I have a book to add to the “life-changing” list: “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. Spurred on by nagging athletic injuries that go unsolved by expensive orthotics and running shoes, the author sets out to meet the Tarahumara – an indigenous tribe in the Sierra Madres of Mexico who hold running at the heart of their culture. The young and old of this tribe are capable of running extreme distances by our standards – well over the length of a marathon – and they do it without fancy footwear, with nothing but homemade tire sandals on their feet. It’s good to be reminded of what the body is capable of, and for our health and well-being it may be crucial to remember what our bodies evolved for. McDougall’s journey investigates both our physical adaptations and our psychological bent that suits us for running, and for running with others. He investigates running as a communal act, one that binds people together in the moment while also uniting them in the arc of humanity that extends to the runners of prehistory. The book has opened my heart to an activity that I previously slogged through in junior high gym classes. To be accurate, it has ignited an obsession within me: trail running. So read, enjoy, and then go run.
Brittany Keeton, Southwest Trekking Guide
Tags: running, Tarahumara, trail running