Friday, July 1, 2011

Facing My Addiction: A Book Review

It has been well documented on this blog that I have a bit of an addiction to Running. See Here & Here. I am ultimately searching for the right way to do it so I can do it forever. My wife thinks I am crazy and I all I can say is "At least it isn't Meth." Well that addiction has begun to effect me when I am not mobile. I recently finished one of the most read running books of all-time and possibly the catalyst for the Barefoot/Minimalist running push that is occurring these days. The book: Born To Run by Chris McDougall.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="272" caption="Pretty isn't it?"][/caption]

Here's a brief synopsis. It starts out with the Author asking the simple question of "Why do I keep getting injured?" That question turns into an epic adventure in unincorporated Mexico where they dodge drug dealers and injury to find a segregated tribe deep in the Copper Canyon. This tribe is said to have the secret to running and none of them wear shoes. Just some leather sandals. The story goes on from there to an epic race between the members of the Mexican Tribe and some of the greatest runners in the United States. In the 300 or so pages in between that, there are anecdotal stories of various Ultra Marathon races in the US, but perhaps more importantly is the scientific backing for the barefoot/minimal running that has gained so much popularity. That is it in a nutshell. I may not have done the book much justice (mostly because I am writing this at 11pm on a school night) and may not have persuaded you to read it, but trust me it really is a great book that will make you think.

This book has really made me re-consider my opinion on running and start to change my approach. Had the author been a skinny dude that had run all his life I probably would have just passed it off as just a book written by someone who has never dealt with weight loss issues, but Chris McDougall is/was a normal guy like me. Over 6 foot and over 200 lbs.  Just 6 months ago, you couldn't have pried my shoes off of me, but now I am slowing taking them away by reducing the amount of drop in them (height from the back to the front). Lets face it I'm not going to go run barefoot any time soon, but the theory is definitely worth experimenting with.

So go read this book and maybe it will inspire you to rethink your running or motivate you to start.

3 comments:

  1. I've heard such good things about this one, but I'm having trouble with it. I don't know if it's the audio version, or the fact that I listen to it at work sometimes but not everyday, or what. I find it a bit confusing when he's constantly switching stories from one race to another and then back to the first. But..that could be tied in to me not listening to it every day too. Fingers crossed I end up liking it overall.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Does the "minimialist" movement embrace streaking as a form of running?

    ReplyDelete
  3. In some circles, yes.

    ReplyDelete