"There are two kinds of pain. Good pain—the sort of pain that motivates, that makes you strong. Then there’s bad pain—useless pain, the sort of pain that’s only suffering. I welcome the former. I have no patience for the latter." ~ Frank Underwood on House of Cards

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 4.06 miles (9:27)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 4.16 miles (9:33)

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: 3.28 miles (8:37)

Friday: no running

Saturday: 6.19 miles (9:51).

Week Total: 17.69 miles.

I finally heard from the marathon relay people. Thursday evening we had enough for two teams and I was in. Friday morning someone backed out so now I'm out. Oh well.

"I'm no great runner, by any means. I'm at an ordinary—or perhaps more like mediocre—level. But that's not the point. The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be." ~ Haruki Murakami

I finished reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir by Haruki Murakami. This book is an autobiography of an elderly Japanese novelist who runs on average six miles a day, six days a week. It's basically his life story of running, writing, life in general, and growing old. The running books I read prior were about American gung-ho ultra marathoners. This book is different and difficult to classify, it's more about running zen or philosophy or the metaphysical or meditation or self discovery, "I run; therefore I am" rather than the all out competition of racing. The author explaining what he thinks about while running says, "I just run. I run in a void. Or maybe I should put it the other way: I run in order to acquire a void."

Murakami tells of a mantra some runners use: "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." If you're going to run long distances, you're going to feel pain—it's inevitable. Suffering as he's defining it, is a choice or state of mind. You can decide the pain is too much and quit, or you can view the pain as something that makes you stronger, embrace it, and continue. "If pain weren't involved, who in the world would ever go to the trouble of taking part in sports like the triathlon or the marathon, which demand such an investment of time and energy? It's precisely because of the pain, precisely because we want to overcome that pain, that we can get the feeling, through this process, of really being alive—or at least a partial sense of it."

In 1983, Murakami ran the original marathon course in the opposite direction from Athens to Marathon in Greece. In 1996, he ran a 62 mile ultramarathon at Lake Saruma, Hakkaima, Japan. He usually runs one marathon a year. His first marathon in Chiba Prefecture did not go well. He began having leg cramps around mile 18. He felt his failure was due to inadequate training. He ran the New York City Marathon in 2005, at age 56. He has also competed in some triathlons.

The author's writing style seemed odd at first, but I later realized the book had been written in Japanese then translated into English. I gradually became used to his style and ultimately started to enjoy it. I'll probably read more of Murakami's books in the future.

"Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction." ~ William James

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 4.32 miles (9:59)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 3.21 miles (9:27)

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: 3.25 miles (9:01)

Friday: no running

Saturday: 6.59 miles (9:43).

Week Total: 17.37 miles.

The weather has finally turned cool. Wednesday the high in Nashville was 91. This morning it was 40 at sunrise. The leaves are turning from green to brown, yellow, and red. Such is the cycle of life. I'm registered for my next 5k on November 19. My goal for this race is to finish in under 26 minutes by running an average pace of 8:23 or better. Hopefully I'll at least finish faster than I did at the Grey Ghost.

Good luck with the race! So glad the weather here in Florida is cooling down also. I did a 10K this morning as a tune up for the marathon and set a PR of 54:11 in mid 50s temps. Love the blog, keep it coming!

Thanks FL Pkrdlr. Nice 10k. Congratulations on the PR. Good luck with your marathon.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water.” ~ Bruce Lee

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 4.13 miles (9:33)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 3.22 miles (9:17)

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: 3.22 miles (9:11)

Friday: no running

Saturday: 4.30 miles (9:37).

Week Total: 14.87 miles.

I had a peculiar experience one morning. I was in the park stretching, preparing to run. I was on a rocky bank near the joining of two turbulent rivers. It was a beautiful autumn day, sun shining, a bit breezy. I could see for miles up and down the rivers. As far as I could see on both rivers were people paddling little one man yellow kayaks. To my right, a long lion-colored dirt path led up a high hill and into some woods. Red, yellow, brown and golden leaves were in the trees and scattered about the ground. I was watching some flags flapping in the wind when a man with long black hair approached me. He was wearing what appeared to be some kind of costume, it was a style of clothing I would expect of a seventeenth century Frenchman, a black suit with a black cape and an ornate white collar. I thought he looked vaguely familiar so I asked, “Are you supposed to be René Descartes?”

