Archive for the ‘Runnin’ & Readin’’ Category

BOOK: THE WAY OF THE RUNNER: A Journey into the Fabled World of Japanese Running

Posted: November 5, 2020 by coachwestbrook in Runnin' & Readin', Uncategorized
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AUTHOR: Adharanand Finn
PUBISHER / DATE: Pegasus Books / 2015

REPORT:

Since the glory days in the 1980s of the Japanese runner, Toshihiko Seko, and his extreme training for the marathon, I’ve been a fan of his and was eager to find out more about Japanese distance running. Seko held numerous world records and had a marathon best of 2:08:27 at the Chicago Marathon in 1986. He won the Boston Marathon in 1987 with 2:11:50. From 1978 to 1988, he won 10 major marathons and was second at Boston in 1979. It was evident that distance running in Japan was big, and Japanese distance runners have been running big ever since.

This book gives a good picture of Japanese distance running. It tells us of a way of life in which distance running is a major part of the culture. This is reflected in the country’s biggest sporting event which is the Ekiden, a 135-mile relay which is run annually. It is filled with thousands of professional runners representing corporate teams. It is a major spectator event each year.

The marathon monks do their thing apart from the Ekiden. All they do is run a thousand marthons in a thousand days. This is not a race. It is to find spiritual enlightenment, and they usually run in complete solitude.

The author, Adharanand Finn, is a runner and author who spent six months in the Japanese running culture finding out about the sport and the country. This work tells us of the teamwork, competition, preparation, diet, form, attitude, dedication, racing, youth running, training, and a culture and a way of life.

Finn informs the reader about the intricacies and the mind-meld of running in Japan. He has lived and obviously completely researched the project. His writing reflects humor, wisdom, the art of story telling, and the delving into the psyche of Japanese distance running and its bonding of its runners.

This is a book of which a serious (or not so serious) runner can learn more about his or her own running.

It is an interesting and a well written and enjoyable book.

(Richard Westbrook) (Nov. 5, 2020)

When Running Was Young

Posted: March 16, 2016 by coachwestbrook in Blog, Runnin' & Readin'
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BOOK:  WHEN RUNNING WAS YOUNG AND SO WERE WE
AUTHOR: Jack D. Welch
PUBLISHER/DATE:  D & B Publishing / 2014
REPORT:

      This book will best appeal to those runners who have a lot of miles over a long period of time under their belt…or, to those who appreciate the history of our sport, be it a recent history.  It is not a dry, monotonous  historical tome.  It is a collection of articles written by the author.  Welch wrote for Running magazine and for Track & Field News.  In those articles, he chronicled the development of running  in the U.S.A.  This book is a selection of those articles.

      The meat of the book starts with a  1978 article and zooms through to the last pieces, Remembering Pre and Go Pre!  In between are the articles that give us a picture of the roots of modern American distance running, the springboard of where we are today. Welch gives the reader the representative story through a personable account of the successes and failures of some of the giants of the sport.

    Some of the runners will not be familiar to the reader, but their story will be interesting.  Welch is a runner himself and a good writer, so he can relate the things the reader, as a runner, will appreciate.  This helps make the book enjoyable.

    Other runners will jump off the pages through their familiarity.  Some of the stuff you will know; some you will not know.  Just some of the runners are Dick Beardsley, Alberto Salazar, Jon Sinclair, Greg Meyer, Mark Nenow, Ed Eyestone, Chris Fox, Bob Kennedy, Patti Catalano, Lynn Jennings, Ingrid Kristiansen, Gerry Lindgren, Joan Benoit, Jeff Johnson, Mary Decker, and Steve Prefontaine.  Benoit and Prefontaine are highlighted with more in depth information.  One of the better articles is the next-to-last, Remembering Pre.

    At times, the book can get repetitive, but the overall work is a very good read on the sport of distance running.  You don’t have to be an “old” runner to enjoy it, but that may enhance your enjoyment.  It puts the modern history of our running on a personable, individual level.  

    It needs to be on the bookshelf of every serious runner.

