"Only you can listen to the song of yourself." Ed Ayres

     I just finished reading "The Longest Race, A Lifelong Runner, an Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case for Human Endurance."  It was written by Ed Ayres, a veteran endurance runner, journalist and environmental editor. He was the founding editor and publisher of Running Times magazine, and worked for thirteen years as the editorial director of the Worldwatch Institute. It is a thoughtfully written and enjoyable read.
     The backdrop is the running of the 2001 JFK 50 Mile race....the nation's oldest ultra. At age 60, Ayres was attempting to break the age-division record.  He discusses this race and the elements of ultrarunning, (pacing, breathing, handling fatigue, being mindful, fueling, etc.), but also his worries about the future of our planet.  He weaves individual endurance with the sustainability of our society throughout his memories of the race.
     Dr. George Sheehan said to "listen to your body."  Ayres says that "only you can listen to the song of yourself while running."
     Interestingly, he quoted historian Jared Diamond who feels that "the adoption of agriculture was in many ways a catastrophe from which we have never recovered." (pg.102).  Diamond makes a good argument.
     Running is a metaphor for life.  Mankind developed due to running.
     He reminds us that in 1992 the Union of Concerned Scientists published a press release called "World Scientists' Warning to Humanity."  1700 senior members of the world's scientific community signed the press release and stated that "humans and the natural world are on a collision course." http://deoxy.org/sciwarn.htm
     I was not aware that in Dec. 1960 JFK penned an article for Sports Illustrated called "The Soft American."  He felt that the deterioration of our physical strength and ability was a menace to our security, and also undermined our capacity for thought. He felt this was a matter of urgent concern to our nation. It has been almost 53 years since that was written and we are only getting softer.
    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1134750/   

I <3 to run