IGX

This is a book about a hobby runner's trip into the Copper Canyons of Mexico to try and learn about the Tarahumara and why they can run so far injury free.

It starts out as the author trying to find out ways to improve his running ability and alleviate injuries without surgery or expensive insoles. It turns into a story about a misfit living among the Tarahumara and his dream to bring in known ultra runners and have them race against the Tarahumara in their own territory rather than going to the US to race.

I won't say it's a great book but I enjoyed reading it. In fact I started reading a little before midnight Monday night and finished the book at around 530 AM.

It touches on a lot of the things we discuss here i.e. tempo, barefooting, POSE/Chirunning, and Dirt Diva even gets a mention.

I highly recommend this book but unless you love reading about running then I'd either check it out at the library or wait for the paper back rather than spend $25 on the hardback.

I enjoyed it and it actually inspired me to get a little more serious about trail running and my running in general. Had to smile at the Dirt Diva reference!

I liked that book as well. A quick entertaining read. We talked a little about it in an earlier thread on persistence hunting.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=206877&p=385188&hil ... ng#p385188

thanks for the review. I've been looking at it online since we mentioned it, but it's not available at the library yet.

If they really mention the DD, that's hilarious.

Question: Born to Run explores the life and running habits of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyon, arguably the greatest distance runners in the world. What are some of the secrets you learned from them?

Christopher McDougall: The key secret hit me like a thunderbolt. It was so simple, yet such a jolt. It was this: everything I’d been taught about running was wrong. We treat running in the modern world the same way we treat childbirth—it’s going to hurt, and requires special exercises and equipment, and the best you can hope for is to get it over with quickly with minimal damage.

Then I meet the Tarahumara, and they’re having a blast. They remember what it’s like to love running, and it lets them blaze through the canyons like dolphins rocketing through waves. For them, running isn’t work. It isn’t a punishment for eating. It’s fine art, like it was for our ancestors. Way before we were scratching pictures on caves or beating rhythms on hollow trees, we were perfecting the art of combining our breath and mind and muscles into fluid self-propulsion over wild terrain. And when our ancestors finally did make their first cave paintings, what were the first designs? A downward slash, lightning bolts through the bottom and middle—behold, the Running Man.

The Tarahumara have a saying: “Children run before they can walk.” Watch any four-year-old—they do everything at full speed, and it’s all about fun. That’s the most important thing I picked up from my time in the Copper Canyons, the understanding that running can be fast and fun and spontaneous, and when it is, you feel like you can go forever. But all of that begins with your feet. Strange as it sounds, the Tarahumara taught me to change my relationship with the ground. Instead of hammering down on my heels, the way I’d been taught all my life, I learned to run lightly and gently on the balls of my feet. The day I mastered it was the last day I was ever injured.

Q: You trained for your first ultramarathon—a race organized by the mysterious gringo expat Caballo Blanco between the Tarahumara and some of America’s top ultrarunners—while researching and writing this book. What was your training like?

CM: It really started as kind of a dare. Just by chance, I’d met an adventure-sports coach from Jackson Hole, Wyoming named Eric Orton. Eric’s specialty is tearing endurance sports down to their basic components and looking for transferable skills. He studies rock climbing to find shoulder techniques for kayakers, and applies Nordic skiing’s smooth propulsion to mountain biking. What he’s looking for are basic engineering principles, because he’s convinced that the next big leap forward in fitness won’t come from strength or technology, but plain, simple durability. With some 70% of all runners getting hurt every year, the athlete who can stay healthy and avoid injury will leave the competition behind.

So naturally, Eric idolized the Tarahumara. Any tribe that has 90-year-old men running across mountaintops obviously has a few training tips up its sleeve. But since Eric had never actually met the Tarahumara, he had to deduce their methods by pure reasoning. His starting point was uncertainty; he assumed that the Tarahumara step into the unknown every time they leave their caves, because they never know how fast they’ll have to sprint after a rabbit or how tricky the climbing will be if they’re caught in a storm. They never even know how long a race will be until they step up to the starting line—the distance is only determined in a last-minute bout of negotiating and could stretch anywhere from 50 miles to 200-plus.

