Born to Run got me passionate about running again. It’s one of those books where it’s hard to read for extended periods because all you want to do is go out and run.
The premise of the book is obviously that we are Born to Run. The simplicity of the premise along with the exciting ultra races, tribes, and running styles opened up a whole new running world to me.
For example, I had never heard of barefoot running before. I had never heard of ultra-running (100 mile races). I had never heard of the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico.
Since reading the book, I have been running more and have been enjoying it a lot more. I have recommended this book to nearly every runner I know.
The author, Chris McDougall, embarked on the writing of this book after experiencing debilitating running injuries. He asked a simple question. With all of our new shoe technology since the 1970′s, why have running injuries continued? In his search for the answer, he came across a Mexican tribe who would go do 100 mile fun runs. In sandals! Why could this tribe
The answer seemed to be due to a few factors. One, they don’t wear cushioned shoes. And secondly, they love running. They didn’t run to lose weight or reach a goal. They simply love running.
But to get to these answers, you get to read about some exciting races, intriguing characters, and new theories about running in a healthy way. This book gave me confidence to listen to my body when running. The body is pretty good at telling you if something is wrong.
I’m now reading a book on barefoot running after becoming aware of it and intrigued by it due to this book.
If you are a runner, this book is a must-read.