The man nodded and said, “Oui.” He continued speaking in English, but with a French accent, “I think, therefore I am.”

I chuckled aloud and said, “Well of course, you think, therefore you are.” Still laughing I asked, “But, Monsieur Descartes, what are you?”

He began to answer, “They say I’m dead, but …” He was interrupted when a small child ran up and offered me a rather large black banana and a dark brown sandwich wrapped in wax paper.

I said to the child, “No, thank you. I’m not homeless. I’m just sloppy. Give these to someone who needs them.”

The child then asked Descartes if he wanted the banana and sandwich. Descartes seemed agitated as he looked at the child with haughty disdain. He rolled his eyes and replied, “I think not.” Descartes gasped and immediately vanished.

The child giggled, slapped my arm, and screamed, “Tag, you’re it!”

I woke up. I think. Maybe not.

"Against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
I'm older now but still running
Against the wind
Well I'm older now and still running
Against the wind" ~ Bob Seger

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 4.14 miles (9:46)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 3.24 miles (9:55)

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: no running

Friday: no running

Saturday: 3.23 miles (9:37).

Week Total: 10.61 miles.

It has finally turned cool. I know I said that two weeks ago, but since then we had a long string of record highs. It was 85 on Halloween. Anyway, it's finally cool again, hopefully this time the cool weather will last until next summer.

I caught a cold and I couldn't run on Thursday, but I feel much better now.

"Play not only keeps us young but also maintains our perspective about the relative seriousness of things. Running is play, for even if we try hard to do well at it, it is a relief from everyday cares." ~ James Fixx

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 3.53 miles (9:43)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 3.20 miles (9:37)

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: 3.11 miles (9:18)

Friday: no running

Saturday: 5.46 miles (9:41).

Week Total: 15.30 miles.

The weather has definitely turned cooler. Thursday night I actually wore a jacket. I am pretty much over my cold now.

"Well, the undertaker drew a heavy sigh
Seeing no one else had come
And a bell was ringing in the village square
For the rabbits on the run" ~ Band on the Run by Paul McCartney

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 3.25 miles (8:50)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 2.01 miles (9:13)

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: no running

Friday: no running

Saturday: Band on the Run 5k 2.22 miles (8:13); 4.17 miles (9:41).

Week Total: 11.65 miles.

Band on the Run 5k at Maury County Park in Columbia Tennessee. The event was a fundraiser for the Spring Hill High School Marching Band. This was the smallest 5k I've ever run in—only 55 participants. This was an inaugural event plus there was another 5k race in Franklin less than 25 miles away at the same time, resulting in the very small turnout. The second smallest 5k I ever participated in was at Opry Mills Mall in Nashville. That race had 239 participants.

It was a nice sunny day, 42 degrees with ~65% humidity—excellent running conditions. The race was in a park with several hills to climb. My goal for this race was to finish in under 26 minutes. Well, not only was this my smallest 5k it was also the shortest. Before the race it was announced that the race was not a certified 5k because it was not exactly 3.1 miles, it was "2 something." When he announced that I assumed it would be just shy of 3 miles or at least fairly close. I did an uncertified 5k last year that was 2.87 miles. Today's race, according to the Fitbit app on my phone was 2.22 miles. I heard one of the race volunteers say her GPS showed 2.15 miles. I suppose they should have called it ~3.5k rather than a 5k. Anyway, it was still a fun race. I finished with a chip time of 18 minutes 15 seconds.

"I run because if I didn't, I'd be sluggish and glum and spend too much time on the couch. I run to breathe the fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary. I run to savor the trip along the way. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that." ~ Dean Karnazes

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 4.12 miles (9:38)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: no running

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: 7.09 miles (9:39)

Friday: 4.51 miles (9:05)

Saturday: 5.32 miles (9:47).

Week Total: 21.04 miles.

I might run a half-marathon in Nashville next spring. It will either be the Tom King Classic on March 4, or the Rock and Roll half-marathon on April 29, or possibly both. It's still a long way off so I've got plenty of time to decide. As far as a goal time, I would like to finish in under two hours. This will be my first time running a half-marathon, so my goal may be too ambitious. To achieve that goal requires an average pace of 9 minutes 9.6 seconds per mile or faster. I'll have to see how my training processes.

