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[books 2014] Eat and Run
Apr. 19th, 2014 12:19 pm15. Eat and Run: my unlikely journey to ultramarathon greatness by Scott Jurek
Scott is the vegan ultramarathoner whose exploits I first became aware of when I read Born to Run. So when I found out he has his own book, I had to buy it.
I'm so glad I did. It doesn't have the universal appeal of Born to Run, but it is hands-down the most inspiring thing I've read since.
Jurek grew up in the Midwest and there was a lot in his childhood that struck a chord with me, particularly his dad's mantra, "sometimes you just do things". The more I think about it, the more glad I am that I grew up in that sort of environment - yes, some stuff is hard, and boring, but you don't go all special snowflake and go "I'm not doing that because it doesn't interest me", you just knuckle down and bloody do it because it needs to be done. While I'd never go back in a million years, I kind of hate that I have ever been close to being sucked into any other way of thinking.
He's all about running to be at one with nature and with yourself and to feel good, but also measures the shit out of it. When he got serious about ultra long distance running whilst being a vegan, he teamed up with physiological scientists at the local university to see just what was going on.
There's recipes. They all sound delicious, but way too much work, plus full of ingredients that are not easy for me to obtain (though it has made me realise I don't have access to a proper health food shop round here - there must be one and as soon as I get back from holiday I'm going to find out). Because I've never been one to make things easy for myself, if I get more serious about getting fit, I think I'd do it as a vegan. It's so much more hardcore. Also if I'm exercising and not taking in fat via dairy, I could eat all the nuts and seeds I like (which are the only protein sources I actually enjoy) without gaining weight.
Whether it's running or any other interest in life, he believes that everyone can do a hell of a lot more than they think they can, which is something I've always strongly believed too. It's just that for the first half of my life I was putting all my energy into doing that via intellectual pursuits. And then I just sat around in a world of pain and I really don't believe I'd have done that if I'd been surrounded by more "sometimes you just do things" people.
Even if running is not your thing, if you have any interest in thinking about how you live in the world, and achieving Stuff (TM) in general, this is a truly inspiring book. And it's short and easy to read.
Scott is the vegan ultramarathoner whose exploits I first became aware of when I read Born to Run. So when I found out he has his own book, I had to buy it.
I'm so glad I did. It doesn't have the universal appeal of Born to Run, but it is hands-down the most inspiring thing I've read since.
Jurek grew up in the Midwest and there was a lot in his childhood that struck a chord with me, particularly his dad's mantra, "sometimes you just do things". The more I think about it, the more glad I am that I grew up in that sort of environment - yes, some stuff is hard, and boring, but you don't go all special snowflake and go "I'm not doing that because it doesn't interest me", you just knuckle down and bloody do it because it needs to be done. While I'd never go back in a million years, I kind of hate that I have ever been close to being sucked into any other way of thinking.
He's all about running to be at one with nature and with yourself and to feel good, but also measures the shit out of it. When he got serious about ultra long distance running whilst being a vegan, he teamed up with physiological scientists at the local university to see just what was going on.
There's recipes. They all sound delicious, but way too much work, plus full of ingredients that are not easy for me to obtain (though it has made me realise I don't have access to a proper health food shop round here - there must be one and as soon as I get back from holiday I'm going to find out). Because I've never been one to make things easy for myself, if I get more serious about getting fit, I think I'd do it as a vegan. It's so much more hardcore. Also if I'm exercising and not taking in fat via dairy, I could eat all the nuts and seeds I like (which are the only protein sources I actually enjoy) without gaining weight.
Whether it's running or any other interest in life, he believes that everyone can do a hell of a lot more than they think they can, which is something I've always strongly believed too. It's just that for the first half of my life I was putting all my energy into doing that via intellectual pursuits. And then I just sat around in a world of pain and I really don't believe I'd have done that if I'd been surrounded by more "sometimes you just do things" people.
Even if running is not your thing, if you have any interest in thinking about how you live in the world, and achieving Stuff (TM) in general, this is a truly inspiring book. And it's short and easy to read.
