...
Monday, February 5, 2018
Some Musings on Commonality of Outlook and Interests
Sometimes when reading a book certain insights float up to my conscious mind a few days later. This just happened to me after recently reading Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. In her novel, a fellowship forms between people who share a philosophy of realism combined with rationalism. They are judges, artists, musicians, engineers, and industrialists, among other professions. Their mutual association is based on their common approach to life...not necessarily on others within their own specialties or who share their specific interests. Although Atlas Shrugged contains some aspects with which I disagree, I feel that it revealed something to me that I should have figured out for myself long, long ago...
The idea of seeking others with my common interests makes sense, at least on the surface. I’m a runner, so why not enter races and hobnob around with fellow runners...we’ve all got that particular interest in common, right? Or if I’m a writer, hang out with other writers. Or since I like to read, go join a book reading group in town. Like playing chess? Then join the chess club. Studying one or more foreign languages? Seek out those with the same linguistic interest. I did something like this in high school when I joined their astronomy club, only to discover that I had absolutely nothing in common with anyone else there. The fact is that my way of viewing life and conceptualizing things can diverge from others to the point where being around them drains me of energy and causes within me feelings of alienation and/or oppression...even if we supposedly like the same things. The immediate impulse I feel in reaction is to just seek solitude and become a recluse. Now I believe there is a better alternative...but it’s a bit more difficult and involves more of a social outreach on my part...
The idea of seeking others with my common interests makes sense, at least on the surface. I’m a runner, so why not enter races and hobnob around with fellow runners...we’ve all got that particular interest in common, right? Or if I’m a writer, hang out with other writers. Or since I like to read, go join a book reading group in town. Like playing chess? Then join the chess club. Studying one or more foreign languages? Seek out those with the same linguistic interest. I did something like this in high school when I joined their astronomy club, only to discover that I had absolutely nothing in common with anyone else there. The fact is that my way of viewing life and conceptualizing things can diverge from others to the point where being around them drains me of energy and causes within me feelings of alienation and/or oppression...even if we supposedly like the same things. The immediate impulse I feel in reaction is to just seek solitude and become a recluse. Now I believe there is a better alternative...but it’s a bit more difficult and involves more of a social outreach on my part...
How does one find like-minded people to associate with? First of all, I need to be sure of my own beliefs and orientations. Then I can observe others who, at least outwardly, may display the same general way of looking at things as myself. But only time and continual, proactive and honest engagement on my part will ultimately determine whether they are truly who I think they are or instead just mimicking what they think I may be expecting from them. But I’m certain that I’d feel more commonality with others, even if our respective interests were vastly different, if their basic approach to living resonated with mine...
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