Running is a beautiful release even if I can no longer join them. At 51, my knees, back and hip cannot take the impact and compression after a 20 years of long and ultra distance running. I envy them and their vigor ...
Running in a group has its appeal. Unless we find ourselves in a group whose abilities and goals match our own, however, we will be undertraining or overtraining.
The art of running well is to know oneself, to do nothing in excess, but also nothing too little. It's taken me half a century of trial and error, of learning the hard way, of some success but more failure, but I believe I'm now gradually getting there. I now know how hard to push myself, when to push myself, in what way to push myself. I wish when I was young I had known even half of what I know now about training.
For me, to run outside in the wind, the rain and the sun, under the stars and under the moon, is to be alive. Walking and hiking slowly through the countryside bores me to tears. I can cover in between one and two hours the ground that a walker might in a whole day. It means that I can start and finish a trail before it gets dark that a walker could not consider unless they're willing to camp over for the night.
Walking is all very well for the frail in body and weak in spirit but for me to run fast and far is the very essence of living. When I can no longer run hard through rugged terrain, oblivious to the elements throwing themselves at me, then I might as well be dead.
In the immortal words of the greatest of all the Athenians, 'For what a shame it is for a man to grow old, without ever knowing the strength and vigour of which his body is capable.'
The art of running well is to know oneself, to do nothing in excess, but also nothing too little. It's taken me half a century of trial and error, of learning the hard way, of some success but more failure, but I believe I'm now gradually getting there. I now know how hard to push myself, when to push myself, in what way to push myself. I wish when I was young I had known even half of what I know now about training.
For me, to run outside in the wind, the rain and the sun, under the stars and under the moon, is to be alive. Walking and hiking slowly through the countryside bores me to tears. I can cover in between one and two hours the ground that a walker might in a whole day. It means that I can start and finish a trail before it gets dark that a walker could not consider unless they're willing to camp over for the night.
Walking is all very well for the frail in body and weak in spirit but for me to run fast and far is the very essence of living. When I can no longer run hard through rugged terrain, oblivious to the elements throwing themselves at me, then I might as well be dead.
In the immortal words of the greatest of all the Athenians, 'For what a shame it is for a man to grow old, without ever knowing the strength and vigour of which his body is capable.'
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We are least informed of the health benefits from the outdoor activities. The best is "grounding" on the ground, beach or lawn without chemical spray, without shoes. We absorb unpaired electrons from the ground to quench excess free radicals (unpaired electrons) from our over-eating carbs and excess blood sugar. Grounding is the same effect as what antioxidants( Vitamin C,A, E or glutathione) do in our body. We also absorb energy from Einstein's photons that DHA (omega-3 fat) in our cellular and mitochondrial membranes catches (our cells work like solar panels or solar batteries). This energy not only improves efficiency of ATP energy production by mitochondria but also promotes mitochondrial increase by mitochondrial biogenesis. Ultra-violet rays produce not only vitamin D3 from cholesterol but also nitric oxide in the blood vessels that relaxes them to expand and improves blood flow. (source: "Fat for fuel" by Dr. Joseph Mercola)
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Windsurfer: Your comment is difficult to understand, but good luck picking up electrons from the pavement along with glass shards, stones, etc. If running barefoot is so wonderful, then why do NO top distance runners go unshod?
By the way, Dr. Joseph Mercola's blogs always finish with a pitch for the latest cure or "missing nutrient."
By the way, Dr. Joseph Mercola's blogs always finish with a pitch for the latest cure or "missing nutrient."
I will try to explain what I said. "Grounding" is just touching the ground, earth, concrete , asphalt, beach sand or lawn yard by bare feet. You don't need to exercise, just sitting on a chair or a bench with bare feet touching the ground for about half an hour. Excess blood sugar biochemically binds (glycation) LDLs/HDLs or blood cells in the bloodstream to cause 50 times more than normal oxidative damages and then inflammation occurs to start forming atherosclerosis. Antioxidants or "grounding" will trap free radicals, unpaired electrons, coming out from this glycation process or normal oxidation of glucose by mitochondria for ATP energy production. There are other ways to improve mitochondrial efficiency or increase mitochondria by biogenesys, but trapping photon's energy from the Sun is one example. Nitric oxide is the gas always existing in our veins and arteries. Ultra-violet rays activate our body to make more nitric oxide for better blood running by expanding the blood vessels. If you have a question, please write it.
Running Camp? Why not a Walking Camp? $1500 to $2000 to learn the most natural human locomotion? All the evolutionary science points to the fact humans evolved to run. Now someone wants to make money teaching you what most kinder gardeners do it naturally!
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These are people with to0 much money to waste. Most of my running friends had to have hip and knee replacements in their 50s by 70 most of them are dead. Just spend the time walking and hiking and pay attention to what is around you and you will be far better off and not ruin your body in the long run.
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Most people who don't run or do other meaningful exercise are seriously overweight or downright obese. And most of them sway from side to side as they can barely walk across a parking lot from their car to the store because their joints hurt so much. Eventually they end up scooter and wheelchair bound. This is living?
EST for the new millenium
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Wow - how cool is the temperature when these people run? I get that Flagstaff is at a high altitude, but if they run twice a day - ? Running at any temperature above 60 degrees would be pretty awful. Glad they're including injury prevention, nutrition, etc. As Dr. Seuss once wrote: "Here are some who run for fun/They run for fun in the hot hot sun/Oh me oh my oh me oh my/What a lot of funny things go by." (From "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish")
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I attended Rob Krar's Ultra Camp in Flagstaff last week and had an incredible experience. I would also consider myself a "beginner ultrarunner" with two pretty rough 50k's to my name, but with sights set on a 50 miler. I left with a new crew of ultrarunning friends, an unforgettable experience in Flagstaff, and my most solid training week to date (and feeling healthy). Would recommend 10/10.
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Conspicuous consumption. Veblen still lives.
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