Running the Old Fashioned Way

I've been running, a lot, again. Pretending to myself that three ramped up weeks of training will be adequate for the Africa adventure of running 200 miles in six days. I am not totally dumb though. I am smart enough to be scared! But this article by Christopher MacDougall (author of Born to Run, a book much beloved by me) provided a new source of inspiration and calm.

MacDougall reminded me that what I'll be doing is really just running the old fashioned way, that is, through the veld at a moderate, continuous pace, what was in "olden times" just enough to keep the animal you're chasing in sight until it keels over, because it doesn't have the benefit of being able to breathe and sweat at the same time, as we do. And luckily for my vegetarian self, I get to leave out the hunting part. But what I get to keep is the social part, which was, as he points out, an essential key to such running.

So what I'll actually be doing is hanging out with friends for some long hours, while we happen to be on our feet.

Excellent. Any more takers?