$24.95
ISBN-13: 9780307266309
Availability: Not currently in the store – Usually ships in 1-5 days
Published: Knopf, 5/2009
Christopher McDougall’s fast-paced look at running, Born To Run (Knopf, $24.95), is part adventure, part anthropology, and part physiology; it’s stuffed with amazing characters, incredible feats, and wow moments. Wondering why he couldn’t run without getting hurt, McDougall investigated the superhumans who run ultramarathons of 50 and 100 miles through blazing deserts, up mountains, and against horses. Some of these extreme athletes party as hard as they run; not discipline but spirit is their secret. This is also the key to the elusive Tarahumara, a cave-dwelling people of Mexico’s Copper Canyon. Natural ultramarathoners, these Indians run as a way of life. Despite traversing rocky, cactus-ridden terrain in thin-soled sandals, the Tarahumara are seldom injured, and McDougall’s research concludes that today’s high-tech running shoes cause rather than prevent injuries by not letting the foot work the way it was designed to. If you’re a runner, this book will have you craving more than the occasional 10K. If you’re not a runner, you’ll want to see what you’re missing. Laurie Greer
