"The Elements of Effort...

...Reflections on the Art and Science of Running" is a little book of 207 pages, written by the late John Jerome. I rediscovered it the other day while browsing my bookshelves in search of something to read and something that would easily fit into my ever-present day pack for those occasional "sabbath moments" that invite turning a page or two. J gave me the book as a birthday gift some nine years ago and I remember reading it with great enjoyment. Despite its rather "clinical" sounding title, it is a delightful, conversational, Thoreau-like read that offers wisdom and insight into an endless list of running-related topics. Even if the reader is not absolutely passionate about this self-propelled activity, Jerome will entertain and enlighten with his short essays on topics to which we can all easily relate - including the subject of "proprioception", which explains why we sometimes stumble down trails! Smile!

The book got me thinking a lot about the nature of "effort". The consideration of effort is probably a part of every decision we make and every action we take thoughout the day. The fact that we consider the matter of effort countless times in any given day, it is probably something we do that is often below the level of the conscious. From the moment we decide to rise in the morning to rolling back into bed at night, our personal consideration of the "effort required" guides our every movement and activity. Effort is all about exertion, mental and physical, and probably even emotional and spiritual. Is any given activity...worth the effort (trouble)? Often we elect not to do something, simply because the perceived amount of effort seems overwhelming, or at least not sufficiently productive in light of our innate need to honour the principle of "conservation of energy" - saving limited energy for activities necessary for survival. (Which, by the way, is why we kayakers need to take great care not to paddle so close to sunning seals that they must expend their limited energy taking evasive action from us! With regards to power boats that harass and attempt to follow local resident whales - I won't go there on this posting!)

In my more pensive moments, I sometimes wonder if there have been important activities, connections, learning and growing experiences that I've missed out on - simply because I could not be bothered to pursue them due to the perceived effort required. Undoubtably, there have been lots.

An important lesson was learned this morning as I watched a tugboat and barge out on the Strait of Georgia. The fact is, I didn't even see the tugboat at first. It was raining and the boat was lost in the mist - only the massive barge was visible, its blunt bow rendering the oncoming waves into explosive spray and foam. When the boat finally did appear, it appeared so tiny, so small, as it appeared to struggle against the brisk south-easterly wind and waves - connected to a dead weight almost a kilometre behind it. I wondered how it could make any progress at all, the effort seemingly beyond its ability. Gosh, one must have to patient to be a tugboat captain - with forward progress so imperceptably slow!

Returning from a task, about an hour later, I looked out over the water. The mist had cleared and the tugboat and barge were nowhere to be seen - ah yes, there they were, almost out of sight! They had traversed almost my whole field of vision - what a lesson!

Thinking about it, we probably all have far more energy that we give our selves credit for having. We are probably all capable of more effort than we would ever dare expend. Remember Goran Kropp, the Swedish adventurer? We heard him speak at the Banff Mountain Film Festival back in November 1999. He had a warm smile, a wonderful sense of humour, and an air of humility - one would never have imagined what he had just done. He had ridden his bicycle 11,000 kilometres from Jonkoping, Sweden to Everest Base Camp, summitted Mount Everest (solo and without supplemental oxygen) - and then rode his bike home! Now that's effort!!! Sadly, Goran died in a climbing accident near Seattle in 2002 - but not before reminding us what the human spirit is capable of achieving when effort is not sidestepped.

Kind of makes you rethink what's possible...with effort. Hmm, probably worth giving any worthwhile goal or activity just a little more of it. With effort...perhaps we could change the world. At the very least, I think we'd make our days just a little richer - and all those with whom our lives and loves connect.

D.