Born to Run

I started reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall when it was given to me by one of my friends who I inspired to run, and has since ran more, and become more dedicated than I am (although I'm working on that).

Since December, I started working out again, my confidence is back, I feel happier all the time, and I've lost 7 lbs.  On top of all that, I recently, this last Saturday, finished a 15K and beat my goal of 10 minutes per mile to finish in 1:29:41 for an average pace of 9:37.  Not fantastic, but it is good for me considering the lackluster 2010 I've had as far as working out.  This was all while working 60 hour weeks.

I haven't finished the book yet, but it is absolutely fantastic so far.  I'm so impressed with the running community, the atmosphere of races and the environment which runners operate in.  I wanted to start running because I loved the community of runners.  Now it has become a challenge, a stress reliever, and a way to zone out and unplug from working all the time.  Work life balance is crazy in public accounting, half the year you're so busy that you don't see your friends or family, and the rest of the time everything is laid back (to a certain extent) and you have time to go on vacation, relax, and enjoy life.  We recently finished working 60+ hour weeks, and I'm actually more worried about staying motivated to work out now that we have more time.  It was easy when we worked all the time because if I didn't work out once or twice a day, then ALL that I did was work.  I've begun making more and more connections with people I work with to meet up and run or go to the gym, work-out dates, if you will, to motivate me to keep going.

So the book...ultra marathoners.  How amazing to ask your body what it is capable of and then pushing beyond what people thought was possible.  Man originally hunted by chasing down its prey until it was too tired to continue running away.  The raramuri are still like this, they have never given up running as a form of transportation, as a way of life. And there are still people in the United States who ask, and get, from there bodies exactly that kind of performance.

One of the things that I find the most touching and motivating is determination and great success in things ventured because of said motivation/determination.  That is why I love pure competition, pushing one's self to the limit and succeeding, and continual improvement.  Going to races, sports movies, the Biggest Loser, Championship games, bootstrapping in unique ways to overcome the odds.  In a way, this is what this book is about, but not even, I suppose. It is about people who do things because they LOVE to do them.  Because they want to know where the limits are and then push them even farther.  

What makes the individuals written about in Born to Run different from me?  What can accomplish I if I apply myself and work hard.  If I push myself beyond the limits I've known up until now?  And can I do it?  Am I focused enough, or will I be distracted by everyday life, by the things I feel need my attention now so that I can make the "right" choices in life.  The reason I went to business school instead of art school.  The reason I work at a public accounting firm instead of travelling the world.  Are these the same things that are going to always hold me back.  The things that make me afraid to take such a leap and be damned the consequences.

In Born to Run Mcdougall talks about how Caballo Blanco, Jenn Shelton, and Billy Barnett made the decision to pursue their passions because, what the hell did they have to lose?  That is the type of freedom I want in life.  To be comfortable enough to make decisions because, why not?  Lets make it work.