I really enjoyed Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.  Great read.

born to runBorn to Run is a book about the Tarahumara people of the rugged canyon country of Northern Mexico.  But it’s also a book about history, business, nutrition, biology, evolution, individualism and community, motivation, and yes, even running.  The author describes himself as an oft-injured middle-aged journalist who sees men twice his age running hundreds of miles a month without any of the heel, ankle, knee, hip, and back problems he’s experienced.  How do they do it?

The quest for answers leads McDougall through the druglords’ backyard in Mexico, the mountains of Colorado, and to the plains of Africa.  He encounters an impressive cast of supporting characters along the way, including elite ultrarunners, doctors, Nike executives, scientists, and the mysterious Caballo Blanco.

I learned how humans are uniquely engineered for distance running, and why the more expensive running shoes create more injuries.  Intrigued by the supposed benefits of barefoot running, last week I left my Brooks behind and took to the sidewalks and office parks near our home “commando” style — and it felt great!  I’d gone shoe-less on the treadmill a few times but there was something special about going outside.

Even as just a one-time-half-marathoner who doesn’t particularly love running, I was really inspired by Born to Run.  It makes you want to get out there and hit the pavement and the trails.  In the end, the moral of McDougall’s story is that less is more and that as a reminder to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, even though we’ll probably never know what it feels like to run a 100 mile race.

Thanks Doug for the recommendation!

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