American Buddhist Perspectives
A typical marathon training schedule goes for 18 weeks and has all kinds of rules and stipulations for distances and rest and diet and all that jazz. I’m not sure who actually follows such schedules, but being a lazy, busy Buddhist academic, I’ve not done much thus far. I run a lot as is typically, and haven’t felt the need to get all professional about it just yet. But after some chats with good friend about marathons and how, supposedly, strange things start to happen to your body after 18 or so miles (about 3 hours for slow folks like me) of running, I’ve decided to hold off of any formal commitment to 26.2 miles in July.
Until then, though, I’m trying to run some 5k, 10k, and longer runs and races to get in shape. I figure that if I can catch up to the ‘proper’ marathon training schedule by mid-June or so, I’ll give it a go. If not, I’ll take my friend’s advice and just run another 1/2 marathon and aim for personal best in time.
(photos by Julie 🙂
Starting out: that’s the front of the pack, with me at the back (the first place guy is already about 4 strides ahead of all of us).
Finish line.
Just earlier I had to elbow a couple older guys to get past them (just kidding). This is me approaching the finish with said older guys in hot pursuit.
Oh, the agony! Buddhist philosopher keeps his lead! I will omit the fact that the lead runner had finished about 6 minutes ahead of me and these guys (in a 5k!). It was good fun and I got to meet Evan, a friend of Julie’s co-worker, Jim. And then came a young woman, Evan’s friend, through the finish line and she said to me, “hey, did you teach Buddhism here a couple years ago?”
“Yea, yea I did.”
And she lit up and said, “I took that class.”
Small world. Small town. Happy to be here.
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