Someone from my running group sent me this video a few days ago and I finally got around to watching it yesterday. It is Christopher McDougall, the author of Born To Run speaking.
For those that don’t know – Born To Run is a book by a runner (McDougall) written after he was searching for a cure for his injury prone running. He writes about the Tarahuamara Indians – a tribe of runners living in the canyons of Mexico.
They are super athletes – running for upwards of 50 miles at a time, injury free well into their senior years.
The book tells the story of McDougall’s adventurous trip to Mexico to run with the tribe. It’s not a “How to run” book, but a story about runners.
I read Born to Run about a year ago and loved it! I started eating Chia seeds after reading it and mention that here.
Speaking of Chia seeds…today is Waffle Wednesday and I threw some on my waffles! 
Waffle Wednesday is my favorite especially when it’s paired with PB, sf syrup and eggs! 
I woke up hungry and decided to eat before I ran. I really never do this, so I hope my run still goes well. My legs usually don’t cooperate with runs past 10am.
Question: Have you read Born To Run?
Any other running books you recommend?
Had a nice pile of Chia Seeds with my overnight: cinnamon, peanut butter, sf syrup oats this morning!!! I am going to try putting them into a tofu mousse this weekend!! I think I will go check that book out, sounds like an informative and inspiring read!!!
Love Born to Run!
I’ve also read The Long Run by Matt Long (a 9/11 firefighter), which is his story about how he came back from being hit by a bus while riding his bike to run the NYC Marathon. There is definitely a camp that dislikes him after a bit of a cockiness caught on tape after the run; I try not to judge because I don’t know him. Nonetheless, the book is interesting, raw, and inspiring.
i’ve read two of dean karnazes’ books: ultramarathon man, and then the 50 states in 50 days one…sorry, i forget the name (and am on vacation, brain too lazy to google!!) – i think he’s got a new one out, too. his charismatic personality just shines thru in his writing, and they’re quick and interesting reads…and quite inspiring!
I love that book, another good running book is The Long Run by Matt Long. Not only is it a good running book but very inspirational.
I loved Born to Run so much, I stretched it out so it’d take me longer to finish but I never had time to and had to return it to the library when I left LA. And now I can’t find it in any local libraries! But I will definitely buy it eventually because it’s so inspiring! To get myself excited about the LA Marathon coming up, I ordered 26.2 by Dean Karnazes; all of his books (like 50 in 50) are AMAZING! I can’t wait to read this one.
I’m running a marathon in a month and was thinking I should read Born To Run. Would you recommend it?
I just ordered a copy of this book after so many people recommending it for some running inspiration. I’m excited to read it. Other recs were for Dean Karnazes books.
I have never read a running book, but that sounds interesting!
I always have to eat a full breakfast before I run. I’m never hungry after, so it’s a now or never situation. 🙂
I haven’t read it but it sounds intense! Girl I do not know how you run on a totally empty stomach, props!
haven’t read that book, i still run/jog /walk
Born to Run completely changed the way I think about running. In fact, this quote below from the book compeltely changed the way I think about running:
“But yeah, Ann insisted, running was romantic, and no, of course her friends didn’t get it because they’d never broken through. For them, running was a miserable two miles motivated solely by size 6 jeans: get on the scale, get depressed, get your headphones on, and get it over with. But you can’t muscle through a five-hour run that way; you have to relax into it, like easing your body into a hot bath, until it no longer resists the shock and begins to enjoy it.”
After reading this book, I realized how often I used to run just to get in my workout for the day rather than for the sheer joy, thrill, and pleasure of running. Now, I pay attention to how my body feels and what it craves. I run when I feel the urge to run (which is almost every day), and I try to honor the distance and speed that my body wants to run. I deeply admire and appreciate the idea of running for the sole joy of running, and I strive for that. It’s not always easy, and I often find myself falling back into the pattern that Ann Tracen describes, but I try my best!
Love this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is exactly what I’m still trying to find. A “joy” of running? I want that!
I have also read Born to Run, great book. Mixed up the technical stuff with the story which was a great page turner.
I actually started my running in Vibram Five Fingers, before I found those shoes I was like those mentioned in the book running, even walking caused such back pain I couldn’t stand it anymore and gave up. But after at least 12 years of constant back pain as soon as I put those shoes on the pain was gone! I have since run two 5k’s and am about to run my first half marathon next week. A feat I never thought possible until a few months ago.