Eric figured shock and awe was the best way for me to build durability and mimic Tarahumara-style running. He’d throw something new at me every day—hopping drills, lunges, mile intervals—and lots and lots of hills. There was no such thing, really, as long, slow distance—he’d have me mix lots of hill repeats and short bursts of speed into every mega-long run.

I didn’t think I could do it without breaking down, and I told Eric that from the start. I basically defied him to turn me into a runner. And by the end of nine months, I was cranking out four hour runs without a problem.

Q: You’re a six-foot four-inches tall, 200-plus pound guy—not anyone’s typical vision of a distance runner, yet you’ve completed ultra marathons and are training for more. Is there a body type for running, as many of us assume, or are all humans built to run?

CM: Yeah, I’m a big’un. But isn’t it sad that’s even a reasonable question? I bought into that bull for a loooong time. Why wouldn’t I? I was constantly being told by people who should know better that “some bodies aren’t designed for running.” One of the best sports medicine physicians in the country told me exactly that—that the reason I was constantly getting hurt is because I was too big to handle the impact shock from my feet hitting the ground. Just recently, I interviewed a nationally-known sports podiatrist who said, “You know, we didn’t ALL evolve to run away from saber-toothed tigers.” Meaning, what? That anyone who isn’t sleek as a Kenyan marathoner should be extinct? It’s such illogical blather—all kinds of body types exist today, so obviously they DID evolve to move quickly on their feet. It’s really awful that so many doctors are reinforcing this learned helplessness, this idea that you have to be some kind of elite being to handle such a basic, universal movement.

Q: If humans are born to run, as you argue, what’s your advice for a runner who is looking to make the leap from shorter road races to marathons, or marathons to ultramarathons? Is running really for everyone?

CM: I think ultrarunning is America’s hope for the future. Honestly. The ultrarunners have got a hold of some powerful wisdom. You can see it at the starting line of any ultra race. I showed up at the Leadville Trail 100 expecting to see a bunch of hollow-eyed Skeletors, and instead it was, “Whoah! Get a load of the hotties!” Ultra runners tend to be amazingly healthy, youthful and—believe it or not—good looking. I couldn’t figure out why, until one runner explained that throughout history, the four basic ingredients for optimal health have been clean air, good food, fresh water and low stress. And that, to a T, describes the daily life of an ultrarunner. They’re out in the woods for hours at a time, breathing pine-scented breezes, eating small bursts of digestible food, downing water by the gallons, and feeling their stress melt away with the miles. But here’s the real key to that kingdom: you have to relax and enjoy the run. No one cares how fast you run 50 miles, so ultrarunners don’t really stress about times. They’re out to enjoy the run and finish strong, not shave a few inconsequential seconds off a personal best. And that’s the best way to transition up to big mileage races: as coach Eric told me, “If it feels like work, you’re working too hard.”

Q: You write that distance running is the great equalizer of age and gender. Can you explain?

CM: Okay, I’ll answer that question with a question: Starting at age nineteen, runners get faster every year until they hit their peak at twenty-seven. After twenty-seven, they start to decline. So if it takes you eight years to reach your peak, how many years does it take for you to regress back to the same speed you were running at nineteen?

Go ahead, guess all you want. No one I’ve asked has ever come close. It’s in the book, so I won’t give it away, but I guarantee when you hear the answer, you’ll say, “No way. THAT old?” Now, factor in this: ultra races are the only sport in the world in which women can go toe-to-toe with men and hand them their heads. Ann Trason and Krissy Moehl often beat every man in the field in some ultraraces, while Emily Baer recently finished in the Top 10 at the Hardrock 100 while stopping to breastfeed her baby at the water stations.

So how’s that possible? According to a new body of research, it’s because humans are the greatest distance runners on earth. We may not be fast, but we’re born with such remarkable natural endurance that humans are fully capable of outrunning horses, cheetahs and antelopes. That’s because we once hunted in packs and on foot; all of us, men and women alike, young and old together.

Q: One of the fascinating parts of Born to Run is your report on how the ultrarunners eat—salad for breakfast, wraps with hummus mid-run, or pizza and beer the night before a run. As a runner with a lot of miles behind him, what are your thoughts on nutrition for running?

