Check this amazing story out...the monk marathon runners

I came across this posting in rec.running in Google Groups. I thought that it was fascinating and maybe you'll enjoy it as well as you contemplate your own marathon training.

The run of a lifetime. Japan's athlete monks run up to two marathons a day for 100 days on their path of enlightenment. James Davis, Sunday April 22, 2001. The London Observer.
Some of the world's best athletes will give a very good run for their money in the London Marathon, others will just pick up their appearance fee and potter round without threatening to win. The world's top distance runners are well rewarded - the best earn one million dollars a year - and they reckon to run only two or three marathons a year. What a comparison that is to a group of men who can claim - though they never do - to be the greatest, toughest, most committed athletes in the world. They run for no other reward than spiritual enlightenment, hoping to help themselves along the path of Buddha towards a personal awakening. They are the so-called 'marathon monks' of Mount Hiei, Japan.

To read the whole story go to Dave's article at the address below. Cheers Dave
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/rec.running/browse_thread/thread/eeaf1f3d31800b97?hl=en&