A Marxist Running Revolution

This post goes out to my University of Michigan socialist sociology instructor. He was a fairly radical activist, and I am pretty sure was responsible for the nightly spray-painting graffiti  "Can the land be owned? Can the air be owned?"  

He would come to class each day eating a hot dog, and explain how the street vendor hot dog cart had its origins in Capitalism and then explain the Marxist implications. 

I wanted to tell him he had mustard on his always unshaven face, but that would have been so bourgeois of me.

A Marxist Revolution!!

My legs have revolted and gone on strike. 

Yes, my legs are the proletariat of my running world.  They are the tireless working class heroes who support everything. And when I honor and appreciate them, they are masters of their environment and kings of the world.

My ever-pumping heart is the capitalist, providing the funds to keep my body moving.  And my lungs are the government, letting the right amount of oxygen trickle into my running economy to make sure I keep flowing forward efficiently.

And my brain is the investor, always deciding how much risk to invest, when to run that 20 miler, do some speedwork, run some hills, or sign up for a tune-up race, constantly trying to get the best return on my investment.

Well, my brain has finally abused my legs to their breaking point.  Tuesday, I went for what I hoped would be a 8 mile run, and every half mile my calves tightened and restricted so much I couldn't undo them.  They had my running in a stranglehold, and while in times past I could make them work for me with sweet talk and warm ups until they would release instead of squeeze so tightly like a ball of rubber bands wound tight, this was just not to be. They got worse. I only finished six miles and did so in half mile runs and then 100 yard walks, followed by quarter mile runs and then 100 yard walks. 

Sure, they have tried to revolt before but have always been appeased. I ice them to sleep and they feel happy. I warm them in snugly calf sleeves. I promise them some nice muscle building supplements which make them grow and adapt. I give them long weekends and days off.  I try to remind them that in thirty days we will start our NYCM taper.

They even have their own personal masseuse who makes them purrrr.  Yes, everyday I give them a nice, long, orange foam rolling treatment.

No matter. This has not worked, and they are done.  They are now tapped. Tapped out.  Four 20 plus mile runs, a bit more hills and speed thrown in, and weekly mileage that has finally topped out at 40 a couple of times. Not to mention switching to a new minimalist shoe, the Kirvana 3's, which my brain, the investor, has committed to, yet the legs are still in union negotiations to see if they approve.

"We're not as young as we used to be," they remind me, "and there's age groups for a reason. Stop expecting the same thing from us."

I have felt blood pulsating to my calfs as I sleep, clear evidence of a ready to be injured state.  They hurt to the touch in certain places, and just one day off hasn't taken this away.

Sure, I place all the blame on my calfs, but my thighs have been revolting as well, and my knees certainly arent' happy. If only I could have them blame each other. If only the calves would blame the thighs, and if the thighs then pointed fingers at  the knees as the source of the problem.  Then they would fight each other, instead of revolting against the leadership, the head and heart who want them to just keep working, just keep working, and let us reap the benefits. 

But, I need some rest. I will count my blessings that my brain has invested wisely so far into the right kind of workouts to have me ready to rock NYCM, but not so much that I have had to take time off for injury.

The thing is, as much as my legs benefit from running, it is my head and heart I am really running for, and as long as my legs will keep being the workers, I will chase the dragon down and gather up all the highs that lift my heart and make my head so full of fancy.

I"m taking four days off in a row from running. This is day two, and on Sunday I am hoping to do a 20 mile run with the Brooks-Hanson group.  If I feel in the right kind of zone, it will be a progressively faster 20 miler.

Please don't tell my calves all of this. Let them rest and enjoy their break. Sunday morning at 7 am it's back to work.   And as much as my brain can plan when and where and how to spend its time, it is my legs who are in complete control.

If they only knew their power.

The Jade Rabbit, on Amazon  $3.99, the story of a miraculous marathon run.

Reviews of The Jade Rabbit

STRAY on Amazon   $2.99 

Reviews of Stray 

Like Having My Ashes Scattered Before I'm Passed

Why getting here is easier than getting a book published.

