Ultramarathon Man

Just finished reading Dean KarnazesUltramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner – and what an excellent and inspirational book it is. What it skips about training and nutrition delivers back in double in pure emotion. It makes my mind spin, just to think how can one run for 320Kms……

Some appetizers:

«If you can’t run, then walk. And if you can’t walk, then crawl.  Do what you have to do.  Just keep moving forward and never, ever give up.»

«Some seek the comfort of their therapist’s office, other head for the corner pub and dive into a pint, but I chose running as my therapy…»

«If it comes easy, if it doesn’t require extraordinary effort, you’re not pushing hard enough: It’s supposed to hurt like hell.»

«I’d  also come to recognize that the simplicity of running was quite liberating.  Modern man has virtually everything one could desire, but too often we’re still not fulfilled.  “Things” don’t bring happiness.  Some of my finest moments came while running down the open road, little more than a pair of shoes and shorts to my name.  A runner doesn’t need much.»

«The real battle was inside my head.»

«Life is a not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: “WOW!! What a ride!”»

«Most dreams die a slow death.  They’re conceived in a moment of passion, with the prospect of endless possibility, but often languish and are not pursued with the same heartfelt intensity as when first born.  Slowly, subtly, a dream becomes elusive and ephemeral.  People who’ve lost their own dreams become pessimists and cynics.  They feel like the time and devotion spent on chasing their dreams were wasted.  The emotional scars last forever.»

Some seek the comfort of their therapist’s office, other head for the corner pub and dive into a pint, but I chose running as my therapy…

Running 24Kms in Lisbon Marathon

This was a busy weekend, signed up for the half-marathon event that runs parallel to the Lisbon Marathon. Lousy traffic jams downtown due to traffic Sunday restrictions and the marathon itself made it impossible to get to the starting line on time. So, what we did (me and TC) was to stop the car near Restauradores and start running with the “marathonists” well ahead of the half start line.

The scenary was very nice, running along Lisbon main avenues, the river and plazas. So, the aftermath was 24Kms in 2h30~ the longest run i ever did, with the last uphill through Av. Almirante Reis very hard to the legs and knees. As always the time is not important at all for a weekend runner, but was very nice to make such a distance.

Note to myself: a full marathon IS VERY VERY HARD looking back to the mental finish after “only” 24kms

At end i also won two nasty blisters, one at each foot, maybe due to wrong socks or just the plain distance…  now i go bath my legs in cold water…