Born To Run, By Christopher McDougall

Has anyone read this book yet? I'm a runner only insofar as my wife has forced me to go running and I like to play soccer, but after reading half way through this book, I'm all charged up to start running marathons! It has a great "common" delivery style of writing, and is full of interesting characters. I think it's a good sign that as I read it I keep wanting to slam it down, lace up, and go for a nice little run.
It also appears to be making a connection on the power of compassion/love for handling great endurance and power needs, etc. There are some technical issues being presented on proper form, and the idea has been brought forward that distance running is something humans have as an advantage over animals (the Tarahumara tribes in the book are noted for chasing down deer), but it seems "character" is suggested as being a major factor in overall success.
Sorry for the random list of thoughts: in a bit of a hurry.
Cheers all!
Matt

hi Matthew--

I loved the book! It brought back memories of barefoot trail running in the Sierra Nevada years ago.

With respect to form, while there are a number of approaches, the most detailed and comprehensive that I've found is Nikolai Romanov's "Pose" method (http://posetech.com/). His rationale is clearly explained, and there is a well-developed curriculum of foundational exercises that work you into the correct "pose" or posture for this kind of running.
While some people naturally run lightly touching down on the balls of their feet, I think for most of us, a fair amount of re-education and training is required. Research is beginning to support the anecdotal claims of people who run with this kind of form and who run with thin-soled shoes, freeing their feet from the overpadded dungeons of conventional (since the 1960s) running shoes, and their ankles, knees, hips and lower backs from the associated injuries.

Romanov doesn't specifically advocate barefoot running, but the running method he teaches suits itself well to the kinds of running and terrain that McDougall describes in Born to Run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwbzpyterI

Thomas Campbell wrote: hi Matthew-- I loved the book! It brought back memories of barefoot trail running in the Sierra Nevada years ago. With respect to form, while there are a number of approaches, the most detailed and comprehensive that I've found is Nikolai Romanov's "Pose" method (http://posetech.com/). His rationale is clearly explained, and there is a well-developed curriculum of foundational exercises that work you into the correct "pose" or posture for this kind of running. While some people naturally run lightly touching down on the balls of their feet, I think for most of us, a fair amount of re-education and training is required. Research is beginning to support the anecdotal claims of people who run with this kind of form and who run with thin-soled shoes, freeing their feet from the overpadded dungeons of conventional (since the 1960s) running shoes, and their ankles, knees, hips and lower backs from the associated injuries. Romanov doesn't specifically advocate barefoot running, but the running method he teaches suits itself well to the kinds of running and terrain that McDougall describes in Born to Run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwbzpyterI

I found Romanov's comments on gravity very interesting:
http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000600.html

Oisin Bourke wrote: I found Romanov's comments on gravity very interesting: http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000600.html

Overly generalized pronouncements should be used sparingly ... while generally true for larger critters when in the water or small and even microscopic critters gravity is a tiny force compared to the influences of air currents, osmotic pressure and brownian motion, etc. Gravity most certainly is not the dominant force even for us large bipeds ... why do you think we do get dragged deep into the earth by the supposedly dominant force of gravity? The many order of magnitudes stronger forces of electro-mags clearly dominates to an unimaginably greater degree. Elephant in the room ..pfft.

Robert M Watson Jr wrote: Overly generalized pronouncements should be used sparingly ... while generally true for larger critters when in the water or small and even microscopic critters gravity is a tiny force compared to the influences of air currents, osmotic pressure and brownian motion, etc. Gravity most certainly is not the dominant force even for us large bipeds ... why do you think we do get dragged deep into the earth by the supposedly dominant force of gravity? The many order of magnitudes stronger forces of electro-mags clearly dominates to an unimaginably greater degree. Elephant in the room ..pfft.

I cocked my head when he said gravity came before everything else (how can you know that...and...you have to have some thing around before you can have gravity, right?), but considering the context, I can see how that "oliphant" might rest in the center of the room for people inclined toward "human locomotion." ...even if, as you wrote, it might be filled with a bit of gas ("pfft").

Gravity should be considered as the dominant force on Earth...Before we can really improve our sports techniques and consequently beat personal bests or world records, we must first acknowledge gravity and then try to understand it and how it works in human locomotion.

Gravity should be considered as the dominant force on Earth...Before we can really improve our sports techniques and consequently beat personal bests or world records, we must first acknowledge gravity and then try to understand it and how it works in human locomotion.

I've studied gravity a bit and found that knowledge helps for nil compared to understanding how the body works. If gravity spurs ones investigations inward to how thier body works them that is fine but let's not attribute gravity with more accolades than required. I mean, it is dragging us all down.

I bet one would learn more about locomotion by pondering the role of air (and breathing) than gravity if one wants to use 'invisible' but 'everywhere' things about us that we take for granted as something to ponder as a springboard for better understanding of locomotion or other kinesthetic awareness.

Of course, one can simply ignore, or not be cognizant of, either air or gravity and still get pretty good at moving about ....

Sorry for the thread drift (I have not heard of the book) and I am allergic to running (at least I don't like to very much).