Meditations from the Breakdown Lane: Running Across America

By James E. Shapiro

Book Overview

In the summer of 1980, 34-year-old Jim Shapiro laced his shoes, checked the weather, and started off on a 3,000-mile run across America. It was a minimalist adventure: from Dillon Beach, California to Central Park in New York, he carried what he needed, ate when possible, and slept where he could. Save for a stretch in the desert where a car accompanied him for safety, Shapiro ran the route entirely alone as a self-supported "journeyman." His incredible 3,026-mile solo trek took 80 days.
Meditations from the Breakdown Lane is the captivating chronicle of the physical and mental fortitude required to complete such an arduous journey, as much an exploration of Shapiro's own evolving mental state as of the ever-changing American landscape. With an astute eye and the prose of a poet, Shapiro chronicles the vivid details of his epic endeavor, balanced with his analysis of the challenge. Stripping away the most superficial elements, he captures an honest, unvarnished account of his enjoyment, suffering, boredom, pain, loneliness, frustration, elation, and fatigue and ultimate triumph. With candid sincerity, Shapiro offers portraits of the America he encountered along the way.
For runners, travelers, or anyone who enjoys the challenge 'because it is there, ' this insightful and inspirational book is an essential American travelogue.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1635618525
• ISBN13: 9781635618525
• Release Date: July 2019
• Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Aspirations

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.

Senses at attention...

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.

Excellent account of a transcon run

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.