Customer Reviews

Meditations from the Breakdown Lane: Running Across America

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I have read Shapiro's book several times. It details the very dispute that goes through his head as he runs 40+ miles per day from Coast to Coast. His book helped inspire me to run across the country as well and his words were with me each day. An excellent book well worth finding.

I read the book when it first came out in the 1980s. A few days ago--Feb. 2012--I pulled it from the shelf again. My markings 30+ years ago indicated how much it impressed me then. At that time I was a runner too but a marathon was a long daya and only happened twice over 28 years. Ultramarathons were but a dream. Those days and dreams ended with a knee replacement some years back.

However, now, as a long distance bicyclist, I am finding the book just as inspiring. Shapiro's writing gets at the essence, the Zen, of long sustained effort over time. You come to find out who you are. You keep going. You eventually learn you are the thing that keeps going. There is a sense of peace and deep accomplishment with that kind of sustained effort, where you finally take yourself to the essentials. As one of his teachers said, breathe in the world, breathe out the self. His writing expresses this very fine experience well. I would call it a spiritual book, one that any endurance athlete will find satisfying in a deep way, like the endurance activity itself.

Will I ever run across the country, as James Shapiro relates in this text? I don't know, but I wouldn't doubt it. While most people laugh at the scenes of Forrest Gump running across the country, this story brings it to real life. And what a life it would be. The sections through Nevada and Wyoming are the most vivid for me, with the desolate landscapes and the longing for a supply vehicle. The mental strength required to complete this task becomes clear as Mr. Shapiro progresses through his journey. I have read this book twice and found it just as enjoyable the second time. The third time will be soon as I am looking for something to inspire me. Maybe it will get me out the door, although it won't likely to be on a journey across the country (yet.) A journey of 3000 miles begins with a single step. Maybe Meditations will be your first step.

Mr. Shapiro is a storyteller. The journey runner Bob Dylan. Slick Rick. Johnny Cash. His words captivate and affect. Brush strokes drawn from the experiencial pallete of a colorful character, they allow others to accompany him on a journey of self-exploration and realization. Having had the good fortune of knowing Mr. Shapiro - he was my grade school teacher, cross-country and track coach and remains my friend and mentor - I expected something deep and real from the record of his transcon run. As usual the modest poet and philosopher left me marveling at his feats of body and mind, inspired to rise to my own. Beauty at its essence, Meditations is like a clear pool on an overcast day. If you look at it long enough you will see not only the surface but what lies beneath. Look again and you may find that you too are dancing with the soft water. I highly recommend Meditations From the Breakdown Lane to any and all.

I ordered 'Meditations From The Breakdown Lane' as a used book, and it arrived promptly and was in good condition. The price was right, and the book is an outstanding read! I would definitely buy a used item from Amazon again, and this reseller was great as well!