Scott Jurek's Eat & Run

我爱跑步，也爱阅读。跑步令人体魄强健，阅读加深文化修养。而对我而言，这两者有个共同点：它们有如禅修般 使我心灵平静，同时大大丰富了我的生活和视野。

爱阅读的跑者，也许最适合读与跑步相关的书籍。但这一类的书在马六甲的书店几乎不可能找到，所以上个月我唯有到amazon.com网上书店买了这本Scott Jurek 的"Eat & Run"。等了三个星期书终于寄到了，马上放下手上看到一半的书，先读为快。

作者Scott Jurek （1973--）是超级马拉松界一个非常著名的跑者，其地位大概相等于足坛的梅西。他在美国明尼苏达州一个偏远的乡下长大，小时候家境不佳，家里长期领取政府津贴食物。他年少时期并不是特别强壮，也并非天生飞毛腿。为何后来会走上超马之路，且大放光芒呢？从作者的叙述中，我想应该和他的家庭和成长背景有莫大关系吧！

在Scott还是小学生时，他的母亲就不幸患上一种被称为Multiple Sclerosis 的慢性神经线和肌肉疾病。Scott看着年轻的母亲肌肉日渐萎缩，到后来只能长时间躺在床上无法站起来。身为长子的他，上学之余，还得照顾弟妹和患病的母亲的起居饮食，以及处理繁琐的家务。而收入微薄的父亲由于生活压力而变得脾气异常暴躁，和Scott的关系很恶劣。

在这样的环境中成长的少年Scott， 内心的痛苦可想而知。后来他发现只有在山林里长时间的奔跑才能让自己暂时忘却生活中的种种不愉快。他在书中写道：Running had turned into a kind of meditation, a place where I could let my mind float free.（跑步对我而言，是一种可以让我的思绪自由翱翔的禅修。）

这不是一本教你如何跑步的参考书，而是作者写下他成为超马跑者过程的心路历程，以及他多年来参加各项主要赛事的心得和历练。在书中作者没有教你如何训练，但从他字里行间流露的热诚却能不断激励你，让你恨不得放下书本出去跑步。作者参加的各项超马比赛，距离从50公里至270公里不等（主要是160公里左右的赛会），且大多数都是崎岖的山区进行的野外赛；跋山涉水，艰辛无比。在一些艰难的赛会，他甚至得连续跑超过24小时。

书名是“Eat & Run”，所以书中也有相当大的篇幅来详述食物和跑步的关系。Scott在二十多岁时逐渐成为一位严格素食者；不食用所有源自动物的食品，包括鸡蛋和乳制品。据他说，自从完全茹素后，他的体能变得更好，比赛后恢复得更快。他坚信世上最好的食物是从土里长出来，且不曾被加工生产的。他也以本身的经历告诉大家，素食足以提供充分的营养以应付超马的艰难挑战。作者也在书中分享了多种他自创的全素食谱。

若你暂时没时间阅读这本书，就请容我抄几段书中我觉得还蛮有意思的话来和你分享：

A marathon is a peaceful prologue, a time to think and work out kinks.

Run until you can't run anymore. Then run some more. Find a new source of energy and will. Then run even faster.

I ran because there is no better feeling than arriving at the finish line.

Find a way to help others rather than thinking solely of yourself.

Everyone is capable of achieving. Never let people discourage you when trying to pursue a goal or a dream.

Be sure to pursue your dreams and goals even if they seem impossible.

I was regarding steep ascents as obstacles to vanquish, endless trails as journeys to endure.

Running is satisfying in itself. Even greater satisfaction lies in running faster and longer, in challenging yourself.

Progress can be a great motivator and incentive to keep exercising.

You only ever grow as a human if you're outside your comfort zone. (Percy Cerutty)

We focus on something external to motivate us, but we need to remember that it's the process of reaching for that prize-- not the prize itself-- that can bring us peace and joy.

Life is a journey, not a destination. Life is not a race. There is no finish line.

We all lose sometimes. It's not the losing that defines us. It's how we lose and what we do afterward.

最后，对于饮食和跑步，作者Scott Jurek为它们作了这么一个总结：They are simple activities, common as grass. And they're sacred. ….but if they're approached with mindfulness and care, with attention to the present and humility, they can provide a portal to transcendence. They can illuminate the path leading to something larger than ourselves.（饮食和跑步都是平常且单纯，但却神圣的活动。然而若能以活在当下的谦卑态度用心待之，它们能为我们开启一扇成道之门，照亮那条引领我们迈向超凡成就的道路。）