Today's Run and Holiday Reading

TODAY'S RUN ... quickly
I have settled. The jitters and spiky, uneven energy of the last few days have moved on. I did my 7mile run (11.3km) this morning at a pace of 06:16minutes per km, yesterday's was 06:46. Today I had a moment of insight. Something that has been said to me in earlier weeks by Madeleine and, in a way, by Uncle John  in yesterday's post, came home to roost. Respect the distance. The programme has been going so well, which is largely determined by luck because a cold or injury could upset that very easily, that I may not have fully appreciated the task on hand. The miles throughout the week have now increased to a point that challenges. I have a tendency to be all enthusiasm and into projects before I realise all that is involved.  Enthusiasm is good, but it needs to be chanelled. In the workplace, I like to work on projects with people who are more measured and attentive to the detail than I sometimes see. Determination is essential, but not enough. Care, pacing and measure are equally important. Respect the distance. I'm back where I need to be.

HOLIDAY READING
I just want to share this, but not everyone may be interested and it's a bit long, so I will flag the change in topic.  I put this together last evening. My holiday reading was odd and worth sharing only because it is interesting to see how a new project can open up new avenues of interest. An example, I know that one of the Irish Soccer Team players has an injured achilles at the moment. Normally, the Sports news just goes right over my head! I sympathise with the Achilles guy. See ... even his name escapes me. And, I should check that it is the Soccer Team ... oh dear. The change in interest is clearly limited.
While away, I came across a copy of Bill Strickland's Tour de Lance, which details Lance Armstrong's attempts to win again the Tour de France. I vaguely knew the Armstrong story and I have not read many biographies, at least not many contemporary ones. I wouldn't really recommend the book, but it was oddly compelling. First of all, Armstrong ran at least 2 marathons in competitive times of 2 and half hours or thereabouts.  I was won over on that alone! He did it primarily for training purposes, but possibly also for his Livestrong campaign.  Other details were equally fascinating Constant training has restructured the muscles in Lance's lower legs so that a single muscle (usually) has split in two, making his legs more efficient in pedalling. You read of the different cycling styles, invisible to my inexperienced eye, expressing something of the cyclists' personality. Contador was Armstrong's main rival and a much sleeker performer all round, it seems, and equally cool and distant in person. Armstrong himself seems to be something of a blunt instrument, all gritty steel, endurance and determination. You sense Strickland's favour of Armstrong, so have to be careful with this.  Gossipy details about Armstrong, that I didn't know before, were mildly interesting such as he dated Kate Hudson. Matthew Connaughton frequently trains with him.  Then, of course, lurking at the background are questions about his doping, with the world being divided into the 'he did' or 'didn't' camps. It makes me think about simple things too like weight. And no, I do not consider myself overweight and have no intention of deliberately losing weight right now, but these guys strip away as much spare flesh as they possibly can while keeping the balance right in terms of muscle and power. Think about it, I could lose a half stone and still not be overly skinny; I suspect most people wouldn't even notice, but a half stone is the same as carrying 4 bags of sugar. It's a thought. I learn something about the workings of teams, the fact that riders on a team frequently work as 'domestiques' carrying water or handing over their bikes at the expense of their own race if the team leader requires it. I enjoy the book for the celebration of sport and, almost, the madness and intensity of it, the joy of working singlemindedly to attain such a feat, the pleasure of training over long distances and shaping the body so that it can perform on demand. It reinforces my own belief that it is the slogging weeks that make all the difference. The final chapter offers some reflections on the meditative qualities of long distance training when combined with the need to balance, make split decisions as is required in cycling. Studies have shown that the brain changes are comparable to monks meditating. I loved best of all, the descriptions of some of the races, particularly the more arduous hill climbs, in which Strickland is good at capturing the effort that goes into the event. He recognises the demands made, and enthusiasm required, in those who are there just to finish. Something in these moments touch a chord in my own spirit. Consequently, I have found myself since looking out for fictional or autobiographical books on distance running and have managed to order a few. There are quite a number out there, more on that anon. Who knows where this might lead?
The second book I read was inspired by the recent drive accross America. We all have classics that have eluded us, guilty secrets if you like.  I'm talking about novels that we know about, are cultural reference points, even if we never actually read them.  For some time, I had intended to read Jack Kerouac's On the Road, a 1950s novel about the beat generation, seeking authenticity, back to roots, a reaction to WW II, the atom bomb and so on. It is a strange book, not compelling by plot, but the seeking, pilgrimage, angst tone gets to you. The vulnerability and madness is apparent. It evokes the chaos of the period, drug-fuelled and so on. You can also see how it inspired the road movies such as Thelma and Louise, probably seminal to that genre, but I am not overly confident of that fact (and am not going to pause to check). I am intrigued by connections to much, much earlier texts and wonder are these just images and icons that have been unconsciously absorbed through generations or is this guy self-consciously using them? Music is everywhere in the novel, used to key significant moments. I presume this has been studied to death by now. I was glad to read it. And Etty, you need to take a bow. Your writing inspired me to read something else. Now, I consider that a result!
Just for interest sake, my current novel is William Boyd's Armadillo, recommended to me by a colleague. It's a great read with a plot that lures but it's stylish too.

That's it folks. I have a date with a fourteenth-century poet ... and, now that I think about it, another with a twenty-first century poet on Saturday evening (nod to Dad).