I own a little book by John Jerome called The Elements of Effort. Not only is it my favorite book about running,
it has a whole lot to say about life in general. Sub-titled “reflections on the
art and science of running,” Jerome has organized it by the seasons as he
reflects on his favorite sport.
Of it he says in the introduction: “Running is the most
elemental sport there is. We are genetically programmed to do it. One might
even say that we are the free-ranging, curious, restless creatures that we are
because of running. Surely our instinct for freedom is a legacy of this
essential mobility.
“I think freedom itself is the source of running’s great
appeal. Slip on a pair of shoes, slip out the door, and you’re there:
free…..Try though the gimmick-sellers have to complicate the sport, nothing has
compromised running’s essential simplicity.”
Jerome dedicates his book to the memory of Jim Fixx, the
author of the Complete Book of Running,
who he credits with getting so many runners started.
I’d like to share with you a few of Jerome’s words of wisdom:
“Running—or any other effortful gross-motor activity,
extended over time—is a powerful tool for keeping ourselves in the present
tense, and the present tense is always a vacation.”
I’ve noticed that when a run gets tough I say to myself:
“Just be in the present moment and place, right here and now. Don’t look ahead.
Don’t anticipate being finished. Just keep running.
“I’m happy using running for purposes other than longevity.
I use it to set my body whirling, and thereby still my head.”
Seems to me, longevity is not the issue, maintaining a life
that is satisfying useful is the whole point. And who is not interested in
stilling their incessant thinking machine and setting their body whirling—slow
as it might be?
“In masters athletics what most people master first is the
art of ignoring the obvious: how old they are. (We’re not going to let that
stop us.) We become masters at carrying on, at persevering, at getting in our
mileage and getting through our races, come hell or high water. To do so, we’ve had to build up a fairly heavy
coating on our pain sensors. It’s not easy to catch your body’s subtle signals
when you are essentially a callus from head to foot.”
Amen to this one. After a few weeks of walking instead of
running because my body was complaining, this morning I told it to shut up. I
was going to run—at least down to that blue car. And when I got there, I kept
going until I had circled the cemetery a mile from my house and run back home.
Yep. It hurt. Yep. It felt wonderful!
“Aging is a disease of hypokinesis, literally not enough
movement.”
I believe it. It
doesn’t matter much what you do, as long as you get up and do it. And with
consistency. The older we get, the harder it is to get back to working out if
you lay off for more than a couple of days.
“Breathing is life’s single most sustainable activity. And
it is breath itself that is so enhanced by running.”
Breathe deep. Stay in the moment. Walk or run or bike or
swim every day that you can manage it.
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