Richard Westbrook

        

The Longest Race

Posted: January 4, 2016 by smrtnsasy in Runnin' & Readin'
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BOOK:  THE LONGEST RACE: A Lifelong Runner, an Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case for Human Endurance
AUTHOR: Ed Ayres
PUBLISHER/DATE:  The Experiment, LLC.  2012
REPORT:

This is a very good read for any runner who has been lured by long distances.  It is written by a runner who has run very long distances for a long time.  He was the founding editor and publisher of Running Times magazine.  His experience is unquestioned.

Ed Ayres, the author, focuses on the JFK 50 Mile Race which is the oldest and largest ultramarathon in the United States.  The adventure unfolds as Ayres races to break age-group record for the race at age sixty.  A brief history is given about the race’s beginnings starting with the challenge from President John F. Kennedy to the Marines in 1962.  They were challenged to cover 50 miles in a day like Marines were able to do under President Theodore Roosevelt.  Kennedy had reason to challenge because of the severe decline in fitness of the American military.  This led to the first race in 1963.  Since then, there has always been a strong military contingent running in the event.

The narrative follows Ayres from the race’s beginning in Boonesboro, Maryland, running through town and quickly entering the Appalachian Trail.  The author gives privy to his thoughts as he run along the rocky trail toward the C.O. Canal Towpath.  He lets us in on his racing strategy as he approaches certain points on the course or racing against certain opponents.

As he progresses through the race, he gives us his thoughts and views of historical landmarks such as the Civil War’s Harpers Ferry and Antietam.   This keeps the reader engaged through the reading and not bogged down with just a racing report.

A very interesting facet throughout the book is the environmental slant within the story.  It involves endurance related to man leading to the future of our society as well as the planet’s future.  You don’t get this in the usual story of an iconic event.  But Ayres gives it all to us in a well written book worthy of reading by any serious runner…especially those of us who run long.

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“…what makes endurance running an adventure is that you never know what will actually happen.”

Ed Ayres

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PERSONAL RECORD: A Love Affair with Running

Posted: March 9, 2015 by smrtnsasy in Runnin' & Readin'
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This book is not the normal tome about running that we see so much of to the degree that they all look alike. And, the subtitle, “A Love Affair with Running” can seem a little girly. But, when you get into the guts of this small book of 163 pages, you will appreciate its unique characteristic.

The first thing that strikes the reader is the complete honesty by the author, Rachel Toor. She opens up from the beginning and keeps it that way to the end. Sometimes, it seems a little contradictory, but when you think about it, it all seems very real…just the way people are.

In the induction which is titled “Toeing the Line,” Toor explains that the book is formatted like a marathon. It has twenty-seven chapters with the last one numbered .2, and the preceding ones numbered 1 through 26. You could look at it as a collection of essays on running with each one characterized by the author’s point of view. Of course, the topical relationship leans toward marathons and ultramarathons.

Through each mile marker (chapters), Toor opens up about herself. Through the book, she tells her story from a couch potato to runner. Along the way, she brings the reader into her world infused with her training, racing, relationships, and jobs. Her writing is clear and interesting.

Chapters such as The Body; Reasons Not to Run; The Routes; One Runner’s Beginnings; The Closet; The Coach; The Magazine Rack; Ride and Ties; Weekend Mornings; The First Marathon; Speed Goggles; The Fast Young Man; Boston; Becoming a Marathoner; Racing; The Western State; Injuries; Ultras; The Watch; The Coach (different from the first one); On The Road; The Hospital; Pacing; The Break-Up; The Curtain Rod; and Getting to the Finish. These titles drew my attention, and made me want to read them, especially Reasons Not to Run; Speed Goggles; Ultras; and The Watch. Most of these chapter titles were obvious in their relation to running. Some of the others required some thought as to their relationships. But, as one reads the often humorous accounts, they too become obvious.

Rachel Toor is an experienced writer, and her writing in this book is easy to read and follow as she tells us how she became an experienced runner. Through it all, we can see that she thoroughly enjoys her running both in training and racing. She shares her thoughts while involved in each. The reader can relate to the author because these thoughts are shared. Toor writes to the experienced and beginner.

After reading this book, one can feel a friendship with the author. Her writing tends to get to the base level of the sport. She writes of things that the runner will find interesting and of value. The reader will be eager to read more from the author after reading this book.