"The doctor suggested antidepressants and tutted when I shook my head. 'If it was medicine for your heart, you'd take it,' he told me. But it was for my heart, I wanted to cry. My heart was breaking. For Grace, for me, for the mess I was making. I didn't want pills to make me numb. I wanted to feel the fault lines fracturing my chest and the claggy self-pity that clung to me like reeking mud." ~ Sophie Walker

I finished reading Grace, Under Pressure: A Girl with Asperger's & Her Marathon Mom by Sophie Walker. The book's author had been a runner prior to her first pregnancy. Her young daughter Grace was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. After years of struggle balancing work and family, Walker suffered from depression, but rather than relying on drugs she returned to running and began training for the London Marathon.

Throughout the book, Walker goes into detail about her family, thoughts, emotions, setbacks, marathon training, and racing. When she first got back into running she asked a co-worker, an experienced marathoner, about how to go about training for a marathon, the co-worker laughed and said, "You just run. And run. Then you keep running. And you eat lots of bananas." Walker ran the Royal Parks and Brighton half-marathons as part of her training and preparation. When she ran the 2012 London Marathon, it went well until mile sixteen when she had back pain. Although in excruciating pain she continued by remembering her daughter Grace and that she was running to raise money and awareness for the National Autistic Society. She didn't want to disappoint anyone. She managed to finish in just under five hours.

The author is an excellent writer, and the book is very well written. Although parts of the book are about running, it's primarily about children with autism or Asperger's syndrome, and how their families cope with the associated problems.

"Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 6.21 miles (9:58)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 2.57 miles (8:35)

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: no running

Friday: no running

Saturday: 8.28 miles (10:05).

Week Total: 17.06 miles.

I've started reading The New Rules of Running by Vijay Vad M.D. According to Vad the half-marathon is Americans' favorite race distance. That's surprising to me. I would have guessed the shorter distance races were more popular. I believe Vad may be referring to the results of survey opinion polls rather than the actual number of race participants.

Vad suggests for a first time half-marathoner to not set a time goal, because for a first timer "the goal is enduring, not speeding to the finish line." However, he then goes on talking about having a "planned race day pace." It seems to me that if I have a planned pace, then multiply that pace times distance, I end up with a goal time. I think his point is that as a beginner I should run the race at a steady pace rather than starting slowly then speeding up attempting a negative split.

"It doesn't get any cooler than knowing you are the fastest of them all." ~ Usain Bolt

I finished reading The Fastest Man Alive: The True Story of Usain Bolt. This is an autobiography of Usain Bolt. Nicknamed Lightning Bolt, he holds world record titles in the 100 and the 200 meter dash. The book begins with Bolt's early school years racing classmates on a grass track in front of Waldensia Primary School. Bolt says he went into track and field to avoid the politics of some other sports. He explains there's no subjectivity in determining who's best in running, you're either the fastest or you're not. The book details Bolt's life in Trelawny Jamaica, his training, his setbacks from scoliosis, his coping with fame, his traveling the world as a track athlete, and his plans for the future.

I'm sure this book will be interesting to anyone wanting to learn about Usain Bolt, life in rural Jamaica, and track and field athletics at the world class level. There are also many pictures of Bolt with his family and friends in Jamaica, and at track events throughout the world.

"The qualities and capacities that are important in running—such factors as will power, the ability to apply effort during extreme fatigue and the acceptance of pain—have a radiating power that subtly influences one's life." ~ James Fixx

Running log (past week)

Sunday: no running

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 3.26 miles (9:05)

Wednesday: 3.71 miles (8:52)

Thursday: no running

Friday: no running

Saturday: 8.84 miles (9:47).

Week Total: 15.81 miles.

Another beautiful day today, bright and sunny, no wind, 40 degrees and ~ 30% humidity. Great day for a run.