CM: Live every day like you’re on the lam. If you’ve got to be ready to pick up and haul butt at a moment’s notice, you’re not going to be loading up on gut-busting meals. I thought I’d have to go on some kind of prison-camp diet to get ready for an ultra, but the best advice I got came from coach Eric, who told me to just worry about the running and the eating would take care of itself. And he was right, sort of. I instinctively began eating smaller, more digestible meals as my miles increased, but then I went behind his back and consulted with the great Dr. Ruth Heidrich, an Ironman triathlete who lives on a vegan diet. She’s the one who gave me the idea of having salad for breakfast, and it’s a fantastic tip. The truth is, many of the greatest endurance athletes of all time lived on fruits and vegetables. You can get away with garbage for a while, but you pay for it in the long haul. In the book, I describe how Jenn Shelton and Billy “Bonehead” Barnett like to chow pizza and Mountain Dew in the middle of 100-mile races, but Jenn is also a vegetarian who most days lives on veggie burgers and grapes.

Q: In this difficult financial time, we’re experiencing yet another surge in the popularity of running. Can you explain this?

CM: When things look worst, we run the most. Three times, America has seen distance-running skyrocket and it’s always in the midst of a national crisis. The first boom came during the Great Depression; the next was in the ‘70s, when we were struggling to recover from a recession, race riots, assassinations, a criminal President and an awful war. And the third boom? One year after the Sept. 11 attacks, trailrunning suddenly became the fastest-growing outdoor sport in the country. I think there’s a trigger in the human psyche that activates our first and greatest survival skill whenever we see the shadow of approaching raptors.

Interesting.

Damn.

Thanks Trip.

Thanks for posting the original review Ed. Great book.

Trip wrote:Thanks for posting the original review Ed. Great book.

Yes, very good reading. This subject reminds me of the material that was published about the "lung gom" runners of Tibet, who could run like the wind for incredible distances without apparently injury. Their approach was essentially meditative and spiritual.

Put that in your evolutionary fitness pipe and smoke it,Dr. Devaney!

Trip wrote:Thanks for posting the original review Ed. Great book.

Where did the interview you posted come from?

Proper training can increase your running speed 23%.

Where did the interview you posted come from

http://www.runningwitheric.com/

I wanted to revisit this, since I have the audiobook and have been listening to it in my car.

It's a pretty good listen. Even the casual case made for humans being running machines is a good one. Like ABW said, stick that in your pipe and smoke it Devany, you silly faggot.

It even made a compelling argument about how paleolithic H/Gs ate.

Made me want to take up running again. Kind of odd, since I run minimally, and have been using the chi running techniques to minimize impact, but have gone up to 4 miles on a whim and not had any issues except being tired. Maybe some light stuff as cardio when the weather clears to help me shed some of weight I need to lose to hit 220.

A long time ago when I had issues with running bashing the fuck out of my legs, I started doing barefoot runs around a soccer field...and this did change the way I ran permanently. I'll confess to wanting a pair of vibram ff now.

Shafpocalypse Now wrote: I'll confess to wanting a pair of vibram ff now.

Shaf, I've only been barefoot running regularly for 10 months, and I'm only up to about 12 mi/wk but I would recommend AGAINST buying vibrams/feelmax/etc. for running...yet.

I had the worst injury I've ever had to my legs, back and knees two years ago from going to far, too hard, with vibrams and bad form.

You cannot have bad form barefoot for very long. Your sole will scream before anything else has a chance to get hurt. And, once you've "caught on" to your technique, you will not need, and may not want the VFF's anymore. I can now run on surfaces I once wouldn't walk on barefoot.

I see them now as useful only for freezing weather and/or cactus.

Just a beginner's opinion.

I plan on spending a bunch of time on grass barefoot again. Right now it's too goddamn cold for running outside and too nasty, and I hate indoor running.

The audio book is such a good listen that my 14 and 15.5 year old sons ASK to listen to it in the car. Y'all know the drill....

Shafpocalypse Now wrote:I wanted to revisit this, since I have the audiobook and have been listening to it in my car.

It's a pretty good listen. Even the casual case made for humans being running machines is a good one. Like ABW said, stick that in your pipe and smoke it Devany, you silly faggot.

It even made a compelling argument about how paleolithic H/Gs ate.

Made me want to take up running again. Kind of odd, since I run minimally, and have been using the chi running techniques to minimize impact, but have gone up to 4 miles on a whim and not had any issues except being tired. Maybe some light stuff as cardio when the weather clears to help me shed some of weight I need to lose to hit 220.

