# You Were Born to Run



## SevenWritez (Dec 7, 2009)

Some minutes ago I put down Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run" after reading the last sentence to what is one of the most enjoyable and heart-warming books I've ever read. 

Because I'm horrible at writing a synopsis, here is Amazon's:

"Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, _Born to Run_ is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: _Why does my foot hurt?_ In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

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. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as 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 Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.
With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. _Born to Run_ is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run."

I pretty much felt as if my running days were over after my knee took the last of its beatings during my junior year of high school, and since then I've taken to riding my bike to relive the sensation I had when sprinting down an opponent in soccer and feeling the wind press my face and hair. But I can honestly say I'm inspired to go back and slowly work my way back to it after reading everything that happened to the characters who shirked running tradition and pursued what society considers unorthodox: from the diets, to the running methods, to the adornment. 

But honestly, no matter who you are, I recommend this book more so than any piece of fiction I've read in the last few years, and I've read quite a lot. Check it out. I doubt you'll regret it.

EDIT: The link to the book's page on Amazon.

Amazon.com: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (9780307266309): Christopher McDougall: Books


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## Tom88 (Dec 17, 2009)

Disappointed to learn this was not about Springsteen. However it does sound good.


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