Richard Westbrook

THE LITTLE RED BOOK OF RUNNING

Posted: January 8, 2015 by smrtnsasy in Runnin' & Readin'
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by: Richard Westbrook

            My bookshelves are crammed with an assortment of books divided into genres. There are biographies, educational books, mysteries, novels, travel books, westerns, non-fiction, science-fiction, humor, philosophy, religion just to name a few. Some of those are broken down into sub-sections. Such is one of my larger subject areas, that of running.

            The “Running” section is broken down into sub-sections like biographies, coaching, fitness, events, marathons and ultras, training, novels, philosophy, cross-country, track and field just to hit the high spots. It is the largest single section on my shelves. I am constantly amazed at how much can be written on the subject. The amount written has to rival, if not surpassing, any other sport. And, the books just keep on being published. So many books, so little time.

            Enveloped within those sections are books offering up everything one would need to know about running either for the beginner or for the veteran runner. Books such as Jim Fixx’s The Complete Book of Running and his follow-up to that complete work, The Second Book of Running are jammed in there right along with more complete stuff like the Runner’s World Complete Book of Running. If that is not complete enough, then there is The Principles of Running by Amby Burfoot which is a very good piece of work. That is accompanied by the earlier offering, by approximately twenty-years, The Official Book of Running by Bill Emmerton who was an ultra-runner.  Then there is The Practical Runner by Robert J. Geline; Running A To Z by Joe Henderson; Beginner’s Running Guide by Hal Higdon; and to bring everything you need to know about running to a close, there is The Last Word On Running by Richard Karlgaard. I guess one could read that last book and surpass all the previous works and still know everything one would need to know.

            Some of these books, like The Principles of Running, are short and to the point as if the reader would want to read less and run more and would want his or her information straight forward. There is a lot of good stuff in the book’s 165 pages. A lot more wordy is the Beginner’s Running Guide at 340 pages, but, maybe, a beginner would need more information. Still, 340 pages?

            All of these books were published a few years ago, some longer than you have been running. But, a more recent book is out there, and it is one of the better, if not best, of all the aforementioned books. It was published in 2011. Within its 219 pages are items of high importance for any runner, whether the runner realizes it or not. After reading The Little Red Book of Running by Scott Douglas, the runner should be better educated and wiser which should translate into better and more enjoyable running.

            The author, Scott Douglas, is a senior editor of Running Times magazine and is an experienced runner himself. He gives a brief introduction covering his progression from starting running in the ninth grade; continuing through high school and college and into the real world after college. He states that the book covers three decades of things learned from his running and his curiosity about running. The results of this learning is in the “nuggets” presented in this great little book. Per Scott Douglas, “I hope you find its distilled wisdom useful in making your running more enjoyable, satisfying, and a regular highlight in your life.” To the runner who can and does read, this will be one of the most valuable works on running that you can possess.  

            The value of the book is polished by the information being arranged in brief “Tips” that can be read quickly and, more importantly, remembered. Their brevity enhances the ability to retain the information. This can help a runner immensely when being challenged by frustration, drudgery, injury, or competition.

            There are 250 tips. These are arranged in “Parts.” Part One is “Running More: 45 Tips to Help You Safely and Successfully Increase Your Daily and Weekly Mileage.” The beginning sets the tone of the book and gives insight to the attitude of the author. These are the first two tips which leaks the wisdom gained from the author’s experiences. The opening statements of each will put us right on track to the book’s goals.

            The first tip is “A Crucial Opening Thought” in which the first statement is, “There are no junk miles.” After wrapping your mind around that tip, you read the second tip which is “A Crucial Second Thought.” Your mind will do a somersault after reading its opening statement. That would be, “Let me be clear from the outset: I’m not saying that more running is always better, either for your running performance or the rest of your life.” After reading the explanation following the first statements in tip one and two, you will be on your way to a good read followed by better running…if you learn from the book.

            The following parts are Part Two, “Running Faster: 63 Tips to Help Build Your Speed, Even If You’re Never Going to Race.” These 63 tips are chock full of vital information in very brief forms that will work in making the runner faster. They stretch from the reasons to run faster to a mantra used to help in the race.         

            Part Three is “Running Injury-Free: 50 Tips to Help You Avoid, Treat, and Beat Injuries.” Since most runners will suffer some type of injury that will require time off from running, this section can be a super valuable. It covers some typical running injuries and then focuses on prevention. This could be the most practical section of the book.

