Motivation and the Raramuri

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must move faster than the lion or it will not survive. Every morning a lion wakes up and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be moving.” – Maurice Greene

Lately, I've been reading a really great book about this elusive tribe that lives somewhere in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico. So far, all I've found out is that they are called super-athletes, they can outrun cheetahs, and they have a two day 400+ mile race once a year (a champion once ran 435 miles). They are referred to as the Tamahumara tribe, but their real name is the Raramuri (meaning 'Running People'). Running has stayed part of their culture that they've been able to preserve by retreating farther and farther into the mountains as they are threatened by war and environmental destruction. 

I mentioned the book in my last post, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. I've read a few chapters before running the past couple days, and already I feel inferior. My one to two mile runs that leave me winded and exhausted, compared to a two day long race that equals the distance of almost 17 full marathons back to back. I know there is always room for improvement, but it goes far beyond even the most talented marathon runners and olympic athletes. What's even more amazing is that they don't warm up before the race, and wear shoes on their feet that barely classify themselves as shoes. It's truly amazing, and I encourage anyone to read it. 

On another note, I skipped running yesterday partly because my legs were a little sore and partly because I may or may not have gone to bed shortly after the sun was up. I also had to work my first dinner shift which had plenty of running around, but all calories burned were replenished later at the Salty Pig, the Copley equivalent to Kendall's Champions or Tommy Doyle's. 

I did run today, though. I've found a few noteworthy running routes, through these little back roads that are literally right across from my campus. You would never know it, but there are all these cute little neighborhoods with adorable little houses with lovely gardens and lawns, right across from my school. Running through these streets, you feel as though you're in a little suburban community instead of a big city, and most of the houses have these big gardens, and everything is in bloom (and very fragrant). It works nicely for shorter runs, as I don't have to run all the way down Commonwealth just to cross over to the bike path along the Charles (which is lovely, but time is of the essence. My Nielsen concerto arrived yesterday and I've been wanting to practice it since yesterday). 

I need to mentally and physically prepare myself for tonight's shift...the notoriously busy graduation weekend. Until then, I leave you with one of my new favorite songs.