他是位有希腊血统的美国人，自然有着奥林匹克竞赛的良好基因与精神，他是个铁人，不断地刷新人的耐力极限，创造了体育界的神话，他的记录是连续跑350英里，没有停顿，他的足迹遍布了美国的几十个州，他跑过了内华达的死亡谷（death valley），在华氏120度的高温下跑上百英里，又在温度极低的南极跑超长马拉松，获得了体育界无数个殊荣。常人眼中，他简直是个疯子，神经病，即使在美国这样体育运动普及的国度，他也实在太不寻常了。在我眼中，他与中国古代的夸父有异曲同工之处。 即使知道自己会被打败，可是仍然保持着挑战的精神。
他的故事吸引了我。我利用两个晚上读完了他的自传，出乎意料，也似乎意料之中，这个长跑健将也是个很好的作者，长跑特别有利于思索，他的书脉络清晰，细节幽默而详尽，像专业作者写的，有几次他的幽默让我笑出了声。
最让我共鸣的是他和我们许多人一样，一直在美国Corporate工作，曾经是个典型的工作狂，他的个人经历与思想波折与许多人近似，他的中年危机在三十岁就开始了，比许多人早。人在优越的生活条件下，物质越丰富，危机来到的时间越早。在他身上，我也能找到自己的影子，他的长跑动机实际代表着一种中年危机，对生活工作意义的危机感，迈向中年时，人有一种突然袭来的，发自内心的强烈愿望去改变似乎不能改变的现状，他的困惑与迷茫也是现代人的普遍困惑，人对工作意义的困惑，对生命自身意义的困惑，他在长跑中发现了一种生命中前所未有的挑战，在他向自己发出挑战。
许多商业界的工作是重复而没有特别挑战性的，未必能给人带来职业上的满足感与成就感，而长跑，虽然是个业余活动，你可以训练自己跑得跟快，更远，是看不到极限的活动，他想看看自己究竟能跑多远，结果，居然一发不可收，越跑越远，如同登山运动员，攀过一个高山，还有另外一个更有挑战性的可以去攀登。这种刺激与挑战让他很兴奋。
他描绘了一次参加美国鲜为人知，极端残酷的体育比赛，叫做Western state 100，只有最能吃苦的体育界精英才敢去尝试这项比赛，许多人在中途体力不支，到不了目的地, 有的甚至在林中被野兽袭击致死， 在条件恶劣的山地上跑100英里路。他一路吃尽了苦头，还有一次走错了路又原路折回，终于到了九十九英里，还剩一个英里他实在跑不动了，浑身是伤。酷爱长跑的老父亲前来迎接，看到了他失魂落魄，满身挂彩的样子，老泪纵横，不过他帮儿子擦干眼泪，鼓励他继续跑下去，并鼓励他，“只有一英里路，爬也要爬到目的地。” Dean真的开始在地上艰难地爬了起来。慢慢的，他想既然有力气能爬，也能站起来慢走几步，摇摇晃晃走了几步，体力渐渐恢复后，他终于跑到了目的地。
很多人都不理解他为了什么如此疯狂地跑，他的一部分长跑活动也是为慈善机构来募捐。他解释说，长跑让他呼吸户外的新鲜空气，人充满了活力，离开枯燥封闭的办公室去探索周围的自然世界，长跑让他保持谦卑的心态。有些人要去教堂来感受内心的宁静， 而他喜欢跑在绵延曲折的路上通过长跑体验安静。 长跑让他感受孤独，当他回到人群当中更能享受与家人朋友在一起的快乐时光。另外，现代人的生活实在太安逸、舒适了，人反而很快失去奋斗的勇气与向上的精神，而人在努力、挣扎时，前方有目标时，人虽然经受着磨难，却能感受着自身顽强的生命力，人的斗志与潜力被激发，而通过流汗，努力训练取得的成就感，是一种最良好的感受。他说，“In the struggle, there is a magic”.
掩卷沉思，意义真是人人面临，最让人困惑的问题，而让人不敢深想，因为明天正向着你扑来，等着自己这个救火员来扑火。等你不必再扑火，你的生命意义也已经基本完成。
02-03-2008
作者: 梦冉 时间: 2008-9-12 03:14
写得好! 很积极的人生态度. 怪不得你的名字是晨思呢. 晨跑, 对吗? 长跑有益于思.
我喜欢美国人这一点, 很积极. 美国人最怕别人说他是: LOSER.
作者: weili 时间: 2008-9-12 15:07
长跑上瘾，好像是激发出了人体中的一种化学物质，我记不清楚了。：))
作者: 晨思 时间: 2008-9-12 18:43
谢梦冉为力。
长跑有益于思，一点不错。我把它当作个人的“修行”。长跑做为亚洲僧人的修行的一部分已经有很长的历史。
长跑容易上瘾，很对。不过所有的运动都让人感觉良好。我也打网球，运动让人兴奋，这是肯定的。有时感觉身体对精神的作用大于精神对身体的作用。
作者: 更其 时间: 2008-9-12 20:41
长跑好像是挺能励志的，那个Forrest Gump 的秘诀就是run,run,run...
