Book Report on Ultramarathon Man by Aaron Tang
Let me start off by saying that the distances this man covers is insane and I bow down. The jaw-dropping opening of the book where he orders a pizza and has them deliver it to him in the middle of a run, unheard of.
http://www.roundtablepizza.com/rtp/hi/ ( the company that delivers anywhere)
I know that I may LIKE like (maybe even, love) running, but this man takes it to an extreme. There are parts of this book where I question whether or not this man has lost his marbles or if maybe I'm just jealous that I can't run 2 days straight like this mad man can. I think this is the only drawback; where Born to Run is written from a mere mortal's view point, Dean is a running machine that could never understand the plight of the weekend warrior. More specifically, it's like MJ telling you how he won 6 NBA championships; I'm sure he had hurdles along the way, but we all know this fact: his talent > our talent.
While he may share the hurdles that come with running more than 26.2 miles, it did get a little repetitive. 'I can't do
this, I can do this" and repeat. But maybe that was to reflect the true nature of running. The book is also fast paced, much like his running. He tries to tip toe the line between gloating and humility.
The spark for his passion of running is very touching in that it was the loss of a family member and a bottoming out that had him turn it around with running. He goes on to mention every runner knows when they started and for what reasons. I think that many of us thankfully have not had to go through his pains to start running but I think the point is, we all know when and why we started.
I realize he was the author and shared what his thoughts were for most of the book but I would have liked for him to paint a better picture of the people who shaped him. In Born to Run (the first running book I had read), Christopher MacDougall characterizes/caricaturizes the people in the book in to something more rewarding.
Even though Dean doesn't show off all his hardware like I would (The trophy belt buckles from Western States 100 miler? come on), he makes a lot of points about running that I find true as well. I think that the part I enjoyed the most was the ending:
"Often, people can't understand how running can have such power. They say it's little more than a slightly ambitious version of walking. True, running is a simple, primitive act. Yet in its subtleties lies tremendous power. For in running, the muscles work a little harder, the blood flows a little faster, the heart beats a little stronger. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that.
I also like the solitude. Long-distance running is a loner's sport, and I've accepted the fact that I enjoy being alone a lot of the time. It keeps me fresh, keeps me--oddly enough--from feeling isolated. I guess a lot of people find it in church, but I turn to the open road for renewal. Running great distances is my way of finding peace.
The solitude experienced while running helps me enjoy people more when I am around them. The simple, primitive act of running has nurtured me. I've become
more tolerant, more patient, and more giving than I ever thought I could be. Suddenly the commonplace is intriguing, and I've learned to dig the little things in life [...]
This is what running has taught me, making me -- I hope -- a better man.
[...] I run because I've never been much of a car guy. 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 honor my sister and unite my family. I run because it keeps me humble. I run for the finish line and to savor the trip along the way. I run to help those who can't. I run because walking takes too long, and I'd like to get a few things done in this lifetime.
I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go."
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