Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek, Steve Friedman Read Free Book Online

important is to do them correctly and regularly.
For example, to stretch the hamstring, lie flat on your back and loop a belt or piece of rope around the ball of one foot, holding the ends of the rope in each hand. Keeping your legs straight, lift the roped leg (without pulling on the rope) as high as you can. Keep lifting until you feel a slight stretch in the back of the thigh, then use the rope to pull until the stretch is slightly—but just slightly—deeper. The stretch should be neither difficult nor painful. Hold for 2 seconds. Then relax and lower your leg to the floor. Repeat five to ten times.
This exercise uses the Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) technique, which I prefer and which is quick (you can do your daily routine in 5 to 10 minutes), easy, and effective. Whether you stretch before exercise or after (as I do), using the active isolated technique, there’s no excuse not to stretch.
     
    Apple-Cinnamon Granola
    The secrets to this recipe are the soaked oat groats and the hemp milk. Soaking the oat groats (the whole-grain form of oats) promotes the release of enzymes that aid digestion. Hemp seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, and hemp milk creates a creamy, light accompaniment to the crunchy granola. It’s perfect for before or after a morning workout or race.
     
1–2
teaspoons coconut oil
4
cups raw oat groats, soaked in water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight, then drained
1
apple, cored and sliced
½
cup dried coconut flakes
2
teaspoons ground cinnamon
2
tablespoons maple syrup or 1 tablespoon agave nectar
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
½
teaspoon sea salt
½
cup raw almonds, chopped
½
cup pumpkin seeds, chopped
⅔
cup raisins
    Preheat the oven to 250°F. Grease two baking sheets with the oil.
    Process the oats, apple, coconut, cinnamon, sweetener, vanilla, and salt in a food processor for 30 seconds. Scrape sides, process for another 30 seconds, and repeat one more time. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and combine with the almonds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins. Mix thoroughly with a spoon.
    Spread the mixture in a thin layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 2 to 4 hours, turning the granola over a few times with a spatula, until dried and crisp. You can set the oven temperature higher and reduce the baking time, but be sure to check frequently to avoid burning.
    Cool and stir in the raisins. Serve with non-dairy milk and sliced banana or fresh berries. Keeps for 3 to 4 weeks in an airtight container.
    MAKES 8–10 SERVINGS
    Hemp Milk
     
¼
cup raw shelled hemp seeds
4
cups water
¼
teaspoon sea salt
1–2
teaspoons agave nectar or maple syrup (optional)
    Place the hemp seeds, water, and salt in a blender and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and milky. For sweeter milk, add agave nectar or maple syrup to taste. Hemp milk keeps for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
    MAKES 5 CUPS

5. The Pride of the Cake Eaters
    RUNNING AROUND WITH DUSTY, 1992–93
Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.
— KURT COBAIN
     
    Dusty’s dad spent his days at the bars, and his mom—who worked at the Lutheran church—would give Dusty a quarter and tell him to go play. That was when he was five years old. He rode his BMX bike to the Y and spent the day there, swimming, running around, getting into trouble. When Dusty was twelve, his dad drove the family car to a bar and never came back. Soon after that he divorced Dusty’s mom, and Dusty didn’t see his father for years. His mom started dating a guy who hated Dusty and kicked him around. Dusty didn’t spend much time at home.
    I, on the other hand, was either studying, helping my mom around the house, skiing, lifting weights (something I learned about at ski camp), or hanging out with my girlfriend. (It seemed that girls liked athletes.)
    Dusty drank. All the kids knew that. We also knew (or thought we knew) that he mouthed off to cops and seduced not just high school girls but barmaids and coeds. He didn’t just beat