Born to run

Early one Saturday morning in June whilst lying in bed and thinking about the day ahead, I get a WhatsApp message from my brother Ryan "Can you send me your address?". I replied with my address and questioned if it was my birthday…he simply replied "Yeah". My birthday was in March so I knew it couldn't have been. 

A few days later all was revealed. I received a parcel. I opened it to discover a book by Christopher McDougall called Born to run. There wasn't a note but I knew it was from Ryan.

I've now finished the book and this is my review:

The book starts off with the author looking to remedy a long standing running injury he's been having. He learns of a hidden tribe of indigenous Ultra Runners in Mexico called the Tarahumara, who are able to run up to 200 miles in one session, across dirt tracks, following goat trails, up and over mountains and wading through rivers….in their sandals! Traditionally it was a means to travel between villages but they also do it for fun. Yes, fun! Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy running but couldn't imagine running such distances. That is, before I read this book. Since reading this book, I have felt inspired to run one…maybe! Well, I will see how I feel after I complete a marathon. Ryan said to me recently "Once you run more than 50 miles, you can run any distance!". Oh is that all?!

The first running shoe was said to have been created in 1972, it's from this time that the book alleges that a certain manufacturer of the shoe is responsible for the running injuries we have today, as these issues didn't exist before. I would argue that perhaps the injuries weren't documented before this time. However, valid points are made regarding the cushioned running shoes and why these are attributed to knee, achilles and hip problems. The book also points out the human foot is a perfect piece of engineering and didn't need improving in the first place, it just needed strengthening.

Another interesting chapter is how humans evolved to become long distance runners, which was key to their survival and hunting. I won't give away too much here but the chapter starts off by looking at why the cheetah and the jackrabbits are fast runners. It is a compelling chapter and certainly a mind opener.

The author meets lots of interesting characters along the way as he does his research. He describes them so well that you feel you’re with him when he meets them. You’ve got the White Horse, Barefoot Ted, the California surfer couple and Bob. During the race scenes I felt I was running with them, tasting the dirt from the track, feeling the heat as I tried to keep up with them as I ran the course.

The final chapter was fascinating, so much so, that I read it twice, I was captivated and didn't want the book to end.

This book will obviously appeal to runners but I would also recommend this to anyone who likes to explore and appreciates the challenge of being out in the wilderness. Whoever you are, you will never look at a pair of sandals in the same way again.