One Track Mind: What Running 150 Miles in a Day Can Teach You About Life
- Downloads：9605
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-24 09:52:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Michael Stocks
- ISBN：1838323406
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Reviews
John Spiller
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Michael Stocks is an accomplished ultrarunner who picked up running later in life。 "One Track Mind" documents a 24-hour race where he attempts to qualify to represent Great Britain in the 24 Hour Championships。 The conceit of the book is that Stocks is sharing his thoughts during different parts of the race。 Though he does include things that happen in real time during the race， most of his writing concerns more philosophical matters， such as the motivation to run 24 hours， the support needed， t Michael Stocks is an accomplished ultrarunner who picked up running later in life。 "One Track Mind" documents a 24-hour race where he attempts to qualify to represent Great Britain in the 24 Hour Championships。 The conceit of the book is that Stocks is sharing his thoughts during different parts of the race。 Though he does include things that happen in real time during the race， most of his writing concerns more philosophical matters， such as the motivation to run 24 hours， the support needed， the sacrifices made， etc。 The most interesting observations concerned the interplay of the mental and the physical and how your mental approach to your undertaking affects your performance。 For example， it is easier to run 26 miles if you set out to run 40 because your mind has steeled itself for exertion well beyond 26 miles。If you are looking for a book on how to train for a 24 hour race， you will be disappointed。 If you are looking for a well-written book on the experience of running 24 hours on a 400 meter track， this will fit the bill。 。。。more
Stacey
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Running and writing both have the capacity to transform everyday life into something extraordinary and wonderful。 A running track is flat， more often than not the view is uninspiring and rarely changes， the track itself is ordinary， like any other， it’s purpose is to be the blank canvas， to be the definition of uninteresting。 Some incredible achievements have happened on running tracks though， from the iconic Iffley Road cinder track of Bannister’s day to more recent memories， especially for tho Running and writing both have the capacity to transform everyday life into something extraordinary and wonderful。 A running track is flat， more often than not the view is uninspiring and rarely changes， the track itself is ordinary， like any other， it’s purpose is to be the blank canvas， to be the definition of uninteresting。 Some incredible achievements have happened on running tracks though， from the iconic Iffley Road cinder track of Bannister’s day to more recent memories， especially for those of us in Britain， of Super Saturday in 2012 when a packed stadium was thrilled by the events taking place on the track， joined by millions at home shouting at their screens。 The track might conjure the mundane; the grinding out of reps， occasionally fun， usually tough， but magic happens there in training too; out of the ordinary comes that split or session that says “I’m ready” or the rush of feeling fast that even some of us slower runners can experience when we’re leaving it all out there。 Track racing can be thrilling too， the pure speed， tactical running， occasionally someone will stumble， pick themselves up， there might be a surge， suddenly things change， we watch on the edges of our seat， or out of our seat！But could a book about a 24 hour race on the track provide any of that sense of magical excitement？ As some people apparently asked about the race itself: “Won’t it be boring？”; the answer from me is an emphatic “No！” Michael Stocks’ “One Track Mind” is told from hour to hour during the Self-Transcendence 24-Hour Track Race and his attempt to earn a place in the GB team at the 24-Hour World Championships。 His target is simple - run as far as he can in 24 hours。 He and his Coach know the distance he needs to be in the running for selection， and he will go as far as he can beyond that to improve his chances。Anji Andrews recommended this to me and lent me a copy so it made its way up the TBR pile; of course she has excellent taste and judgment and I was drawn straight in。 I think I broke a personal record by crying on page 15; I do cry a lot when reading but this was early even for me。 I immediately warmed to Michael， I felt invested in his challenge and read bits out to Guy （“this is like you coming down the stairs！”） The book is in six parts， and then into small chapters of a couple of pages each describing any number of laps of the race tied in beautifully to broader thoughts about the author’s preparations for the race， his life before running became his sport， his family and what he learned along the way。 Although each chapter had its own theme it did not feel contrived， but allowed the broader narrative of what lead him to this point to unfold throughout。 I loved his reflections on his family， his wife， his crew， his club mates and his coach and the significance of the part they all play。 He reminisces on his earlier running at school， watching races with his father and the influence of being brought up in South Africa where the Comrades ‘Marathon’ （c。 56 miles of hilly road running， within cut-off times） is a challenge achieved by many ordinary people and broadcast to an enthusiastic and supportive audience。 His greatest respect is reserved for some of those runners who are running well into later life and his fellow competitors who have helped him along the way。 Sportsmanship， community and the concept of competing ‘with’ others rather than ‘against’ them are themes that come through again， as they have in other books about ultra-running。24 hours is often thought of as a small amount of time， except perhaps when it comes to a race of that duration， which many runners will perhaps never experience。 How often does a day pass in our lives with nothing to separate it from the others？ Running for 24 hours *is* extraordinary， and to be able to capture and articulate what makes it so as the author has achieved here is extraordinary too。 How annoying that someone can be so determined and accomplished at both running *and* writing and still come across as a really nice person！ Highly recommended。 。。。more
Mark
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