Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek.

3/5 rating. 273 pages.

Book #2 of 2021. Read January 10, 2021.

This is Scott’s story about his early life as an ultramarathoner.

Scott is one of the most decorated ultrarunners (ultras are officially any race longer than 26.2 miles) in the world. He has won countless races throughout the US and abroad and is an absolute legend. He is also vegan! Hearing someone discuss the reason that they put themself through these grueling and almost sadistic races is interesting.

His insights into his own life and even more, the way that running is a metaphor for the ways we each progress down our own path in life are useful thoughts.

I especially liked some of his quotes from here:

“‘First of all, I ask you to be different. ‘Second, find a way to help others rather than thinking solely of yourself. ‘Third, everyone is capable of achieving. Never let anyone discourage you when trying to pursue a goal or a dream. ‘And finally, do things while you’re young. Be sure to pursue your dreams and goals even if they seem impossible.’”

“A lot of people never do something great with their lives. A lot of people never attempt it.”

“The point was living with grace, decency, and attention to the world, and breaking free of the artificial constructs in your own life.”

If you are interested in running, or ultras, this might be a good book to read. But if you are looking for a better, similar book, I would recommend “Born to Run” which has Scott as a character in it, but was an absolutely amazing book!

Quotes:

“Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction.” — William James

“It is human nature to ask why we put ourselves in certain situations and why life places hurdles in our path.”

“You don’t have to be a chef to cook great food.”

“But the wonderful paradox of running is that getting started requires no technique. None at all. If you want to become a runner, get onto a trail, into the woods, or on a sidewalk or street and run.”

“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” —Anonymous

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao-Tzu

“The more you know, the less you need.” — Yvon Chouinard

“Simplicity, he said, simplicity and a connection to the land made us happy and granted us freedom.”

“The average 19- to 30-year-old American consumes 91 grams a day, nearly twice the recommended daily amount (56 grams for an adult male, 46 for an adult female). I wasn’t aware that too much protein stresses the kidneys (an organ long-distance runners worry about in the best of times, due to our careful attention to water consumption, retention, and elimination) and can leach calcium from the bones. I didn’t quite believe that you could get an adequate supply of protein—even if you’re an ultrarunner—from plants. I certainly didn’t think it would be easy.”

“What we eat is a matter of life and death. Food is who we are.”

“Even the conservative American Dietetic Association, the largest organization of dietary professionals in the world, has stated in no uncertain terms: ‘Appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.’”

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” —John Muir

“We all struggle to find meaning in a sometimes painful world.”

“Don’t work towards freedom, but allow the work itself to be freedom.” — Dogen Roshi

“Altogether, our modern inclination toward sloth, the easy availability of processed food, and the prevalence of life-saving medical treatments have made us a long-lived, unhealthy people.”

“Anyone who pays attention to what they eat and how it affects them will naturally move toward plants—and toward health.”

“A recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology followed 123,216 subjects over fourteen years and found that men who spent more than 6 hours a day sitting were 17 percent more likely to die during that time than men who sat for less than 3 hours. For women, the increased risk of death was 34 percent. This increased mortality persisted regardless of whether the participants smoked, were overweight, and—this shocked me—regardless of how much they exercised.”

“All it takes is all you got.” — Marc Davis

“But whether you get what you want isn’t what defines you. It’s how you go about your business.”

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” —Hippocrates

“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.”

“‘Scott,’ he said, ‘sometimes we have to go to dark places. Things will be better off and you’ll grow. You just don’t know it now.’”

“Sometimes the best journeys aren’t necessarily from east to west, or from ground to summit, but from heart to head. Between them we find our voice.” — Jeremy Collins

“Pilgrims seeking bliss carry water and chop wood, and they’re simple things, too, 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.”

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