" A credit card, some Pizza and a lot of courage "
I started running in 2006 and in Jan 2007, I bought what was perhaps my 2nd running related book, The Ultra Marathon Man, written by Dean Karnazes.
Over the years I have read dozens of books about running. They have educated me and inspired me, motivated me and on occasion even consoled me. I don't remember most of the books or what exactly each book did for me, but the one book I will never forget is The Ultra Marathon man.
And that's not even for the whole book. Just for the first chapter.
That first chapter is, in my opinion, one of the best chapters I have ever read in any book. It holds your attention like nothing I have ever read. ( except for some specific parts of the Kama sutra ).
Dean describes his conversation and meeting with a Pizza store manager in the middle of the night because he orders pizza while he runs across Highway 116. The surprise and amazement with which the pizza man reacts on discovering what Dean is doing is conveyed so brilliantly that it inspired me to be like Dean. (never going to happen, but hey, must we not aspire ? )
At that point, I had hardly run one marathon but this chapter made me dream of running really long distances.
It opened up possibilities and made me aware for the first time that such could be done.
I realised that one can simply run, one can run across cities, one can run across states and one can run across countries ! One can run through the day and one can run through the night.
All you need is a credit card, someone to deliver Pizza and a whole lot of courage and strength.
Dean inspired me the day I read that first chapter.
It's been many years since that day, I've managed the credit card and I know that I can manage the pizza.
Courage and strength ?
Those , I'm still working on !
I started running in 2006 and in Jan 2007, I bought what was perhaps my 2nd running related book, The Ultra Marathon Man, written by Dean Karnazes.
Over the years I have read dozens of books about running. They have educated me and inspired me, motivated me and on occasion even consoled me. I don't remember most of the books or what exactly each book did for me, but the one book I will never forget is The Ultra Marathon man.
And that's not even for the whole book. Just for the first chapter.
That first chapter is, in my opinion, one of the best chapters I have ever read in any book. It holds your attention like nothing I have ever read. ( except for some specific parts of the Kama sutra ).
Dean describes his conversation and meeting with a Pizza store manager in the middle of the night because he orders pizza while he runs across Highway 116. The surprise and amazement with which the pizza man reacts on discovering what Dean is doing is conveyed so brilliantly that it inspired me to be like Dean. (never going to happen, but hey, must we not aspire ? )
At that point, I had hardly run one marathon but this chapter made me dream of running really long distances.
It opened up possibilities and made me aware for the first time that such could be done.
I realised that one can simply run, one can run across cities, one can run across states and one can run across countries ! One can run through the day and one can run through the night.
All you need is a credit card, someone to deliver Pizza and a whole lot of courage and strength.
Dean inspired me the day I read that first chapter.
It's been many years since that day, I've managed the credit card and I know that I can manage the pizza.
Courage and strength ?
Those , I'm still working on !
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