The beloved running philosopher and cardiologist Dr. George Sheehan was once asked the difference between a jogger and a runner. His reply was a model of medical brevity: “A race entry form.”
Terry Laughlin, in Total Immersion book, Chapter 12
Quotes
Why we race #231
Sometimes a race is a good day out – regardless of where you finish.
Belle, in ‘The Intimate Adventures Of A London Call Girl‘
Run to Think
“If you can’t find the answers to your problems after a four-hour run, you ain’t finding them.”
Going downhill – Legs versus a Bike
I like to let my thoughts wander while on long, easy runs. Makes the run easy when the focus isn’t on distance. Or speed.
On yesterday’s run, the wandering, jaywalking brain came back with an interesting thought (observation) on running, and cycling:
When running down an easy descent, legs work as wheels on a bike – lightly ticking over with little effort, tapping the momentum generated by body’s weight and gravity for motion.
When running down a steep descent, legs work as brakes on a bike – slowing down the body to prevent falling over due to its own momentum.
What makes cycles so frightening to people?
That’s what makes bikes so frightening: we prefer the devil we know, even when it’s infinitely more bloodthirsty than the one we don’t.
Push.
One of the goodies about athletics is you get to find out if you can stretch. If you can get better.
But you’ve got to push.
- Coach Fitz (via Michael Lewis, in NYT)
One Life. Live It.
You just gotta appreciate everything. That’s one of the most important things in life… just really appreciating it. Because we only get to do this… *once*, and it’s not for long time, so… enjoy it.
Dementors of cycling!
Intervals are the dementors of the cycling world. They drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them!
– @norbs, on Twitter.
Solitude.
When I’m running, I don’t have to talk to anybody and don’t have to listen to anybody. This is a part of my day I can’t do without.
One Man And His Bike
“When the spirits are low. When the day appears dark. When work becomes monotonous. When hope hardly seems worth having. Just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.”
– Arthur Conan Doyle, cited by Mike Carter in ‘One Man and his Bike’.