"There's something so universal about that sensation, the way running unites our two most primal impulses: fear and pleasure. We run when we're scared, we run when we're ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time.
And when things look worst, we run the most." ~ Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

"'Such a sense of joy!' marveled Coach Vigil, who'd not seen anything like it, either. 'It was quite remarkable.' Glee and determination are usually antagonist emotions, yet the Tarahumara seemed to be brimming with both at once, as if running to the death made them feel more alive." ~ Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

I finished reading Christopher McDougall's book, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. McDougall is an excellent writer and the book is well written. The overall theme of the book is that humans are born to run. The book contains a fascinating chapter on the role of running in persistence hunting and human evolution, essentially making the argument that it was their capabilities as endurance runners and tracking abilities that allowed humans to dominate and master the animal kingdom.

The main tale of the book is an epic adventure of McDougall and some top American ultramarathoners traveling to Mexico to challenge a remote tribe of runners. The story begins with McDougall in Mexico's Sierra Madre seeking a mysterious character known as Caballo Blanco—the White Horse. McDougall was on assignment by Runner's World magazine to trek into the Barrancas for a story on a tribe of remote indigenous people called the Tarahumara, also known as Rarámuri—the Running People. McDougall needed the White Horse to be his guide, to lead him deep into the Copper Canyon to meet the Rarámuri. Caballo Blanco arranged the race in Mexico against some top American ultramarathoners and some of the best Tarahumara runners, essentially a world-class event out in the middle of nowhere. In the final chapter McDougall reveals the true identity of El Caballo Blanco.

The book also recounts stories of a Tarahumara team that ran at the Leadville 100 Ultramarathon in Colorado and other races back in the '90s. The Tarahumara won many of those races, but eventually quit racing once they realized the American organizers were receiving all the money while the Tarahumara got only corn for their efforts. The book also has various stories of eccentric runners who loved running and trained in their own unique ways. There is a chapter advocating barefoot running. The author's main points as I understood them are that running barefoot strengthens the feet, and also forces the runner to use proper running form. McDougall cites studies and quotes experts; however, at the end of the book the fellow nicknamed "Barefoot Ted" has difficulty boarding a bus because after the big race his feet were tender and heavily bandaged. I suppose the lesson is that barefoot running may be beneficial, but it should be done in moderation.

"For me, there’s no better metaphor for life than ultrarunning. Each race is a little microlifetime. There’s something really spiritual about it with its highs and lows, just like life itself." ~ Nikki Kimball

I watched a documentary called Finding Traction on Netflix. It's about Nikki Kimball, a woman ultra runner attempting to set a record running the 273-mile Long Trail in Vermont. One thing I thought interesting is that so many of the ultra athletes promote the virtues of their scientific goos and gels, or whole food plant based vegan diets. In this documentary, Kimball was eating lots of bacon, eggs, cheese burgers, pop sickles, and carbonated beverages. One of the best scenes they show a member of Kimball's crew frying up a big pan of bacon. They ask Kimball if she wants to take bacon on her run. She says, "Yeah, I have a bacon pocket." And I thought, "You go girl!" Kimball's a great runner. In the end Kimball broke the women's record, but fell short of breaking the men's record for The Long Trail. The documentary is inspirational, particularly if you like bacon.

"You don't need fancy sneakers to run fast." ~ Bon Jon Jovi

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 3.30 miles (8:58)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: 3.16 miles (9:14)

Wednesday: no running

Thursday: no running

Friday: no running

Saturday: 10.26 miles (9:38).

Week Total: 16.72 miles.

I'm registered for the St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Nashville half-marathon next April 29.

"I've never seen such drive, such devotion in a runner. He runs like a wild animal. He unnerves me." ~ Harold Abrahams speaking of Eric Liddel in Chariots of Fire

I watched the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. The movie made the Runner's World list of "12 Great Running Movies That Motivate." I'd seen the movie before, but that was over thirty years ago and I'd forgotten much of the story. The movie tells the tale of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddel preparing for and running in the 1924 Paris Olympics. It's interesting to see how different the world was in the 1920s. One thing I hadn't thought about is that the athletes ran on dirt tracks. They showed the sprinters digging holes with small trowels in the dirt track at their starting positions. Today sprinters run on either a paved or rubberized surface and use starting blocks. It seems that puts past runners of that era at a disadvantage when comparing their times with those of modern runners.

Chariots of Fire is an excellent movie. It won several awards. From what I've read, the movie is based a true story, but the writers took considerable poetic license with some of the details.