            Part Four is “Running Consistently: 43 Tips to Help You Run More Often for the Rest of Your Life.” Part Three is the most practical in the book, and Part Four is the most important in a philosophical vein. It will tell the runner how to do that which the runner wants to do the rest of his or her life. Even though it is based on a philosophical foundation, the section also has a lot of practical tips.

            The last part is Part Five which is “Running Miscellany: 49 Tips on Shoes and Safety, Attitude and Altitude, and Everything Else That Matters.” The name of the section is self-explanatory. It is the service manual part for the runner. If the runner has a problem with his or her running, it is probably addressed here.

            The book has its forward written by Amby Burfoot. He is an Editor at Large for Runner’s World magazine and was the 1968 Boston Marathon Champion. In it he stresses the simplicity of running and the role that The Little Red Book of Running serves in this quest. The book closely parallels his own book with a focus on simplicity. Burfoot’s The Principles of Running along with The Little Red Book of Running would be great and valued additions to any runner’s bookshelf. Following the tenants in both books will insure better, more enjoyable, and longer lasting running for the serious runner.

            And that, friends is what all runners should work toward…A simple approach to a life-long pursuit that will make that life better. Both books will help serve that purpose. But, if only one has to be chosen, then it should be The Little Red Book of Running.

 

                                                                                       “Simplicity’s the real challenge.”  

                                                                                          Nighthawk Cummings

Running Through the Wall

Posted: November 12, 2013 by smrtnsasy in Runnin' & Readin'
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BOOK: RUNNING THROUGH THE WALL: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon                          AUTHOR: Neal Jamison                                                                                                                        PUBLISHER/DATE: Breakaway Books, 2003                                                                                    REPORT: This is one of the most personalized and entertaining books that I have read on the subject of running long. Obviously, from the title, it focuses on ultramarathon distances. That would be any distance longer than the marathon. The first standard ultra distance is 50 kilometers, which is thirty-one miles. For that reason, a lot of the personal stories in the collection will give credence to the 50 kilometer distance.

This book is very good in that it gives personal stories from the normal “Joe” or “Jane” just like you and me who happens to run ultramarathons. The stories center on various slants in the runner’s pursuit ranging from their beginnings, outstanding races, spiritual insights, and their motivation. You will find runners who stumbled into running ultras. Then, there are those who planned their assault on the distances. Like the rest of us, there are those who had a lack of confidence when faced with such monumental distances. Just about all the stories related instances during a particular race in which the runner was convinced that he or she could not make it to the finish line. Some of these instances were true life threatening situations and some were of the “feeling sorry for myself” types. They were all just like those thoughts that the rest of us go through during the same kind of running challenges. Indeed, one of the most striking characteristics of this book is the normalcy of the runners of whom the stories relate.

On the other hand, there are some “supers” involved. For those accounts of the diabetic in his first 100 mile run crewed by his sons and struggling to the race site with a broken down van; or the suicide survivor, depression laden, young lady who didn’t leave her house for months and then went through the gamut of highs and lows in her first ultra but finished on a high, there are the stories from ultra superstars like Tim Twietmeyer, Ian Torrence, Ann Trason, and David Horton. Even in the “super’s” accounts, we can relate to the normalcy that earmarks the ultrarunning scene.

Reading story after story, the reader will begin to appreciate the closeness of the ultra community. Such things like runners slowing to help total strangers get through bad patches in the race, because they have been there before, will stand out again and again as an oddity in the ultra races. The attitude expressed by the runners in their stories will impress even the non-runner much less the runner just thinking about running an ultra event.

Running Through the Wall

The reader will read some of the stories and laugh because you will see yourself in there. Other stories will have you pulling for the runner as you turn to see the outcome. Still others will have you emotionally charged by relating to the intensity of the story and the runner involved. This makes the book interesting to read and packed full of memorable characters. It is well written and easy to read.

Each chapter is a runner’s story. It is preceded by a thumbnail sketch of the runner. This includes their name, age, years running, years running ultras, and their residence. I appreciated the picture of each runner. This gives the reader a visual contact as you are reading the runner’s story. For me, it made each story much more personal, a story with a face.

Don Allison, editor and publisher of UltraRunning Magazine, writes a very good foreword for the book. This gives a good opening door to the stories. It sets the stage for a good piece of work by the author, Neal Jamison.

