Saturday, May 30, 2015

DOLPHINS DON'T RUN MARATHONS by Sam Brand

HOW MANY OF YOU ARE RUNNERS?

     DOLPHINS DON'T RUN MARATHONS BY SAM BRAND

I asked the question "How many of you are runners?" hoping to get the audience that Sam Brand hoped to get when he wrote this hilarious, but wise, book, Dolphins Don't Run Marathons.















I have never been a runner, and I'm in no danger of becoming one.  For one thing, I am awaiting hip surgery and my primary goal is getting the replacements and then rehab into walking again. However, if you are a runner and becoming more and more serious with each passing day, maybe even making the goal of someday running the New York Marathon, then THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

Sam Brand makes the comparisons between human beings, who run, those who don't run but support the runners and those who don't run, but take life in stride (pardon the pun) or may have run but quit, or may have never run nor supported any one that did run. In fact, they support those runners who may want to quit running. Brand defines the three groups as: THE HUMAN ANTS are the very serious runners, New York Marathon bound. THE HUMAN CHIMPS, those humans who live with or support the runners. The HUMAN DOLPHINS are the wise ones, who have never run, have quit running and don't really support runners unless they are about to quit running and become Human Dolphins for other wanting-to-quit-runners.  The analogies he skillfully draws between humans, ants, chimps and dolphins is unique, but true to the point he is making.  The point, which is probably absurd to any avid runner's ears, is to stop running! The point is that while running, and preparing for long runs, the runner is missing huge parts of life, of the world and of his/her family. The runner is missing the beauty around him/herself and perhaps even, ruining his/her health.  He describes the gaunt look on the runners face as being the result of the skin being pulled down with each jolting running step over the years. He describes the runner's eyes are like those of an ant, large and bulging. He makes comparisons between the anatomy of the ant and why runners are shaped the way that they are shaped.  These kind of comparisons keep the book rolling with humor. 

The reader is given a clue to the book's overall message by the subtitle "26.2 Loving thoughts why you should not run a marathon." The message is found in the 26th Loving Thought: "Happy human chimps and human dolphins around you are likely to help find the way. Human Ant runners listen to the human dolphin and don't become a case study in a runners' world; and it is brought home in "Loving Thought" 26.2:

"Human ant runners, Listen to the wise human dolphin: BE A DOLPHIN, ALL THE OTHER ANIMALS ARE ALREADY TAKEN."

  I'll be a dolphin, dolphins are some of the smartest, wisest animals I know.

This book was given to me as a gift in exchange for my review of the book. All opinions are my own. Arlene Marie Pitts



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