The Longest Race: A Lifelong Runner, An Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case for Human EnduranceAmong endurance runners, there are those who have run very long distances, and then there are those who have run very long distances for a very long time. Ed Ayres exemplifies the latter; having run in over 600 races across fifty-five years, he is arguably the most experienced American distance runner still competing today. A book no one else could have written, The Longest Race is his urgent exploration of the connection between individual endurance and a sustainable society. The Longest Race begins at the starting line of the 2001 JFK 50 MileÑthe nationÕs oldest and largest ultramarathon and, like other such races, an epic test of human limits and aspiration. At age sixty, his sights set on breaking the age-division record, Ayres embarks on a course over the rocky ridge of the Appalachian Trail, along the headwind-buffeted towpath of the Potomac River, and past momentous Civil War sites such as Harpers Ferry and Antietam. But even as Ayres focuses on concerns familiar to every endurance runnerÑstarting strong and setting the right pace, the art of breathing, overcoming fatigue, mindfulness for the course aheadÑhe finds himself as preoccupied with the future of our planet as with the finish line of this 50-mile race. A veteran journalist and environmental editor who harbors deep anxiety about our longterm prospects, Ayres helps us to understand how the skills and mindset necessary to complete an ultramarathon are also essential for grappling anew with the imperative to endureÑnot only as individuals, but as a societyÑand not just for 50 miles, but in the longest race we are all called upon to run. |
Contents
The StartWhen Life Begins Again | 1 |
The Rushand the Dilemma of Pacing | 11 |
What Are My Running Shoes For? The Journey from Barefoot Hunter to Boots on the Ground to Where I Am Now | 28 |
The Art of Breathing and the Music of Motion Do My Feet Have Eyes of Their Own? | 45 |
With a Little Help from Our Friends The NotSoLoneliness of the LongDistance Runner | 61 |
Learning from Quarterbacks The SlowerIsFaster Phenomenon | 72 |
Redemption A Recovering Strength for the Human Runnerand for the Human Race | 85 |
Becoming a Persistence Hunter The Long Day of Tracking the Grateful Kill the Celebration | 99 |
Seeing Around Bends We Came We Envisioned We Got Disconnected | 156 |
The Blessing and Curse of Competition Why Vince Lombardi Was Dead Wrong | 167 |
If You Fall Then You Crawl What Is It About Finishing? | 181 |
The Fading Light | 197 |
2012 | 204 |
Notes for an Aspiring Ultrarunner | 209 |
Notes | 233 |
Acknowledgments | 239 |
The EnergySupply Illusion CarboLoading Body Heat and Naked Skin | 114 |
Burning Fat in a Carbohydrate Fire A Secret of the Inca Messengers | 129 |
Negotiating with Fatigueand Turning Long Hours into Moments | 142 |
About the Author | |
Other editions - View all
The Longest Race: A Lifelong Runner, an Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case ... Ed Ayres Limited preview - 2012 |
The Longest Race: A Lifelong Runner, an Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case ... Ed Ayres Limited preview - 2013 |
The Longest Race: A Lifelong Runner, an Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case ... Ed Ayres Limited preview - 2013 |