A long time ago when I had issues with running bashing the fuck out of my legs, I started doing barefoot runs around a soccer field...and this did change the way I ran permanently. I'll confess to wanting a pair of vibram ff now.

All agreed. But the guy was a hobby runner and it blinds him. Virtually everything he says relates to walking as well. I mean from strolling to 10 minute mile walking. You can do that all your life, derive the same benefits, and avoid most injuries.

Eric Orton strongly recommends to not ditch your regular running shoes (especially for trails) and to use any type of barefoot running as a strength and form building tool - once, maybe twice a week. He has a some great information on his site.

seeahill wrote:All agreed. But the guy was a hobby runner and it blinds him. Virtually everything he says relates to walking as well. I mean from strolling to 10 minute mile walking. You can do that all your life, derive the same benefits, and avoid most injuries.

10 minute walking-mile? Is this something you have done?

Norman U. Senchbau wrote:

seeahill wrote:All agreed. But the guy was a hobby runner and it blinds him. Virtually everything he says relates to walking as well. I mean from strolling to 10 minute mile walking. You can do that all your life, derive the same benefits, and avoid most injuries.

10 minute walking-mile? Is this something you have done?

With some help:

Norman U. Senchbau wrote:

seeahill wrote:All agreed. But the guy was a hobby runner and it blinds him. Virtually everything he says relates to walking as well. I mean from strolling to 10 minute mile walking. You can do that all your life, derive the same benefits, and avoid most injuries.

10 minute walking-mile? Is this something you have done?

Yes. Once. I also do 13:45 minute miles in a marathon and have done three consecutive 12 minute miles.

Good walking competitors do easy 8 minute miles, and the world's best do a mile in about 5 and half minutes. Since there is no one mile racewalk, we can use the shortest competitive walk for reference:

Vladimir Kanaykin holds the world record for men in the 20km Race Walk at 1:17:16, for an average of 6 minutes 13 for each of the 12.4 miles.

So a ten minute mile ain't much. Even so, I had to spend several months working up to it and couldn't do it now without training for it.

seeahill wrote:

Norman U. Senchbau wrote:

seeahill wrote:All agreed. But the guy was a hobby runner and it blinds him. Virtually everything he says relates to walking as well. I mean from strolling to 10 minute mile walking. You can do that all your life, derive the same benefits, and avoid most injuries.

10 minute walking-mile? Is this something you have done?

Yes. Once. I also do 13:45 minute miles in a marathon and have done three consecutive 12 minute miles.

Good walking competitors do easy 8 minute miles, and the world's best do a mile in about 5 and half minutes. Since there is no one mile racewalk, we can use the shortest competitive walk for reference:

Vladimir Kanaykin holds the world record for men in the 20km Race Walk at 1:17:16, for an average of 6 minutes 13 for each of the 12.4 miles.

So a ten minute mile ain't much. Even so, I had to spend several months working up to it and couldn't do it now without training for it.

Are your numbers with race / power walking techniques? IOW, do you look like an idiot when you are walking at this rate?

Sounds like great times to me, congratulations. If those times are with power / race walking techniques, how fast can one aspire to with old-fashioned walking?

Personally, I can do a 13:30 mile "regular" walking, with arm swing. The major secret of faster walking is to pump the arms, like a runner. Second secret: Place one foot almost in front of the other, which lengthens your stride (and also makes your hips move --- not side to side, as people do when they mock race walkers. The hip drives straight ahead. Third: think short steps and fast cadence.

I've seen people do 12 minute miles pretty easy just using the arms. Try it: walk as fast as you can carrying your arms like a runner. Then drop them. It will feel like you dropped anchor.

Dunno if this has been posted somewhere else, but at the end of a well-written review of the book at amazon:

And Christopher is a great writer - I laughed out loud many times throughout. He has a style akin to a Timothy Cahill - a great wit that was obviously aided by a wonderfully intriguing cast of characters.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2 ... _cr_dp_pdp

Just downloaded the audio and am going to listen to it this week.

McDougall on google Authors. The first thirty minutes is taken up with his presentation of the book. The second thirty is comprised of questions from nerds. If you want to stoke your agita fast forward to 56:30-58:40. In those few seconds, he gives the best description of how to approach running then he cascades into madness . . .