I highly recommend this book to any runner aspiring to run marathons, ultra races, experience adventure runs, or just looking to improve their running by running longer on their level. It will give you fodder for dreams as well as confidence enveloped in normalcy. You will be glad you read it.

“Behind every runner, there is a history that leads them to the starting line of an ultramarathon, and that history colors the drama that plays out over the duration of the event.”                                      Don Allison                                                                                                                                            Editor/Publisher                                                                                                                                             UltraRunning Magazine

By: Richard Westbrook

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God on the Starting Line

Posted: September 25, 2013 by smrtnsasy in Runnin' & Readin'
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BOOK: GOD ON THE STARTING LINE, The Triumph of a Catholic School Running Team and Its Jewish Coach AUTHOR: Marc Bloom                                                                                                                                PUBLISHER/DATE: Breakaway Books, 2004                                                                                               REPORT: If you ever wanted to know just how it is to coach a high school cross-country team, just a regular old team, nothing high powered, the kind of team that is typical of most high schools, then this is the book to read. It will tell you of the life and times of a small team struggling for their identity. While doing that, the identity of the individual as a coach will be clarified among the various tangents contacting this group.

I could identify with the author and his situation being that I am coaching a team that is struggling to find its identity. There are many parallels in the book and my case. I empathized with the author in many situations.

Marc Bloom, the author, writes very well as you will see in his easily readable style. He has written many articles on running and several other books on the subject. His experience with the subject pays off in his work. I have read other works relating the coaching experience, but this is the best.

A unique facet of the book is the spiritual aspects of two different religions. These obvious and subtle teachings affect the coach, the runners, and parents. At times, this causes conflict, while at other times it is the catalyst for success. At all times, it is an item of concern for the coach.

Another interesting and very real conflict is time. The time needed for the coaching and the time needed for family, including an illness of the author’s father, is related by Bloom in a very realistic manner. This is a real concern for anyone who has coached and has a family. Bloom was very astute in relating this throughout the book. He gives us the true picture which requires a great deal of honesty on his part. This one item makes this a great book for upcoming, young coaches to read.

This is not a book to read in order to glean workouts for one to use in coaching their own team. But, there is an underlying philosophy throughout the book that one who is astute enough can see will add immensely to any program. It will give a basic approach and leave a wide range of variation for anyone wanting to pick out information to use in coaching.

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In this story of a New Jersey coastal team, one can follow the tale of the different young men working to mold into a team. The coach guides the various personalities through the high points and low points of the off-season and season. He wins some and loses some. He has doubts. He has disappointments. He has success. He deals with academics, disinterest, disparity, and immaturity. He has a knack of recognizing the problems and has the patience to deal with them. This is an important reason for the success of the team.

Read the book if you like running. It doesn’t matter if you want to coach or just know more about it. Even for non-runners, the book is good in its relationships between a teacher and students, in this case a coach and athletes. You can read it as a very good story, or you can read it to find deeper meaning. Either way, it will be one of the best books you will read on running.

“This is where guts and biochemistry meet. The chemistry has been figured out. Guts are another story.”                                                                  Marc Bloom                                                                                                                                                Commenting on a cross-country race

By: Richard Westbrook

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An Honorable Run

Posted: June 20, 2013 by smrtnsasy in Runnin' & Readin'
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           This is a look into some books that are running related.  The relationship may seem like a stretch at times, but it is there.  That may include tapping into the psyche of running and not just the obvious physical aspect.  But, as most serious runners know, our running is affected in one way or another by everything we perceive.  Reading helps us to broaden that perception.

BOOK:  An Honorable Run

AUTHOR: Matt McCue

COPYRIGHT: 2009

 

Me, Richard Westbrook, and Matt McCue, the author

Me, Richard Westbrook, and Matt McCue, the author

            I met the author, Matt McCue, at last summer’s (2011) Nike Smoky Mountain Runner’s Camp in Asheville, NC.  Matt gave the speech at the end of camp, and I must say that his speech (which was not perceived as a “speech”) was one of the best I have ever heard at camp.  Other long-time staffers also thought so.  Matt and I had a good talk about running, coaching, and high school versus college running.  We had our picture taken together after which I told him that I would destroy the picture if I didn’t like the book, which I got from him and would be my next read.