"I just felt like running." ~ Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump is another movie on the Runner's World list of "12 Great Running Movies That Motivate." I'd seen the movie before, but many years ago. I believe what I saw before was an edited version. I had thought of Forrest Gump as goofy comedy. I had not really thought of it as a great motivational running movie, but quite a bit of the movie does revolve around running. Starting with Jenny's cries of, “Run, Forrest, run!” Forrest escapes bullies, becomes a football star, becomes a war hero, meets presidents—all through running. And then Forrest gained national fame by running coast-to-coast multiple times on a three-and-a-half year journey. Forrest Gump is a good movie and very amusing.

"I just wish people would realize that anything's possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try." ~ Terry Fox

Into the Wind is a documentary about Terry Fox attempting to run 5,000 miles across Canada on a prosthetic leg. Fox had been a high school athlete. In 1977, he had to have his right leg amputated because of cancer. In 1980, he began the Marathon of Hope, attempting to run the length of Canada in the hope of increasing cancer awareness, and raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Fox had to do an awkward hop skip style run because the prosthetics of that time were not designed for running. In the beginning, motorists would blow their horns and tell him to get off the road, some nearly ran him over, he also ran through heavy winds, rain, and a snowstorm. Over time as he continued, due to positive publicity, crowds began to greet him and donate money. Fox ran 3,339 miles in 143 days. He had to quit because cancer had spread to his lungs. Fox died June 28, 1981. Today the Terry Fox Foundation has raised more than $500 million for cancer research.

"When I am running well it doesn't feel like any effort, it's smooth, almost peaceful." ~ Usain Bolt

Running log (past week)

Sunday: 3.69 miles (9:33)

Monday: no running

Tuesday: no running

Wednesday: 3.21 miles (9:07)

Thursday: no running

Friday: 9.23 miles (10:05)

Saturday: no running.

Week Total: 16.13 miles.

I've been reading, Dr. Jordan Metzl's Running Strong: The Sports Doctor's Complete Guide to Staying Healthy and Injury-Free for Life. It's an ebook I've borrowed from the library. An interesting feature of this ebook are clickable icons for accessing relevant informative videos. I can read about preventing running related problems and watch the videos too.

"Your foot has lots of moving parts—26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles and tendons..." ~ Dr. Jordan Metzl

"Running is complex on a muscular and molecular level, but it's simple to do: just you, the road, and maybe a friend or a few." ~ Dr. Jordan Metzl

More on Dr. Jordan Metzl's Running Strong: The Sports Doctor's Complete Guide to Staying Healthy and Injury-Free for Life. The book is full of useful information and has links to instructional videos. There are anatomical diagrams, detailed explanations, and exercise recommendations that are illustrated in the videos.

Dr. Metzl is a sports doctor, an athlete, and a fitness instructor. He explains the importance of the "kinetic chain" and keeping every link strong. He recommends that people should exercise every day. Rather than taking a rest day, he recommends "dynamic rest," in other words, alternating between high intensity days and easy exercise recovery days. "Switch workouts regularly—long runs, short runs, easy runs, hard runs; it keeps things interesting."

The book is very good, but I doubt I'll read the entire thing. It's really more of a reference book. It is relatively easy to read, but I'll just read the portions that are of interest to me. I've not had any problems with running injuries; however, I am fairly old, and I'm interested in preventing potential problems.

Love the story/dream of meeting Descartes and the child while stretching in the park, good stuff.

Thanks HankTheBank. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.

"That's the beauty of starting lines: until you begin a new venture, you never know what awaits you." ~ Amby Burfoot

I had the opportunity to talk with a friend who says he has run the Rock 'n' Roll Nashville half-marathon six or seven times. He told me to make sure I'm prepared for the hills. He said that many people, particularly people from out of state, don't realize how hilly Nashville is, and they're not adequately prepared. So I looked at the website, their proposed course map, and the distance/elevation chart. Well, it's not Leadville, but it's still fairly hilly. The route starts downtown, heads towards the Cumberland River, then circles back and heads south. In the first mile the course goes down from elevation ~500 feet to ~400 then up, by mile five it's over ~600 feet. From there the course circles around and heads to Nissan Stadium ending at an elevation of ~400 feet. It appears there's very little level ground on the course. Well, forewarned is forearmed, so I will prepare.