Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougallMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hooter: An adventure tale with nuggets of information to get you back into running.
From the back stories of the Tarahumara tribe who can run for miles for the heck of it without breaking a sweat and their urge to remain secretive and away from the rest of mankind in the Copper canyon makes for a great Indiana Jones setting as one fights scorpions, desert heat and mafiaso and drug dealers and what not in that terrain. Interesting anecdotes of government agencies letting lawless bandits disappear into the canyon knowing survival there is tougher than being in a jail.
That is one aspect, the Tarahumara and the reason why they can run for so long with no pain is another aspect the author delves into - apart from genetics and conditioning, the love of doing it being second nature is one major takeaway he tries to underline.
Taking up ultra marathoners and their stories and journeys forms another dimension the storyline paces through and how the Tarahumara have been made to cross paths through these with mixed success and usually human greed getting the better of their kind hearted and simple souls.
The evolution of shoes for profit of corporates than our long term safety is another angle the author brings in as he also suggests the benefits of barefoot running.
Overall, if you have stopped running or been looking for motivation, this is the book to get the juices flowing again.
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