Born To Run
It all started with a pain in his foot. Christopher McDougall was a runner. And he developed a pain in his foot that left him limping and gasping in pain every time he tried to run. In the search for the cure to his foot ailment, he found a lot more than he bargained for.McDougall researched and discovered that there exists a tribe of people, hidden deep in the Copper Canyons of Mexico, called the Tarahumara. These people run because no one has ever told them they can’t. And when they run, they run! They run for 60, 75, 100 miles at a time over some of the roughest terrain on the planet! And they do so without serious sports-related injuries! How is this possible?
McDougall’s research and questions take him all over the globe searching for the answers; and partners him with some of the most amazing ultra-athletes ever. And in the end, they enjoy a friendly race with the top runners of the Tarahumara people, in their home in the Copper Canyons, organized by a mysterious gringo runner living in the Canyons named Caballo Blanco.
But along the way, the story gets very interesting. McDougall’s questions and studies lead him to the fascinating conclusion that we were all born to run. Our physiology is designed (or evolved; he is never consistent in his selection of words, much less theories) to make us runners. Not merely sprinters, either. Endurance runners.
McDougall examines the Tarahumara and their passion for running. He explores ultra-athletes, who run 100 to 150 mile races consistently. He gets excited over biological and physiological research on how our bodies handle running long distances. He exhausts every resource to uncover runners, like the Bushmen in Africa, and how they can run down an antelope during the hunt. He exemplifies his findings in his own life. And he excludes nothing.
Born To Run is a great story with an incredible point: the best runners don’t run because they have to. They don’t run because they’re fast. They run because they love running. And they love running with others. There is a solid connection between running and relationships. And when they run the way the Tarahumara run, they run more healthily and safe.
Born To Run is a fascinating story about one man’s search for why we run. And for how to run the best way possible. A gripping tale for runners or non-runners alike, you will be challenged by this story. Give it a read, and then go for a run. And enjoy it!
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