«You were born to run!» I heard this so many times. Running is for me a side-sport. I run to complement my main sport, which is water polo. Still, this was a must read book.
This was a book that was on my wishlist for a long time. It was the first of many I hope to read about running and I must say this path couldn’t have start better.
Born to Run is the journey through the essence of running. When we’re kids, we run like there’s no tomorrow, and we don’t do that because we want to be fit or because there’s a race to win. We run because it’s fun, because it’s a way to interact and play with others. Running is a pleasure during these years. So, why is running too painful when we grow up? Why do we have multiple injuries? How the hell the running shoes from Nike, Asics and so on, with all the advancements made since the very first day, cannot help to reduce the increase in athletes injuries?
These were the questions made by Christopher Mcdougall before writing this book and before starting the journey through Mexico to find all the answers to his questions.
Christopher Mcdougall is an American journalist, dedicated to sports, specially running. After ending his basketball career, Christopher started to run regularly until the first injuries made him stop and start to run but this time to find a medical solution. His equipment was one of the best and expensive, with the “best” running shoes (at least it was what he thought).
His nonconformity led him to find the answers the doctors couldn’t give him. With a backpack on his shoulders and a determination like no other, Christopher went to Mexico in order to find a hidden tribe called Tarahumara. This super-athletes were probably the fastest on the world, the ones that could run kilometers like no other Human and still take pleasure of running, without injuries. The secret? Well, after a long and difficult path until reach the Tarahumaras, the secret looked quite simple: to run without pain and with pleasure, Christopher and any other person interested should run exactly like the opposite of what they’re doing.
So, in practice, what does this really means? Well, starting by the equipment, it means that the more expensive and sophisticated the running shoes are, the worse they are for our feet. Nike and other manufactures made a couple of studies and the conclusion was obvious: all the shoes with damping and other technologies were in fact useless and, most of the times, were the reason behind all those injuries. So, what should we put on our feet? The cheapest and simplest shoes, the ones that will help our feet adapt naturally to the road and not the other way around. Also, the more worn out the shoes are, the better they adapt to our feet. Tarahumaras don’t even use shoes, they use sandals. Right, sandals. Second, the mentality. Tarahumaras don’t run to win races neither to stay healthy and fit. Tarahumaras run because that gives them pleasure. How many parents have you heard saying «Carefull! Don’t run!», affraid their kids would simply fall? Exactly, that’s what Tarahumaras definitely don’t do. From kids to adults, everyone runs like there’s no tomorrow and the pure joy is a trivial result of that type of run.
Back into the book, there are a couple of chapters that give us an overview of the running elements, from the athlete’s body (anatomy and Human evolution) to equipment. These are the most informative chapters and probably the most useful, but there’s a lot to learn with the other ones too for sure.
Some of you are maybe asking how did Christopher find Tarahumaras. Well, it was not an easy job and it was only possible due to an intermediary called Caballo, whose identity is only revealed in the last chapter. Caballo not only helped the author of the book but also organized a race between the Tarahumaras and the Ultra-marathonists of USA. It was a challange in many ways to organize it, but the race took place and… Well, maybe I’ll leave this part as a mistery so that future readers can have the same reaction I had.
To conclude, Born to Run is not just a book for those who like to run. It’s also for them, sure, and will certainly motivate them even more, but it’s a much more powerful book and not just a simple guide or story. It’s a testemony of superation and determination, of living without limits and being truly happy while doing one of the simplest things Humans can do. I recommend the book to everyone who wants to have a nice time!
Rating 4.6/5
Read in 2021