Good Views on the Tarahumara, Ultra Running, Minimalist Running Shoes but It is an Exciting Adventure and a...

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	• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen Christopher McDougall Knopf, 2009 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 363 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Awesome and Inspiring

I came to this story having heard great things about it from a running standpoint. I'm a fledgling distance runner and was looking for some inspiration and tips. What I hadn't expected was that this would be a compelling story, one full of fascinating characters, mystery, intrigue, and humor. I didn't expect such an excellent STORY.

When the author's foot started to hurt and he was told that perhaps he just shouldn't run anymore, something about that didn't seem right to him. It seemed to him that all humans ought to have the right equipment to run. As he is not only a runner, but also a journalist, the author has a great many resources when he comes across a theory he wishes to explore. So he set off to find a legendary (mythical?) running tribe in Mexico called the Tarahumara.

Along the way toward fixing his own physical problems, the author takes deadly drives through Mexican drug country, follows ultrarunning circuits, gets involved in the planning stages of an epic race between obsessed Americans and Tarahumara Indians, and speaks to evolutionary biologists who theorize that man evolved to be a runner.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I was able to gain some usable tips from it that relate to my own running, but more than that, I was simply pulled into this amazing story of people who love to run and who are capable of pushing their bodies to do truly incredible things.

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A Runner's Manifesto - Brilliant!

Author Christopher McDougall starts off this carnival of endurance by asking a simple question: Why does my foot hurt? From there the story jumps off the line and delves into cutting-edge science and medicine, tribal customs, insane ultramarathons (100-mile footraces), philosophy, psychology and stories which seem to blur the lines between reality and fantasy and convincingly show that everything you know about running is wrong.

For instance, the startling revelation that high-priced, ultra-cushioned running shoes have actually increased the number of running injuries or that our ancestors once hunted by simply running animals to exhaustion. McDougall blends investigative journalism with a mix of rich storytelling, slowly revealing to the reader a fascinating thesis, that humans may indeed be born to run.

Much of the book revolves around a secretive and primative tribe of Indians tucked away in the walls of Mexico's treacherous Copper Canyon. These evasive natives are known for their ability to run for days without stopping, up and down the steep canyon walls with nothing more than sandals made from tire treads and a little pinole and homemade alcohol. They are also known for their deep suspicion of outsiders, making McDougall's journey to understand their methods and eventually organize a race with them, even more incredible.

Aside from the Tarahumara, we are introduced to some of the greatest ultra-endurance runners the world has ever known...and a bizarre cast of characters at that. We hear their stories and share in their agony and extreme bliss. People like Seattle's Scott Jurek, who ran the 153-mile Badwater Ultra (Death Valley to Mt Whitney in 130deg heat) in 24hrs 36min, or barefoot Ted, the chatty millionaire who discovered the secret to pain-free running when he threw away his shoes, and a wild young hippie girl named Jenn who drinks beer before races then demolishes the field, including all the men.

This book is an interesting blend of science and art. It questions some basic assumptions and uncovers a host of improbable discoveries about exercise and human nature. You are left with a desire to more deeply share in an understanding known only to a select group of people, mainly that the human body is more capable than we ever dared to believe.

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Great!

Great book.
I particulary loved the sections describing the racing.
Also, the theory behind barefoot running was fascinating. After being to numerous doctors during my own running days, it was refreshing to hear some solid facts about the benefits of just running barefoot (or as the Tarahumara - in sandels).
I did have one complaint. One chapter was way too involved, and I can't remember which chapter it was, but what a waste of time. I read it, but regrettably.

Good Views on the Tarahumara, Ultra Running, Minimalist Running Shoes but It is an Exciting Adventure and a Little Crazy

I am not an ultra runner, but a long time runner, and my interest was primarily about the Tarahumara Indians that can run endlessly in relatively simple, hard rubber soled sandals and fast enough to compete with the worlds best ultra runners. These shy tribesmen live in a very remote area of northern New Mexico and the author seeks them out to learn their secret and to change the way his large, frequently injured body runs. I was initially amused by the author's running plights, many sounded familiar, and I was somewhat confused by his seeking of a ghost named Caballo that ran among the Indians until it became evident that Caballo was real and essentially was an American seeking refuge among the Indians for the simple life and a zealous dedication to ultra running. The author covers a lot of ground about amazingly getting several tribesman to run a rugged ultra race in America against the best and in turn, the amazing part, eventually recruits the national champion and several other fascinating runners (and characters) to travel an immense distance into the primitive area of the Tarahumara to run an ultra on their course. The author takes a commercial break to run several chapters that are quite interesting about the biological differences of species and in particularly what makes man a better long distance runner than animals. He also covers nutrition and of particular interest, a lot of detail on how the Tarahumara run as in barefoot and pretty much whacks Nike and the Saint of Nike Bill Bowerman in producing bulky, gait neutralizing shoes that create, in the minimalist theory, greater injuries and less efficiency. I do recall well, simple Adidas Gazelles in the 70s, lightweight, flat running shoes that felt great to workout in and light enough for the financially challenged runner to race in. Interesting theory whether you agree or not, I think there is some merit but like Shoe Guy in 'Running Times" said, we grew up with wearing shoes with heels so it's not for everyone" (by the way, he owns a lot of running stores too). He gets back to the race, describing the competitive event in exciting detail. The course features extraordinary rugged terrain and the hazards involved with minimal water on the course in a hot climate that is beyond challenging. In fact, the group run before the race turned into a scary YOYO run (your on your own) that almost cost them the dynamic, hard partying couple from VA. Beach. Some of the folk like Caballo and Barefoot Ted seem like a product of the imagination but they are real and you can actually find them on the web. The book is quite expansive, taking you on a literal bold journey to a remote and simple part of the world while espousing on the extreme lifestyle of running and living that is perpetual happiness for many and a completely different lifestyle for the critter that runs ultras

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Fantastic read!

This is one of the best books I have read in a decade! I literally would not allow myself to read it all in one sitting in order to stretch out my reading pleasure as long as possible. This book is a complete page turner and so informative and thought-provoking on so many levels. READ IT!

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world?s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico?s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.

With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

From the Hardcover edition.

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