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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
 Posted - 07/30/2009 : 23:12:09
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"By mile 60 Scott was vomiting and shaky. His hands dropped to his knees, then his knees dropped to the pavement. He collapsed by the side of the road, lying in his own sweat and spittle. Leah and his friends didn't bother trying to help him up: they knew there was no voice in the world more persuasive than the one inside Scott's own mind.
Scott lay there, thinking about how hopeless it all was. He wasn't even halfway done, and the others were arleady too far ahead for him to see. And the wind! It was like running into the blast of a jet engine. A couple of miles back, Scott had tried to cool off by sinking his entire head and torso into a giant cooler full of ice and holding himself underwater until his lungs were screaming. As soon as he got out, he was roasting again.
There's no way, Scott told himself. You're done. You'd have to do something totally sick to win this thing now.
Sick like what?
Like starting all over again. Like pretending you just woke up from a great night's sleep and the race hasn't even started yet. You'd have to run the next 80 miles as fast as you've ever run eighty miles in your life.
No chance ...
Yeah, I know ...
For the next ten minutes, Scott lay like a corpse. Then he got up and did it, shattering the Badwater record with a time of 24:36 (120 miles)."
This is from the fantastic, incredible new book BORN TO RUN by Christopher McDougall, which you can get on Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249016654&sr=8-1
I highly recommend you (RUN) out (or follow the link) and buy and read this book. I couldn't put it down, and I'm not a runner. It's about a tribe in Mexico where they run for hundreds of miles and never get piriformis or whatever everyone gets in the West, and about the new breed of "superrunners" who are going way, way, way beyond what is believed possible for a human body in our culture, and about how it all has to do with a generous, relaxed attitude of loving life.
I feel quite different after reading this book, and it is incredibly well-written, and a great treat for TMSers who are perhaps tired of all the more obvious "how to" books.
let me know what you think
Katie
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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forestfortrees
393 Posts |
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Piano5
29 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2009 : 08:14:59
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I am extremely intrigued by this, and I like how you draw the comparison of these super-runners to the "west". I would love to grab a copy, but wonder if he simply omits any physical problems that the runners might face.
Humans aren't fragile, that's for sure. This post just reminded me of my pre-TMS days as an avid runner, and how the few injuries I sustained were healed within 10 days. I still battle with myself on the progress I have made with TMS, though I don't know why.
I guess its as important to break the conditioning of self-doubt of our own brains and minds as it is to break the conditioning of fear and self-depreciating attitudes.
Have a good day! |
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crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2009 : 09:07:18
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I loved that part of the book so much! Thanks for posting! Yes, it is a great testimony to what humans can do and be.
The thing about Scott Jurek is that he has a DISconnection with the conformist aspects of society (as you can see in the book), but a great capacity for healthy connections with humanity. He is a remarkable person, and a model of what we all might be. I don't know him personally but I have followed his career with great interest.
Didn't you love all the personalities in the book, as the story unfolds?
As a passionate runner, I ADORED this book. I found it to be mind-altering in the best sense. I am so happy to see non-runners enjoying it!
This book is making quite a stir in the running community as far as I can tell. One thing that I worry about is the claims on "injury prevention" in minimalist footwear, claims that are sure to fall flat given the prevalence of TMS in the running community.
p.s. I am now making the transition to less shoe & no shoe while running. It has been an amazing experience. |
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crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2009 : 10:42:29
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One more p.s.... I thought some folks might like to know the background of the above story. Scott was running the famously brutal Badwater 135 race. 135 -that's the number of miles in the race! In July. Across Death Valley. They often try to run on the white line of the road to keep their shoes from melting. They run all day and then all night.
Two weeks before this race, Scott had won the Western States 100, a hundred miles over the Sierra Mountains. That is virtually no recovery between 100+ mile races, and WINNING both races.
You can keep that in mind next time someone tells you humans are fragile. Scott has the same number of chromosomes you have! :) |
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2009 : 18:23:30
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and the really cool thing is that he is loving, humble and real...
doesn't do it for money, fame, name or perfectionism, at least from what the book describes
and the Tarahumara Indians, who run 100s of miles just for fun... and they are NOT macho (the guys carry the kids around), and they have no money, just a share system...
again, do yourself a favor, curl up with this book this weekend!
xx
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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inaned
Bulgaria
28 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2009 : 23:02:48
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There is no voice in the world more persuasive than the one inside one's own mind.....
I have ordered the book already...it takes ages until it reaches the other side of the world, but until then, I have this little sentence to repeat as a mantra. |
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Webdan65
USA
182 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 14:38:22
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Got the book, read it in a day. Loved it!
We are not fragile, we are not fragile, we are NOT FRAGILE.
