Saturday, May 19, 2012

How To Be An Armchair Athlete

I do not understand why I am not a runner.  The most I can run is a block or two before my body rebels and I just cannot convince myself it is a healthy sport.  It looks and feels harsh on the body.  And I still am not sold on the idea that aerobics are beneficial.   Even if it is healthy for the heart what about the hips, knees and feet?  I cannot say I have studied it enough as a science I only go by my own experience with it and watching runners all around me everyday.  The walkers look overall healthier to me. 

Then why do I love reading about runners?   They seem so far out of my realm of reality.  The grueling ordeals they go through on the marathons and other Ultra-runner experiences such as throwing up, freezing to death, over heating to the point of exhaustion, and then there is the pain.  For me sitting in airports and on airplanes is difficult enough.  So I like to find books that carry me away.  I have found two.  The first one is called "Once A Runner" a novel by John L. Parker, Jr en.wikipedia.org/wiki/once_a_runner  and another called "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" a memoir by Haruki Murakami.  
This book is inspiring me just from the Foreward.  Not to start running but to write a book myself.  This book is about his personal lessons he has learned through actually putting his own body in motion.  He discovered pain is inevitable and suffering is optional.  One does not have to be a runner to experience pain.

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