 Imagine you want to run a marathon, but to do so, you first need to put in endless miles over a year of training until, if you are lucky, you get the attention of an agent who comes to watch a snippet of your running at the track.. Not your full long run, just a snippet. This agent is the gatekeeper and decides if you will gain entry into an actual marathon.  In fact, during every bit of your training, you need to be prepared that  you may never actually set foot on an official marathon course.

 No, your entry qualifications aren't objective and based on time, such as with a Boston Qualifier where you know exactly what you need to do to get to the start. You simply can't run unless the marathon gatekeepers deem you worthy.  And unless they give you permission and you receive their backing, you are completely shut out.  You are shut out along with 98% of the population who have put in months of training

 Well, that's what the publishing world was like, until this new electronic age and ebooks have outsold paperback copies, and it has unleashed a whole new world of artistic freedom.

 Publishing has never been more accessible, but when you don't have the backing of cover artists, editors, marketers, proof-readers, and the corporate logo of a publishing house, you have to work your ass off.  And the only way you'll survive, is if you really want it.

 Indie authors such as myself have to wave our flag high and scream pretty loud to get noticed, which, of course, also means we can be a bit more annoying and smell like spam, but also it means if we believe in our work we can get noticed.(Check out this article on 5 reasons I read Indie Authors)  I have read many indie authors through Goodreads, and can attest there are countless Gems out there, that glisten just as grand and actually sparkle a bit more unique.

 The only feedback, the 'data' from our watches and Garmins and GPS's, to further the running analogy, is the reviews we receive. So, yes, each morning  I check for reviews, same way I'll check my watch with every click of a mile on a long run. 

 Once in a while I will get the feedback of my book being "the worst I've ever read" or that "the author clearly knows nothing about running a marathon."  Other times I will get the just as negative but interesting comment such as:    "This book moved slowly and then there was a disturbing scene very near the end of the book. I'm sorry I spent the whole day reading it."   

 There are other thoughts, such as theses recent comments about Stray  "I really loved this book! It is NOT just about dogs. It is about people, and life, and how we are all connected to one another. It will make you sad, happy, and hopeful, all at once."

 This makes me happy, of course, and is Crack for my ego. Yes, I hear it loud and clear when I someone writes my "writing style was beautiful and lyrical"," that The Jade Rabbit was the best fictional book I've read in a long time, and posts like the most recent review  where the novel inspired someone to run a half-marathon.

 Through being self-promoting (such as I am being right now) I was able to catch the attention of The Kindle Book Review, who have some street cred with the publishing industry.  I waited in anticipation after they agreed to review Stray, and then saw my final finishing time 
  
"An excellent read, very touching. A journey in which you almost feel you are part of whilst reading the book. This book will definitely reach out and touch you and may even make you shed a few tears along the way."   Read the full review here:  

 Unlike running, writing  inherently suggests a second party to be interested in your work, someone to find it appealing and engaging.  But if there wasn't the same entirely personal satisfaction in writing, and you become overly attached to reviews, either positive or negative, then you're clearly in trouble. No, we are not as God-like as our Dogs think we are, yet we also shouldn't take it personal when our cats ignore us.

 
 Writing by itself is something I fully enjoy, and even moreso is something I probably need, as my wife will explain, I can hardly put together an intelligible audible sentence. Yes, like my slowing legs, the writing process is slow, but I feel like if I keep writing and never stop, I'll do it to my old age. And even though none of my novels are true, that doesn't mean they didn't happen, and bits of me have been torn out and sprinkled on every page.

 It's like having my ashes scattered before I'm passed.

 As writing blogger Chuck Wendig writes in his post on living the creative life 

 *Creativity does not live in a cave inside your head. That shit’s gotta come out and play.
* Murder  Self-Doubt in its bed while it sleeps.
*Failure is an instructional manual written in scar tissue

 

Sandwiched in between the Woman's Olympic Marathon on August 5th, and the Men's Olympic Marathon on August 12th, The Jade Rabbit will be .99 Cents on Kindle  Because, how else are you going to spend your time. 

I love to see a Hanson Jersey, even if it's only for the first 5k of an Olympic marathon

Reviews of The Jade Rabbit

The Jade Rabbit, on Amazon

Reviews of Stray

STRAY on Amazon $2.99 for Kindle, $9.99 Paperback