Being a natural born runner, I couldn’t resist getting this book. After seeing its cover and title I was immediately drawn to the sense of liberation it emanated. Opening it up for the first time gave me the same feeling I get after my feet hit the pavement to begin a long steady run. Inside, it was every bit as charming as I’d expect from a book about running, even exceeding my expectations at times. There’s a lot of information that even the most experienced runners might not know about. I’d never considered that distance running may have been the very thing that made us human. Or that barefoot running is statistically healthier than using running shoes.
Other parts of the book read like a straight up adventure novel. Essentially the author is in the process of training for the most challenging run of his life: a 50-mile trek through the Copper Canyon of Mexico, where an ancient tribe of luddites called the Tarahamara run over mountains all day wearing nothing but sandals for support. These world-famous runners have been an intriguing force in the north, where many gringos have studied their technique for ideas on how to run great distances without suffering injuries. The author teams up with a bunch of oddball Americans set to challenge the Tarahamara, making it surprisingly entertaining at times. Two of the Americans are hardcore party people, while another prefers to run barefoot and can’t keep his mouth shut. Finally, we have none other than Scott Jurek- the most famous ultrarunner in the world, who happened to be undefeated at the time.
Born To Run has been a great influence on me. It’s made me re-evaluate my form and think about going farther distances. Many great running tips are offered by Eric, the author’s trainer, who also partakes in the race against the Tarahamara. Most memorable were those intermittent gems of prose that made me yearn for the open country, or a dusty jog over some dangerous yet beautiful landscape. When I came to the final word, it turned out to be one of those rare books that I didn’t want to end.
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