Reading the unusually inspiring book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. I was coincidentally handed this book by my good friend Jed, the second week after I had committed myself to running at least 20 miles per week. I've recently found a passion for running, particularly in San Francisco, where there's much to see and few indomitable hills. I'd never been a long distance runner until I started running in Golden Gate park. One day I discovered that running 6 miles was a breeze when every turn was a new sight. Two weeks later I turned it to 9 miles, then 12, and 13, then Occupy happened and I faded from exercise almost entirely. But the urge to run has overcome me again (now that I am unfortunately 15lbs heavier), and reading this book, I feel like my soul has been stumbling upon some truths that the Tarahumara have already turned into an art form.
1) Running is a joy, not a chore or a means to an end. Yin was able to run 5 miles easily at Bay to Breakers, and Julia survived 8 miles through Cambridge while we chatted. Granted, the joy starts slipping away from me somewhere around mile 10, but I'm working on tearing down that wall. Low friction undies -- a must -- then maybe next time I'll wear the camel pack and maybe a lower friction shirt. But by far my most important discovery for running further is to relax, smile, take in the sights, listen to happier music. Caballo Blanco's first word of advice is "easy," which I think is to ease your state of mind, and believe what you are doing is out of joy, not something that is gruelling.
2) The other words of wisdom from Caballo Blanco had more to do with form, "Light, smooth, and fast." The first two are of particular interest to me, because I wear flip flops every day, and noticed when I am out of shape my steps are loud and careless, and it would be a good exercise for me to consciously mind my steps more, mind the weight, lift the sandal but don't let them flap carelessly. Just like in surfing, you don't have to paddle hard, you paddle smoothly. If your body is light, and your movements are smooth, fast will follow.
3) Not directly related to the book, I've also been dabbling in eating far more vegetables, but far less in general. I tend to get half or quarter pound servings of veggie salads at Raley's, and a piece of fruit, and that might be all I eat in a day, and I'm not starving when I go to sleep. I only do that a few days a week due to my lifestyle, but we'll see where this goes. Scott Jurek is a full vegan and the world's greatest ultra marathoner. Ultra coach, Scott Vigil advised his athletes to eat as if they were poor. I also learned that chia -- yes, as in the chia pet -- is a super food that rivals quinoa for nutrients, and I'm dying to get my hands on some and try it out.
4) The ultimate discovery in this book goes well beyond diet, training, footwear (or lack there of), or running. The big discovery of the Tarahumara is the kindness and love that they extend to those around them. They are not boastful, not confrontational, competitive only as a form of comradery, have no form of money, only do what is kind to do to each other, and run from trouble. On Scott Vigil's walls are the advice to "practice abundance by giving back," "Improve personal relationships," and "Show integrity to your value system." When was the last time you saw what you would call real integrity in the world around you. Paul Ryan just went up and gave a speech full of more lies than truths, making Clinton's exaggerations look like gospel truths by comparison. Slick Willy is our cornerstone of integrity, super. But I know I need work on all three of those categories. I am not chock full of giving, strong personal relationships, or even integrity really.
In the world of sports, we've all been taught to push hard, fight, dig deep, compete, etc., but where was the advice to love what you're doing. In The Sandlot, the main character says, "Just have fun, you would've caught that ball if you were having fun." or something to that extent. When I was watching the Olympics, I wrote down that loving what you do is a must, or you will not be great at it. Going over Maslow's hierarchy of needs I saw accomplishment listed as one of the level 4 needs. If you must be great at something to feel accomplished, and must love what you do to be great at something, then how on earth are ordinary people supposed to ever feel a sense of accomplishment just going through the motions of everyday life. My mom has always been a great teacher because she makes learning exciting -- she gets kids to love what they're learning -- but the only other teacher I've seen that same spirit in is Mr. Kinavey. Is the lack of that sort of teaching where the failure to find passion comes from? Or is it that what we are passionate about often is not a lucrative profession? There are a select few who can be passionate about being a doctor, engineer, trust fund manager, etc. Or is the problem a societal one, in that we do not experience a truly loving and giving culture in the fast paced world we live in. Where have those values of Christianity gone to? Why have we been left only with the obsession to live immaculate lives -- no gays, no abortion, practice abstinence, etc -- and let values like compassion for others fall by the wayside. Jesus didn't say stop sinning, he said your sins are forgiven. That's not to say we shouldn't strive to live virtuous lives, but more importantly, lead by example, tend to your own morals and spirituality, but strive to be compassionate to others. This to me seems the opposite of the fallacy of composition situation, where rather than doing what's right for oneself at the expense of the whole, doing what's right by oneself is more conducive to allowing others to find the best within themselves.
The world is ready for a paradigm shift, and if the Tarahumara have shown the best shoes of all are practically nothing rather than the over-engineered, arch-supporting, hundred dollar, heel padding super shoes, then maybe a lack of integrity and strict adherence to the social experiments of Saul Alinsky are not as universally true as they appear to be today. We were talking at the beer discussion group tonight about how sometimes great shifts are preceded by mountains of lies denouncing the truth of the future. Before Japanese cars took over the market, American car manufacturers denounced them as crap, when the electric light bulb came about England was one of the last to get it because the lamp oil industry was so strong there, and in Ayn Rand's fictional account of course the universities and "science experts" were all opposed to the Riordan super metal. In all these cases, results spoke for themselves, and I think that can happen in the world of politics. We're already seeing less polished politicians like Chris Christie taking center stage, and I think it's only a matter of time before those whose statements are not intended to be "factual statements," such as John Kyl sink into oblivion.
