Born to Run; a great read

Looking for something to read? Preferably something to do with running? I can recommend Born to Run by Christopher McDougal.

The starts with the question; "Why does I hurt when I run?" In order to find the answer to this question the author tackels various subjects like:

• barefoot / natural / chi running
• ultra running
• the evolution of mankind
• the Tarahumara tribe

The storyline

In pursuit of the answer to his question the author meet various people with various views on running but in general the outline of the message is the same. Forget al the modern equipment (shoes) en try to run as natural as possible an above all: enjoy!

Chris find its way into Mexico to look for Caballo Blanco, an american ultra running athlete who lives among the Tarahumara. A tribe of indians in the Sierra Madre of Mexico. Renown for their ultra running capabilities. Through him he learns about their diet and how they enjoy running, already from a early age.

This Caballe Blanco has a wild idea: Bring together the best of the Tarahumara and  American Ultra Runners in a race. The Copper Canyon Marathon. Among the american runners is Scott Jurek and Barefoot Ted.

The pictur to the right shows Scott Jurek in action with the best of the Tarahumara:Arnulfo Quimare. Pay attention to the sandals the Tarahumara use for running.

I wont tell who wins the race.

The style
The book is written like any popular crime novel. It is a pleasant and addictive read. The story leading up to the race is intertwined with side steps. Introducing the runners and the science of running. Including our own evolution.

The evolution of mankind as runners

In this book the theory is posed that the reason man started to walk upright on two legs was to hunt down animals. Not by shear power or speed;but ENDURANCE. Thanks to the way we are build. Thanks to evolutionary features like sweat, breathing in a rhythm separately from our running pace etc. It is also an explanation why on the longer distance the gap between men and women in the running game becomes less and less.

Wanna know more? Click on the TEDx video below for an 18 minute talk by the author Christopher McDougal himself.


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