Born to Run
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McDougall reveals the secrets of the world's greatest distance runners--the Tarahumara Indians of Copper Canyon, Mexico--and how 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 super-athletic Americans.
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Add a SummaryBorn to Run is like those dreams many of us have, which start simply and end in the land of the bizarre. In this case, the simple question of why most American runners suffer injuries despite expensive sneakers brings Christopher McDougall to the unforgiving terrain of Mexico's Copper Canyons, home to an indigenous population of ultra-runners, the Tarahumara Indians. They call themselves the Raramuri, or the 'Running People.' They never suffer illness. Eating a diet of ground corn, mouse meat and homemade alcohol — and sleeping no regular hours — the Tarahumara men and woman somehow pack the endurance to run cliff-side races topping one hundred miles and sometimes lasting two days. Their economic system of bartering and pre-Aztec language are an anthropological mystery, but local legend leaking from the canyons has it that men can chase a deer until exhaustion renders the beast an easy kill. McDougall recounts his quest to understand these near superhuman ultra-runners with adrenaline-pumped writing, humor and a distinct voice. Pulling you with him through sun-crisped canyons, plopping you into the path of sweat-less super athletes, and crushing your faith in Nike, he never lets go from his impassioned mantra that humans were born to run. "Way before we were scratching pictures on caves or beating rhythms on hollow trees," he writes, "we were perfecting the art of combining our breath and mind and muscles into fluid self-propulsion over wild terrain." npr science books 2009
One of the best books I've read in a long time. James McDougall's Born to Run is at times, hilariously funny, astounding and inspirational; and some times all three. This book challenges our beliefs as to the limitations of the human spirit and the human body. And.. it might just get you running again.
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Previw of The Perfect Runner
A Nature of Things documentary that explores why we are "Born to Run".
A Barefoot Running Debate: BORN TO RUN
In this episode of BOOKD, find out what a podiatrist, an urban caveman, a professor of evolutionary biology, a world record setting masters runner, and author Christopher McDougall have to say about BORN TO RUN and the barefoot running debate.
Find it at NYPL
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Add a CommentI'm not a sports person but this book totally changed my perspective about sports in general (and running, in particular). Informative, inspiring and funny, too.
I've read a lot of books by runners and triathletes and this book remains a favourite. It changed the way I thought about the mind body connection when I run and gave me the motivation to train for my first full marathon. Read this book!
everyone is right! this is a great book! i usually don't read nonfiction, but this grabbed me right away. good writing too. inspiring.
Great book about running, one of my favorites. Goes in to detail about the history of running and how long-distance running has become popular.
A very good read. So many interesting threads: barefoot/minimal running, persistance hunting, travelogue of remote Mexico, sports injury, etc... It leaves an impression on the reader like few books can.
AMAZING book! Probably one of my favorites so far that I've read this year. The story line is compelling and it's very hard to put this one down.
Fantastic read. Couldn't put it down. The running aspect was almost secondary to the unbelievably interesting people involved in the book. Fascinating.
this book was just fantastic. the barefoot running debate aside, it was utterly inspiring to read about the physical feats of these ultrarunners, whether american or tarahumara. mcdougall is also a great writer, which made this book an absolute page-turner.
I resisted reading this book because it just seemed too trendy at the time, everyone was talking about it and barefoot running and somehow all of the hooplah just annoyed me. But after personal running friends recommended it, I caved. And I'm surprised how much I enjoyed it. All of the hooplah around barefoot running was such a small part of many wonderful things this book has to offer.
Kim 10/10/11