作者: weili 时间: 2008-9-12 21:07
晨思，我查到了，这个化合物的英文叫Endorphins 。
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphin
Endorphinsare endogenous opioid polypeptide compounds. They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during strenuous exercise [1],[2], excitement, and orgasm[3]; and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a sense of well-being. Endorphins work as "natural fever relievers", whose effects may be enhanced by other medications.
这个作业留给你了，你用中文翻译解释吧。：))
作者: 晨思 时间: 2008-9-13 12:24
为力好玩，把orgasm也翻腾出来了。
不仔细翻译了，endorphins的作用是减少身体痛感，对降低心理压力有好处。大运动量，持久的（至少三十分钟以上）的锻炼（prolonged excercise) 会让endorphins释放出来，让人感觉良好。不过这是理论，也有些争议的。我半年前腰部受过伤，不敢跑得太长，做点yoga 也很不错，释放压力很有效果。
现代人蛮可怜的，一方面应付着巨大的生存压力，一方面还得想方设法给自己减压，否则人能被压扁，彻底失去生活的乐趣。运动让人重新体会生命原始的力量，某种层面上的回归自然。
作者: 晨思 时间: 2008-9-13 13:20
Meditation in Action （by Osho)
It is natural and easy to keep alert when you are in movement. When you are just sitting silently, the natural thing is to just fall asleep. When you are lying on your bed it is very difficult to keep alert because the whole situation helps you to fall asleep. But in movement naturally you cannot fall asleep, you function in a more alert way. The only problem is that the movement can become mechanical.
It happens many times to runners. You might not think of running as a meditation, but runners sometimes have felt a tremendous experience of meditation. And they were surprised, because they were not looking for it – who thinks that a runner is going to experience God? But it has happened. And now, more and more, running is becoming a new kind of meditation. It can happen when running.
If you have ever been a runner, if you have ever enjoyed running in the early morning when the air is fresh and young and the whole world is coming back from sleep, awakening – you were running and your body was functioning beautifully, the fresh air, the new world born again out of the darkness of the night, everything singing all around, you were feeling so alive. . . A moment comes when the runner disappears, and there is only running. The body, mind and soul start functioning together, suddenly an inner orgasm is released.
Runners have sometimes come accidentally on the experience of the fourth, turiya,* although they will miss it – they will think it was just because of running that they enjoyed the moment: that it was a beautiful day, the body was healthy and the world was beautiful, and it was just a certain mood. They will not take note of it – but if they do take note of it, my own observation is that a runner can come close to meditation more easily than anybody else.
Jogging can be of immense help, swimming can be of immense help. All these things have to be transformed into meditations.
Drop the old ideas of meditations – that just sitting underneath a tree in a yoga posture is meditation. That is only one of the ways, and it may be suitable for a few people but it is not suitable for all. For a small child it is not meditation, it is torture. For a young man who is alive and vibrant it is repression, it is not meditation.
Start running in the morning on the road. Start with half a mile and then one mile and come eventually to at least three miles. While running use the whole body; don’t run as if you are in a straitjacket. Run like a small child, using the whole body – hands and feet – and run. Breathe deeply and from the belly. Then sit under a tree, rest, perspire and let the cool breeze come; feel peaceful. This will help very deeply.
Sometimes just stand on the earth without shoes and feel the coolness, the softness, the warmth. Whatsoever the earth is ready to give in that moment, just feel it and let it flow through you. And allow your energy to flow into the earth. Be connected with the earth.
If you are connected with the earth, you are connected with life. If you are connected with the earth, you are connected with your body. If you are connected with the earth, you will become very sensitive and centered – that’s what is needed.
Never become an expert in running: remain an amateur so that alertness may be kept. If you feel sometimes that running has become automatic, drop it; try swimming. If that becomes automatic then try dancing. The point to remember is that movement is just a situation to create awareness. While it creates awareness it is good. If it stops creating awareness, then it is no more of any use; change to another movement where you will have to be alert again. Never allow any activity to become automatic.
* Turiya, or fourth, refers to a transcendental state beyond mind, heart or body.
作者: 悟空 时间: 2008-9-17 09:31
与晨思有同好。
越野长跑、骑车、登山，可以使人与大自然融为一体，这种感觉是在gym里找不到的。在河海湖泊里游泳也一样，“自信人生一百年，会当击水三千里”，这曾是我向往的境界，但是很难做到。现在的目标是参加横渡Chesapeake海湾的游泳。
长跑确可激发endorphin,英文里有个说法叫runner's high，指的就是这个过程和它激发的感觉。
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