I think it’s safe to say, I am not an athlete and if I were inclined to break a sweat on a daily basis, it would not be by running. Christopher McDougall’s new book, Born to Run sincerely made me want to hit the trail -- barefoot!
Christopher McDougall is an editor for “Men’s Health” magazine who, as a big man, was always trying to recover from or endure some form of injury resulting from running. Doctor after doctor told Chris that the human body was not designed to withstand the abuse caused by running -- yet, “There’s something so universal about that sensation, the way running unites our two most primal impulses: fear and pleasure…” leading McDougall on an adventure and race that not only changed the way he ran but which also changed his life.
While in Mexico on an unrelated job, McDougall happened on a story about the Tarahumara, a small tribe living in the middle of nowhere, who were able to run miles and miles, up and down mountainsides wearing only sandals. Tracking down the reclusive tribe lead him to Caballo Blanco, a tall, thin white man who ran the canyons and was friends with some of the Tarahumara. Caballo had a dream of staging a ultramarathon (a race of more than 30 miles) in the canyons of the Tarahumara.
This extraordinary memoir is not only a fascinating look at a modern-day tribe living on edge of the world, but also gives great insight into the history and politics of running, running shoes and particularly, ultramarathoning. I would not have believed I would enjoy a book about those subjects so much but, once started, I didn’t put the book down until the race was run. Loved it! ~Patti