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Born to Run
Book Review - Should You Buy Into the Hype?
Are
you looking for a great running book
to read?
Then I can definitely recommend getting "Born to Run".
This book was written by Christopher McDougall who
is a born runner and a writer in one.
This book is really almost an
ode to running. It is bound to inspire you. I read
this book at a time when I wasn't running that much. Yes, even me,
owner of this website go through periods in which I don't run that
much!
This book got me going again.
This book explains why we were born to run. It
tries to explain the wonders of ultra-running.
Why some people love to
run 50 - 100 mile races.
It will make you realize that running is a gift
provided to us that we should take advantage of. Running has
its own part in human history. The book will explain why.
The Greatest Race The World Has Never Seen
The first part of Born
to Run is the author's
adventure in the Copper Canyons to find a tribe called Raramuri.
Raramuri being translated as "running
people" is a tribe consisting of
Mexican Indians who are considered to be shy around outsiders of the
region.
Outsiders also call them Tarahumara. Their culture revolves
around distance
running.
In fact some of the members of the tribe are considered to be
some of the greatest distance runners on the face of the earth.
Along his journey, the author meets up with a mysterious American
living in the Copper Canyons with the Tarahumara tribe.
His name is
Caballo Blanco ("White Horse").
Caballo shares his ultimate dream with
McDougall.
This dream is to host a race between the Raramuri and some of
the
best ultra distance runners alive.
The race is to be held in the Copper Canyons. The race is going to be a
strenuous 50
mile ultra marathon course and as they plan it, the author
finds himself meeting some of the colorful
characters in the ultra world.
McDougall is a great writer and really draws you into the book. At some
point you will not want to put the book down as you need to know if
this race is going to be held at all and if so, who will win it!
The great thing about this book is also that it is not a work of
fiction. Caballo Blanco is a real person as are the ultramarathoners
described in the book. Unfortunately Caballo Blanco passed away in
2012. His legacy, the Copper Mountain Ultramarathon, lives on.
Scientific Components of the Book
The amazing thing about this book is that you feel like you are reading
thirty stories in one. McDougall draws a lot into the story, however it
all fits together and comes together in the end.
Apart from the
main story, there are some interesting scientific
components of the book as well.
One part I particularly liked is
the writer's story about his
own preparations for this race. How he trained, what he
ate, how he
changed his lifestyle and how it made him feel.
Another part is about shoes and how the running shoe industry
has created shoes that are not optimal for running.
This part
of the story is closely related to the title of the book and a look to
prehistoric times, which will answer the question of why we, humans,
are "Born to Run".
Barefoot Running Craze
The book has helped cause a bit of a craze around barefoot running. The
barefoot / natural running movement was up and coming anyway,
but Born to Run brought
it to the masses.
It's rare that books accomplish this, i.e. create a hype. That alone is
enough reason to check out this book.
Conclusion
Are you a runner in need of a little inspiration? Then you
need to
get this excellent running book.
It is a book that makes you realize how much joy you get out of running
and how natural it is for people. In fact, it's why we, as a
species exist. Want to know why? Then get Born to Run today!
Be careful though, buying this book may lead to a long and healthy life
spent running... Maybe even barefoot.... :)
Click
here to find out more about Born to Run
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