Rinse, lather, repeat. |
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SarnoFan
USA
72 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 16:24:46
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| Thanks for referencing this book. We need to be reminded of people like these. They really shine the light on the power we have within ourselves to heal and go on. It is in us, we just need to grasp it and truly believe it. We make it so much more complicated than it really is. |
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 16:24:19
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Just wanted to say that several of my friends have now read or are reading this book, including my personal trainer, and that they are all telling me it's life-changing.
It could almost be titled BORN TO ENJOY UNLIMITED PHYSICAL RESILIENCE
x
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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guej
115 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 18:16:53
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I just ordered this book to take along on my very much deserved vacation with my husband in 2 weeks (I was too debilitated and fearful to vacation for a year now. Since I visited Dr. Sarno in June, I've been taking back my life, one activity at a time). I was a runner before this pain syndrome took hold of my life over a year ago. Of all the things I gave up this year because of the pain and disability, running was the one that I resented giving up the most. Running made me feel healthy and alive. It was my "thinking" time. Time away from work, from the kids, and from all the demands on me. When I couldn't run, I felt like I lost a best friend and a huge part of who I am.
After I saw Dr. Sarno, I finally found the courage to start exercising again. I started with walking, then biking, then swimming. Nothing tremendous, but I'm doing all 3 regularly and increasing my endurance all the time. The one thing I was most fearful of was running. Let's face it...most doctors will tell you to do everything, but DON'T RUN!!! I was scared to death. Then one day, I was so mad at everything I had given up over the past year that I put on my running shoes and ran 2 laps around the track by my house. I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time waiting for the sky to fall. Instead, I felt sooooo great. I felt like "me". I had lost "me" for awhile. I finally realized that I hadn't really gone anywhere. I was still in the same body that had run hundreds of mile before. For some reason, I felt like the past year was a complete out of body experience. Once I realized that I still had the same body I always had, I incorporated running once a week in my big "come back" plan. Ysterday I ran for 20 minutes straight. This is of course, pitiful compared to what I used to do. But I was on top of the world. Today I'm sore, but I know the soreness will reside in a day or two. The bottom line, I've discovered through trial and error, is that my pain levels are the same if I sit on the couch all day and do nothing, or if I run. So now I know that I'm most happy mentally if I do all the things that make me feel like "me". For me, I really believe this will be the path to my recovery. I'm so much less resentful at the pain now, because I'm taking back my life.
I can't wait for the book to come. It will further reinforce my newly gained belief that I'm fine. If I can kick this chronic pain thing and return to where I was before, I'll never be fooled by a "running injury" again. I've sidelined myself far too often in the past for pain that lasted well beyond the time it should have taken for a true injury to heal. I've had warning signs of TMS for years before I had a full blown TMS pain syndrome. Thanks to all for bringing this book to our attention. |
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Piano5
29 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 09:59:10
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I just want to mention and clear up any disparities that folks are having with "injuries". We all know that TMS pain is chronic and doesn't respond to the normal healing process that we all have inside of us.
I just wanted to mention that before I had TMS I was an avid runner and had a few "overuse" injuries. I had two particular injuries in my knee and calf muscle, that simply needed 7-10 days to heal. After that, I was in the clear. Remember, we're not fragile, but we're not invincible.
So, I think it really comes down to knowing your body. I know that I can overwork my muscles and tweak something if I don't stretch or hydrate properly. I know it's simple anatomy, and when that pain comes, it just means doing OVERTIME thinking and journaling about what is going on in my life. |
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crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 15:38:19
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Great story, Guej! You'll be back to the running you want in no time.
It absolutely breaks my heart to see all the TMS among runners who think they are "injured," and who think they must give up something they love so much. |
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guej
115 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2009 : 10:24:22
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I just got back from a short vacation (pain and sleep were much better...surprise, surprise) and had to re-visit this post since I finished Born to Run while on vacation. In fact, there was a guy sitting near me at the pool who was training for his first marathon and reading it as well!
I loved, loved, loved the book. It made me so mad that I had let a non-injury that I was blaming on something I did athletically 2 years ago blow up into a full blown non-stop pain syndrome. I wish I knew then what I know now. I'm having a tough time breaking the conditioned pain cycle. I've been in much more pain for the past few days, despite further and deeper acceptance of TMS than ever before. Today I just said "f... it" and put on my sneakers and decided I would do a quick 10 minute run. The entire time I ran, I kept saying to myself "I was born to run...I was born to run...There's no reason why I can't run...". For the past year, all I did was hear doctors, therapists and chronic pain books advise against running, saying it was terrible for chronic pain. Thanks! So clearly, sitting on my couch all day writhing in pain and being depressed at all I can't do has done wonders for my pain!
