Howdy blog,
Well, time for part three! Shall we get on it then? Good answer.
Top Ten Zen
Andrew and Nick have compiled a list of Zen-like philosophies comprised firstly of a quote, an interpretation of said quote, and finally a story to drive their point home. This list can aid you in doing anything from completing a 100-mile race to surviving cancer, or obtaining any goal you set your mind to.
Here are our previous posts for those who missed them:
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| The tortoise ascends |
"The faster you hurry, the slower you go."
The Survivor’s Take: Patience is one of the most important factors
when it comes to recovery. Pushing yourself too hard can make things worse,
and what at first appears to be a big step forward might end up actually
being several steps back.
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The Runner’s Take: In endurance sports, it’s easy to get caught up
in the competition and let things like nutrition and form fall to the
wayside. Don’t let them. Even if it means sacrificing speed and position
early on, staying relaxed and fueled leaves you in control of your race.
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Survivor’s Tales: With my most recent surgery, a total replacement
of my right shoulder, I quickly found myself impatient with the healing
process. Compared with all the lower joint replacements, my recovery seemed
to be going smoother and I felt better than I remember with the other
surgeries. Within two weeks I was pushing myself to my limit, and admittedly a
little beyond, with my exercises. In addition to that, I would sometimes take
my arm out of its sling for extended periods of time, despite the doctor
telling me to keep it in for at least six weeks. It didn’t take long for
sharp pains to start cropping up in my shoulder. As a result of all this
overreaching, I had hurt myself and was unable to do as much PT as I should
have, causing my progress to regress. It took almost a full week for the
pains to calm down enough to where I could start exercising properly again.
Had I simply stuck to my recovery plan, I might have gotten to the point I am
now even faster (click here to see my progress so far), but I’ve
certainly learned my lesson: when it comes to recovery, it pays to stick to
the plan instead of brushing it aside at the first glimmer of your strength
returning. It may feel like you can do so much more, but very often it’s just
a brief phase and soon you find yourself paying for your arrogance with sharp
aches if you’re lucky, and serious damage if you aren’t.
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Mountain Tales: It was the second to last climb of Ronda del
Cims. 3,000 feet in just over two miles at an average grade of 45%, far
steeper and more technical than any single climb at the Barkley marathons. I
came into the aid station at the base of the climb right alongside Carles, a
local Andorran runner who was holding 3rd place. He blew through
the station and started hammering up the long climb. I glanced at my watch
and realized it had been over an hour since I’d eaten anything. I hobbled
slowly behind Carles as he pulled further away. I stuffed Gu after Gu down my
throat and ate as many dry crackers as I could. Food was an awful chore, but
a necessary evil. About halfway through, Carles was now 200 feet higher than
me, but I knew he’d not eaten a thing. He’d burn out shortly. I swigged down
more Carbo Pro and whipped out my hiking poles
asking myself, “What can I relax?” I let go of my tense shoulders, let go of
the tight tension in my arms and felt my upper body sink. It’s
terrifying what unconsciously tightens up while running. About three quarters
of the way up the climb, I finally caught Carles. He was breathing hard
and his steps were labored on the steep ascent. The short seconds I’d taken
to fuel my body were now paying off. I passed Carles and kept my pace steady
all the way to the top of the climb. The faster you hurry (aka skip things
like nutrition and proper form) the slower you’ll go. Endurance sports are
the tortoise’s race, not the hare’s. Take care of yourself and you’ll be
rewarded!
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| A mildly exaggerated recreation of how I hurt myself |
Of course, just because we are sharing our own extreme examples does not mean that these philosophies are all strictly for extreme situations. We share these because they can be used by anyone in the proper situations and we invite you, dear reader, to take these helpful tips into the world to use as you see fit. Feel free to hoard them or share them with others around you. It is both of our hope that these do some good somewhere, and so we wish you luck in your journey of a thousand Zen-filled steps.
Andrew Bundy
Nick Hollon
Hi thanks for postting this
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