Learing to run and training for the marathon saved my sanity. I had just blown out my shoulder and my Olympic dreams were officially dead. I went from being Captain of the University of Iowa gymnastics team and headed for the Israeli Olympics, the Maccabiah Games, to nothing.I quit college and went deep into despair. My shoulder was non functional but otherwise I was in the best shape of my life and mentally tougher than ever. I had to do something physical or I would have exploded but what?
Out of total frustration and rage I ran away, and ran and ran and kept running.
I had never run further than it took to get down the vault runway or the 4o feet of the floor ex mat and I always ran as fast as possible . but now I found myself wearing a new pair of Adidas cross countrys and learning how to run for real. Once I learned how to run at a pace I could breathe at I could run far enough to get the 'second wind' and knew I could run as far as I wanted to. It was heaven and I felt strong again.And calm My runners high was very real.
But I had to compete and the marathon seemed the perfect choice. So tough only crazy people did it and a goal so huge I could really devote myself to it. I of course researched what the best runners were doing in training and set out to emulate them, building up slowly mile by mile week after week.
The marathon is such a symbolic quest as well I totally understand why people want to train for it even though I know now it is probably one of the unhealthiest things you can do for your body.Reading Art Devanys and Mark Sissons commentary on Arts Evolutionary Fitness site have opened my eyes to my past mistakes regards endurance training.
But it truly is a vision quest for many, and in that regard I wholeheartedly agree with its undertaking. To climb a mountain that had seen, at the outset, unclimbable is truly a transformative experience. It's not only how long we live that counts, but how we live while we do.
My first marathon ,and the training that preceeded it, strengthened my mind in a way I can still feel to this day, and for that I am very thankful. even if it took a few years off my life.
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9 comments:
I'm enjoying your journey. Keep it up, since the mortals like to hear about heros.
tom,
lol,you are too kind. I'm just an average guy with a bad case of athletic OCD.
Zach,
thanks as well, it always helps me to know the things I do can help others avoid mistakes or make better progress.
thanks again guys.
So true Mark. Setting goals that are big transforms us, much more INTERNALLY than externally.
But isn't that what this whole fitness thing is all about anyway, learning to dig deep way inside yourself to discover a strength you never knew existed?
There is a spiritual and supernatural componenet to pushing your mind and body beyond our comfort zone. As many say, and I would totally agree, a super comfortable life is stagnant, boring and deadly. All the really good things that have happened in my life have come from putting myslef in "uncomfortable"situations.
Great post!
Hey Mark, your blog keeps getting better and better. As much as I enjoy your comments about the physical side of your training, it's your psychological insights that I find most compelling--especially when they touch on the "valleys" rather than the "peaks" of your career.
I'm impressed by the elite levels that you've attained across a broad range of disciplines, from marathoning to powerlifting to body building to gymnastics. And the glimpse into the mental side of your efforts that you give us in your blog is much appreciated.
John,
thanks so much for the kind words. that is exactly what I was hoping to get across with these recollections and musings on my athletic life.as you said, I have learned so much more from the valleys than anything. thanks so much for reading and commenting.
how's iowa city these day?cant say I miss the cold but its a great town.
rif
..."how's iowa city these day? cant say I miss the cold but its a great town."
But it's a "dry cold." ;-)
lol. yeah, dry cold. I remember walking across the bridge from the dorms to class and I dont remember it being particulary dry, just Freaking COLD!@
franz, thanks man. To me physical training has ALWAYS been a vehicle to a greater spiritual understanding and experience.as well as many psychological gains as well.
I recognized very early on that my body(external mostly) was perhaps the only thing I had real control over and that I could change things according to my desire through will power and effort.
I liked the idea that there was a formula of sorts to achievement.
If all I needed to do to achieve a dream was "X" amount of work for "Y" amount of time, well, that was doable, I thought.
Being so short didnt help either but realizing that although I couldnt get taller I could certainly grow more muscle gave me an vehicele.And we all respect muscle.
But once you are in the realm of the body you realize that with each physical change there is also a corresponding, and perhaps deeper and stronger, psychological and spiritual change.the change may be perceived as either good or bad its a corresponding change.
to me its all about what you choose. what do you want? make a choice and 'just do it'. you will learn lots in the process.but half hearted, non passionate efforts usually create the same results.
I always tell my clients I plan to go through their bodies and hope their heads come along. 'Just do it' is true to a very large extent, in so many ways.
Changing the body always changes the head.
Feeling things instead of just thinking about them helps a lot. The "Zen" of it. The actual experience instead of just and idea.Big mojo to me.
As well as realizing that pain is not one entity but an experience on a spectrum.and that, perhaps most importantly, that the pain of physical effort does not kill you. and indeed makes you stronger. Once I realized that all kinds of things changed as you learn that suffering doent kill you either. Brings humility as well.
searching only for comfort and avoiding pain inevitably produces the opposite results.
Rif, your are right, the body does give clues. The challenge is that there are so many factors (mainly ego and trying to impress others) that keep us from acting upon those signals. I look back at the majority of my training and sporting career and I have done things so backwards in the sense that I have I not listend to my body. I was obsessed with quantitaive measurements and others acceptance of me as a worthy person. What a crock of shit! To live my life for others approval is and was a joke. No longer brother.
My lumbar spine would not be in the condition it is now if I had listend to those signals. Well, if all things work together for good, than this pain and suffering has finally lead to a changed life and a different perspective on training and on life. This is where the personal "art" of coaching yourself starts, the cybernetic approach according to the late Mel Siff. Good stuff Rif!
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