Comments on: It’s So Hard When Contemplated In Advance And So Easy When You Do It

By: It’s So Hard When Contemplated In Advance And So Easy When You Do It « Newpreneur — For the budding entrepreneur

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:34:46 +0000

[...] line all morning long – not just with regard to running, but with regard to everything I do. 34753 Comments »http://www.feld.com/wp/archives/2010/01/its-so-hard-when-contemplated-in-advan... | Posted in: Marathons | Posted by: Brad Feld via [...]

By: It’s So Hard When Contemplated In Advance And So Easy When You Do It « Newpreneur — For the budding entrepreneur

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:34:46 +0000

By: YST

YST — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:10:42 +0000

It's true, doing things helps you build momentum. That's been my experience. Do more, contemplate less, learn to act in face of uncertainty (don't you notice that schools teaches the exact opposite?)

By: Benjamin Rice

Benjamin Rice — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:21:16 +0000

I keep the following, also from Zen…, taped above my desk. It is probably equally appropriate for marathon training as it is for climbing mountains.

"Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire. The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion. Then when you’re no longer thinking ahead, each footstep isn’t just a means to an end but a unique event in itself. This leaf has jagged edges. This rock looks loose. From this place the snow is less visible, even though closer. These are things you should notice anyway. To live only for some future goal is shallow. It’s the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top. Here’s where things grow."

By: Skip Cusack

Skip Cusack — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:34:13 +0000

Brad, thanks for picking out a gem from a book that is a perpetual string of them. I first read Zen and the Art while in my twenties, and it knocked me sideways, even though I thought I had comprehended only a fraction of it. I just finished it again, twenty years later. It's the only book I've ever read twice. Crazy is all in the perspective..

By: @andyidsinga

@andyidsinga — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:26:38 +0000

Fantastic! It is a reminder to tackle any problem and learn as I go.
I've tried to read the book at least 3 times – it has been on my night table for years and is this very moment .
I also a ride and fix my own bike. I find the philosophy that comes out of the corners of thought as Persig describes the riding experience very near and dear to my heart.
Cheers!

By: Sean Benward

Sean Benward — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:04:09 +0000

Good start to my morning reading your post Brad. If this is your first marathon then it will be the most important one of your fife. There are very few accomplishments more gratifying then crossing the 26.2 mile for the first time.

Oddly enough, just doing it is the easiest of which is the hardest. But sometimes the pre-event self inflicted stress is what actually makes just doing it all the more worth while.

So go for it!

By: Mark Barry

Mark Barry — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:43:45 +0000

Thanks for sharing Brad. I think we often get caught up in our own axle sometimes and it's better to just do it, learn, and continuously improve. Good luck with the race!

By: startupbug.com

startupbug.com — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:17:10 +0000

It’s So Hard When Contemplated In Advance And So Easy When You Do It…

I heard this phrase at about 75 minutes into my run this morning. It’s from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a book I’ve read a half dozen times over the years. I decided to listen to it on my iPhone while training for an upcoming marathon, j…

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Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:55:33 +0000

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