Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Seen
byChristopher McDougall
It started with a simple question from a guy who could barely run a couple miles without getting injured, 'Why does my foot hurt?' and spiraled into a 100 mil run with some of the world's best long distance runners, known and unknown. Diving into the ancient running secrets of the Tarahumara Tribe and finding out how other world-class runners can go for such long distances without getting injured this book opened my eyes to simple tips for better running. I love how the books story was laid out and it kept me well engaged. Born to Run is a well told story and has sparked some motivation for me to get more serious about my running. No need for fancy shoes, all you need is your feet.
Motivations to Read
Lifting heavy weights is my preference. I'm slightly averse to cardio related exercises, but I found a loophole to get my running in; run to the gym. I was able to get in 2 miles per workout, including leg day. I'm curious about the lifestyle and techniques of long-distance runners and saw good reviews for Born to Run so I wanted to check it out.
3 Reasons to Read
- First-hand story about the ancient Tarahumara tribe of runners.
- Learn about the biomechanics of running and how to prevent injury.
- Deep look into the sport of ultra-distance running.
Notable Quotes
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're the lion or a gazelle when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.” Christopher McDougall
“Suffering is humbling. It pays to know how to get your butt kicked.” Christopher McDougall
“There's something so universal about that sensation, the way running unites our two most primal impulses: fear and pleasure. We run when we're scared, we run when we're ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time.” Christopher McDougall
“You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.” Christopher McDougall
“Perhaps all our troubles - all the violence, obesity, illness, depression, and greed we can't overcome - began when we stopped living as Running People. Deny your nature, and it will erupt in some other, uglier way.” Christopher McDougall
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Seen Notes & Summary
