Book of the day - Eat and Run by Scott Jurek
This book was laid out almost exactly like “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success, by Phil Jackson”. In 11 rings he goes over every championship, his personal life along the way, and his divorce, and subsequent falling in love. Eat and Run is nearly identical. Now that I think about it, “Deep Undercover: Jack Barsky” is laid out exactly the same. He talks about his childhood, then each of his missions, and his falling in love. I’m starting to get the feel for how these sudo biography books are done and what I’m taking away is that nobody is special. Hard work is something we are all capable of. You can be born rich, a genius, or in the gutter. Hard work is required no matter what level you are in to reach the pinnacle of success in love and life.
I never followed Scott Jurek’s running career. The bulk of his career was before my entry into ultra running. I bought the book thinking it would be more about eating since I associate Jurek with his healthy diet and recipes. I assumed that was what this book would be a continuation of. Instead this book is unique in the way he connects food, love, peace, and zen in the combination of food and running
I find the book to be laid out in a “race to race” fashion. He lays out a race, his lead up, things happening in his life at the time, and some tidbits of nutrition along the way. I’m not too interested in how races went for him, but I do enjoy his honesty in life events and the struggles he goes through in life. He’s relatable in the stories he is telling and that’s probably why his fanbase is among the most authentic people in the sport.
As an entrepreneur myself, I find Jurek’s dedication to running similar to that of a newly founded startup. You put everything you have into something with the only guarantee being personal growth.
In times of a divorce, many people including Jurek turn to being smaller than they are. They give up their strength to be seen as small, while the ex-wife fights to take all of the finances. I wish people being attacked by their ex for the finances stopped thinking small and thought big. So she’s going to come for your money/possessions. We don’t need stuff to be happy. She needs stuff to be happy, because her happiness is based on your unhappiness. Think big, think of all the bigger things you are going to tackle when the struggle is no longer in your life. Think of the championships, the companies, the successes, the fast failures, the many learning episodes including the one you are going through now that are going to come faster now that the ex is no longer in your life. Push further into the unknown, push for larger successes than you’ve ever pushed for after the divorce.
