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• Somewhere along the line, we have confused comfort with happiness

  2009-03-07 1:10AM / 標準BLOG / 會員可以看
  3個評論

  others certainly may have said this before, but i first heard about this quote from a crazy dude by the name of dean karnazes.
  
  it's something to think about in these difficult times - we may have been a bit more comfortable before the economy took a gigantic fall, but it doesn't mean we were happier.  we probably have all lost one way or another, but if you think hard, it might lead you to cherish what you have, and help you find happiness.
  
  ***
  

  As some of you know, I recently ran my 2nd marathon back in Feb.  Honestly, if you had asked me 2 years ago if I could run a marathon, I would have thought you were crazy to ask.  I'd just say that it's not physically possible for me - I have old knee injuries and my body just can't take that kind of pounding. 

  Back in 2007, I came across a magazine article in Wired.com, about this man Dean Karnazes, who ran "ultra-marathons" - not distances of the standard 42km, or even 100km like trailwalker, but on the order of 200 miles (320km).  The article had a quote: "The human body has limitations," Karnazes says. "The human spirit is boundless." Your mind, in other words, is your most important muscle. As a running buddy told him: "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!! What a ride!"

  Now, while running long distances is not everyone's idea of excitement - but this intrigued me greatly - there's a human body out there that can run 8 marathons back-to-back? Now how is that possible? What does he think about? I immediately ordered Dean's book, and I was hooked.  Here was this apparently normal person, who really just went out to do something the best that he can, showing us what human endurance is truly capable of.  

  We all have troubles balancing "real life" and our innate sense of adventure/edge-pushing.  I was so impressed by his adventures I dropped him a note on his website, not really expecting an answer, and he wrote back with very encouraging words! There and then, I decided I just had to do at least an eighth of this 200-mile race he completed - to run one full marathon.  And now, I can tell you, it really is just all in the mind. 

  So this brings us to Dean's documentary film, "Ultramarathon Man, 50 Marathons, 50 States, 50 days".  A marathon a day, for fifty days, in the fifty states in USA.  As you can probably tell I'm incredibly excited that it will be shown at the upcoming HK Film Festival.  The link is here: http://www.hkiff.org.hk/eng/film/detail/22/1222.html . 

  Inspiring is sometimes an overused word, but I am absolutely certain this journey of 2,100km will be worth watching.
  

  If you are in Hong Kong and here on April 12 or 13, please come see this film!  Book your tickets online now before they're sold out!