Friday, September 25, 2009

Born to Run



"A hidden tribe, superathletes, and the greatest race the world has never seen"


Thought provoking – Entertaining – Motivating – A must read for runners and non-runners alike!


Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. It has been a while since I have sacrificed night time TV watching for a book, but this one became an addiction. I devoured it in two days and was raving about it non-stop afterwards.


I must admit that after reading the first few chapters I was questioning whether this was a fictional book. I am not that familiar with the ins and outs and personalities within US running circles. This coupled with high tales of the Tarahumaran Indians and a reclusive gringo gone grunge in the deadly Copper Canyons going by the name of Caballo Blanco just threw me for a six. As I eased into the story however I realized that what the author Christopher McDougall was doing was representing every character and their story. If something didn't make sense, it wasn't meant to as there more was to come and loose ends would be tied when they needed to be. He did an outstanding job of not only weaving a magnificent tale but also intertwining tidbits and findings about running science, history and anthropology.


For the reader each character comes alive and you empathize and sympathize with them during their part of the journey. You also begin to question everything that you think you know about running that has been fed to you by the big brand names. Do I need stabilizing shoes to minimize injury or does the shoe in fact cause the injuries? Will running over twenty miles kill my joints or will it set me free?


This book has also been the catalyst for a miracle… my husband has started to run and has been enjoying it. Now, he hasn't read the book (yet) but he has spent a few hours on and off with me discussing a lot of the pertinent issues and findings brought up in the book. I think the enthusiasm and excitement I displayed along with the gleam in my eye as I shared this tale convinced him (or at least tweaked his curiosity) that there was some sense behind running.


This book has inspired me to believe that I was in fact born to run. Oh – and that I want a pair of Vibram Five Fingers (or the like) for Christmas (please Santa).

2 comments:

jenna is awkward said...

I felt the exact same way after I read that book! It makes so much sense. I'm glad you read it! Doesn't it make you kinda want to run an Ultra now :)

Great book review!

Twincerely,Olga said...

HI! looks like a must read!!!just popping over to see what you've been up to!

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