Born to Run; A review for Barefoot Thursdays

There are a many books about running out there, most dealing with technique and form; others are biographies of the great runners of the past. My favorite book that I’ve read on running, in fact the book that changed my entire mindset about running is the book, Born to Run, by Christopher McDougal.

Before reading the book I was in the mindset of a lot of would-be runners, I thought that I was genetically predisposed with bad knees and I would never be able to go running on a day-to-day basis. McDougal’s book literally changed all of that. His book is an intriguing blend of storytelling, anthropology, biology, and other sciences.

It follows him as he travels to Mexico’s Copper Canyon to observe the Tarahumara Indians, a group of people that are able to run distances many would find insane. The Tarahumara begin running at early ages, and McDougal highlights a particular social game that they play, a sort of soccer like game, that also prepares them for proper running technique.

Along the way McDougal and his travelling companions, the infamous “Barefoot Ted”, a female competitive Ultramarathoner, and two young running enthusiasts compete in a 50 mile race with the local Indians.

He espouses the virtues of the forefoot strike over the heel strike. (a technique that helped me to overcome my own assumptions about my “bad knees”) He also explores the increasingly popular barefoot running craze.

Another notable scene in the book also mentions the practice of persistence hunting. This style of hunting has been confirmed by anthropologists. Persistence hunting involves a small group of humans slowly and consistently chasing prey until it overheats and dies.

I read the book nonstop, finishing it within a few days, and though it was January when I read it, I couldn’t wait to get out and start running. One of the main themes of the book is that running shouldn’t be work, or a punishment for eating too many calories. Running should be a reward unto itself. The book tries not only to teach a better technique for running, but also a better mindset and love of running.

So, are you one of those people that say, I’m just don’t have the knees for running, or, I’m just not built to be a runner? If so I highly recommend this book, it just may change your mind.