Star went and gave me this book for my Birthday, thanks Star.It's awesome. Although the author, Richard Bachman (he also goes by some other name, with which I am not familiar) has little knowledge of what it really takes to walk on and on and how fast someone can do it. In the book the participants must maintain a speed of four miles an hour constantly or they give fragged by some creepy soldiers.
He has the pain, sleeping on your feet, hallucinations, camaraderie and desperation right, but the speed, yoikes, he's got that all wrong! Guys 4.2 miles an hour is 100 miles in 24 hours. Not many well trained ultra runners can do that. And to try it without even squatting for a minute, well... can't be done. 4 miles an hours may sound easy, and it is, for about 3 hours, then one gets a little tired. And the clock ticks while you tie a show, and the clock ticks while you relieve your bladder, and the clock ticks while you stretch.
I HATE THE CLOCK! But, I am enjoying the book, thanks again Star, you rock!
17 comments:
Hundred miles? Hey, no problem, right?
I liked that other, cheery book you were reading about a boy and his dad out for a little walk, what was that? The Road ... yeah, good times, dad.
You have to remember that these are 18 year old boys...not 40-something year old men.
I actually think its pretty insightful coming from a guy who probably has never walked more than a mile at one time.
Enjoy the ending :)
The ending is great...it turns out that Bruce Willis has actually been dead for the entire story.
You should read my book. It's about running, not walking. I also talk about bicepts and some handicapped girl who I pretend to help.
-Dean Karnazes
Traditionally older dudes do better than younger ones at the whole ultra thing. It's like the story about the old bull and the young bull looking over a herd of cows. The young bull hasn't learned patience yet, he tells the old bull, let's run down the hill and have our way with one of those cows. The older wiser bull says, you go on, I'm going to walk down and have 'em all!
Nope, Bachman does well, but he's got the speed wrong. 4 miles per hours for whatever age is too fast for that event.
And Prof, turns out it wasn't Bruce Willis, it was Tom Cruise and the movie was Days of Thunder. Ok, left turn, and another left, and another left, fun sport.
No, no, no. It's Keanu and if he slows down, then Sandra Bullock explodes.
Andy,
You might also enjoy "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz. The Hillsborough County Library has it.
Jim
Uhhh...Karn-oh? What's a *bicept*? Oh yeah...that's right. You're a musclehead...you wouldn't know how to spell correctly. Good thing you're hot.
And Andy: I forgot that you have a chip on your shoulder about young guys running long. Sorry.
All I'm saying is experience counts for a lot. You'll see once you get you some (still, I'd trade places)
I'm gonna check out that Library book, and It wasn't Keanu it was, er, yes it was Keanu, you are right.
Bah, you old goats are all wet, bring it any time ...
- Anton Krupicka
Anton is a douche even though I train with him. I'm younger AND I look like a girl AND I still crushed his Leadville time.
-Kyle Skaggs
SuperDave...that sounds like a movie I once saw. It was about a speeding bus that couldn't go below the speed of 55 mph or the speeding bus would explode. The bus went speeding all around town until it's speed decreased enough to explode.
I think the title of the movie was "The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down"
My favorite running book of all time by far is called "Once a Runner". If you haven't read it, do yourself a favor. If you have, read it again.
GFan
I agree that "Once a Runner" is the best running book of all time (eventhough it's about a "miler"). It's a classic from cover to cover. In 1983 (probably before Star was born), I met John L. Parker Jr. at the track in Gainesville and had my first edition copy signed (those things go for about $400-500 bucks now).
NO Andy, you can't borrow it...get your own!
Quenton Cassidy rocks.
I don't need your copy, the Gator Fan done gived me one when I qualified for Boston back when I used to be fast (er, faster anywho)
Being young and being inexperienced are two different things Andy. Don't be a hater of the thirty-somethings.
And Roger...I thought "Hellgate" was the best running book ever written...???
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