To all the runners and TMS recoverers out there...can I ask for some advice? Last time I ran before today, despite feeling good the entire time I was running, I really did get slammed in the following days. I don't think I "did anything" to myself. I think it's just a conditioned response to motion in that area, in particular, running. I was in pretty horrible pain for about 4 days. That really bummed me out and made me hesitant to run again. Part of me wants to just keep going and to believe that the more I do, the more my brain will knock this crap off and it will sink in that I'm fine. On the other hand, that reflexive pain response has me focusing on how lousy I feel (isn't that the strategy?) and then I start to regret pushing the envelope. I guess this is the $64,000 question - does pushing through help eliminate the pain, or bring the focus back to the physical? Unfortunately, I have pain all the time, running or not, so it's hard to gage what's going on. I'd love to hear some personal views on this. Again, the book was fantastic. So much interesting information about the running shoe industry too! My next running shoes are going to be on the cheaper side from Sports Authority. No more $100+ sneakers for me. |
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crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2009 : 10:14:10
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Great post, Guej! It sounds like you are going through a wonderful though difficult period of self-examination. That is bound to lead you to better days.
I liked this comment: "I don't think I "did anything" to myself. I think it's just a conditioned response to motion in that area, in particular, running." I believe that is very true. But do not forget, it is the thoughts that come with the action of running that are behind it all.
Everything comes back to your thoughts about yourself. Pushing through a run does not hurt you, but it may cause your subconscious to try even harder to suppress rage and anxiety. I always pushed through running and continued to run when I was suffering an episode. Pushing through your running neither makes things worse nor makes you focus on the physical, except to the extent that it gives TMS an opportnity for a specific distraction.
YOU are in control, however, and you can choose not to be distracted. You can choose to focus your thinking and ignore pain. (eg - Imagine you were intently and happily chopping tomatoes for a really beautiful salad with a blister on your finger. The blister may hurt, but you could just be intent on the work at hand and push the blister pain to the background, knowing it was insignificant.) In my opinion, the power to choose your own focus is your best -- indeed, your ONLY weapon.
It is absolutely necessary to disassociate your pain from the physical and to concentrate on positive, loving thoughts about yourself. There is no injury, there are only thoughts. The thoughts happen when you run, and that is why you have pain when and after you run.
Assure yourself that thoughts can be changed! As Louise Hay puts it, "you are the only thinker in your head," and you can choose to think positive thoughts and reject negative thoughts.
It may be difficult to know what thoughts are pulling you down, but I can assure you that they are most likely related to insecurity, self-doubt, self-hatred, and self-disapproval. So formulate the thoughts that are the opposite of those and repeat them constantly, as much as you can, all day long. Make sure they are stated in the positive and in the present tense. Not, "I won't hurt," but "I am a pillar of strength and health."
I hope I don't sound like a broken record; all my posts seem to be a repetition. But I had a taste of my own medicine this past week, when a visit from my mother-in-law stirred up a whole bunch of crap and I let myself slip back into old thinking habits. Boom, pain. But what I'm talking about here really works!
If you feel like I'm on to something but you need more help with it, you might want to get Louise Hay's "You Can Heal Your Life." I do not agree with all of her presuppositions about how the universe works, but it does not make her techniques less valuable. And of course, "What To Say When You Talk To Yourself" by Helmstetter is also awesome. Best wishes! |
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guej
115 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2009 : 14:49:07
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Thanks CRK! I actually was not as sore today as I thought I would be. Just my usual levels of pain that start up around the same time every day (now, how's that for conditioning!). I think deep down inside, running still scares me. I have to break out of that. I'm back to biking, swimming and weight lifting, with very little rebound pain. The first few times I did any of those activities, I had pretty bad flare-ups. Over time, I expected less and less pain, and now I treat those activities as "normal" again. I rarely have neck and should pain anymore, and when I do, I expect it will be temporary...but man, oh man, does this right groin/gluet pain not budge, nor does the rebound pain of running. I expect the pain, and it's always there waiting for me! I can see the problem,and the deeply conditioned response. Still...I struggle breaking it. I have to keep running, maybe in short sports at first, to de-condition. Hopefully over time, that will give me confidence that I can de-condition the longest and most stubborn symptom of this whole mess.
I have read Louise Hay's book and Helmstetter's. I loved them both, and will probably re-read them a few times to let the concepts sink in. Thanks again for the support. For me, running is the true test of overcoming this. It's the one activity where I always felt the most alive and strong. Sometimes I envy those tribes living in the deep canyons of Mexico ("Born to Run")...without doctors to run to, MRIs, pills, etc., they just ignore the physical and get on with their running.
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Read this and resurrect!
