Born to Run...or Pull...or...

I am definitely digressing a bit this week. My friend Ed turned me on to the book "Born to Run" and I literally ran through it is just a couple of hours. The book written by Christopher McDougall was a terrific read. Unlike my friend Ed, I didn't find myself wanting to leap out of my chair and go for a run, but it did fire me up to continue my search for whatever it is I am seeking......

In the book, the author sets off to find a tribe of the world's greatest distance runners and learn their secrets. Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. The story culminates in the author's participation in the race of a lifetime: a fifty mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country putting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultra-marathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot Ted.....a barefoot running wonder.

The book was so much more than the "how to run correctly" manual that I thought I was picking up. It is an incredibly entertaining story which weaves in and out of the central theme with drama, colorful characters, suspense, mystery, science and sport. The athletic achievements featured throughout are the bonus round in this epic adventure. The "ease" with which they chronicle runs of 20, 30, 50 miles and more, is enough to make anyone feel like a lazy slacker if not passionately engaged in chasing some goal or dream.

So, while the critics, other reviewers and my friend Ed are sure to find certain key points in this read.........it is this feeling of "laziness" that I felt that compelled me to read on more than anything else. As a goal driven soul, a tale with such an incredible pursuit at hand played right into my game.

Of additional personal interest was the fact that the author is not a kid, nor were several of the athletes featured in the book. In fact, there was some science introduced at one point that actually made us 40+ fitness enthusiasts feel good about our ability to perform athletically for years and years with minimal loss of effectiveness.

A truly inspiring read featuring impressive accounts of individual fitness achievements. At the same time an inspiring story about a guy who set out on a pursuit and wouldn't give up until he found the answers.

For us, our pursuit continues: McDougall's book was the kick in the pants I needed to push on. Incidentally, I have been logging more miles the last two weeks too!!