            An Honorable Run is a very good and easily read book.  It captured my interest right off the bat and carried me through its 157 pages quickly.  It is about a journey of a walk-on collegiate runner at the University of Colorado.  The runner, McCue, ran high school cross-country at Regina High in Iowa City, Iowa.  He worked hard, probably harder than any other team member.  He loved running.  He had a good coach.  He was not recruited by any college.

            The book tells of his relationship with his high school coach, Bob Brown.  Brown started the program at the school and built it to a championship level.  Because of his love of running and his thirst for success, McCue looked for a top program in which to run after high school.  The fact that he was not recruited did not deter him from reaching for the Colorado Buffaloes.  He had read Chris Lear’s Running with the Buffaloes, which gave a day-by-day account the University of Colorado’s 1998 cross-country season.

            Matt’s writing is laced with humor in giving the situations he encountered in trying to just make contact with Colorado’s coach, Mark Wetmore.  This dry humor is intertwined throughout the book but does not affect the seriousness of the story.  Matt makes the book realistic in being able to communicate to the reader his apprehensions, confidences, and cases of reality shock that he encounters in his running journey.  His style of writing makes it such that we can all relate to his situations.

            Starting with his junior high track experiences in which he aimed for the shortest events possible resulting in being smoked in the beginning 400-meter time trial through his getting “assigned” to do the mile time trial, Matt leads us through his running career.  The guts of the story are the two coaches, Brown on the high school level and Wetmore on the college level.

            It is clear that Coach Brown probably had a deeper and longer lasting influence on Matt than the seemingly more impersonal Wetmore.  And, one of the great characters in the picture is Matt’s mom.  She is perceived as being in the background but a careful reader will note that his mom aimed Matt on his journey and gave him the tools to complete the task.  She seems to be a very interesting character and one I would like to meet because of reading this book.

            Lessons were learned during Matt’s journey.  These lessons dealt with workouts, running distances, relationships with teammates, goals, first experiences, expectations, dealing with coaches, and most significantly…determining what was of value.  The reader of this story will thoroughly enjoy vicariously experiencing these with the author.

            This is a short, soft back book that is a quick read.  It did not get a lot of “hoopla” that I have read or heard.  But, it is one of the most enjoyable books on running that I have read, and I read everything on the subject that I can get.  I strongly suggest that you read this book.  You will not be disappointed.

Richard Westbrook

                             ______________________________________________________________

“To be serious is the greatest joy.”

                                                                                                Gustav Mahler

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My Life on the Run

Posted: June 20, 2013 by smrtnsasy in Runnin' & Readin'
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            This is a look into some books that are running related.  The relationship may seem like a stretch at times, but it is there.  That may include tapping into the psyche of running and not just the obvious physical aspect.  But, as most serious runners know, our running is affected in one way or another by everything we perceive.  Reading helps us to broaden that perception.

BOOK:  My Life On The Run, The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon

AUTHOR: Bart Yasso

PUBLISHER: Rodale, 2008

           

            The author, Bart Yasso, is the Chief Running Officer of Runner’s World magazine…Whatever a Chief Running Officer is.  As the dust cover leaf states, Yasso has competed in more than 1000 races, triathlons, biathlons, and eco-challenges over the past 28 years.  He was inducted into the Running USA Hall of Champions.  He has also been called the “Mayor of Running”…Whatever.

            I met Bart when I was running the 1992 Runner’s World TransAmerica Footrace.  He was sent out west by Runner’s World to quiet the rebellious runners who seemed to think their running was what the race was all about.  After his ranting, raving, and threats, we continued doing things our way with no problems.  Bart was replaced with a more sane liaison.

            But, Bart did write an interesting book about his various running adventures.  Most of these were initiated by Runner’s World sending him to differing races in order to report on them for the magazine.  That sounds pretty sweet, going to races with all expenses paid, and Bart readily recognizes this fact.

            The book is easily read and is entertaining.  It is not just a compilation of races in which he competed.  It gives good descriptions of the background of the races.  Personalities are described when they are important to the character of the events. 

            Bart’s racing adventure takes him to far off places like Antarctica, Africa, and Nepal.  He recommends marathons that should give the reader the best and most enjoyable experiences.  This is intertwined with the stories of his travels to and from the events.

            He, also, relates health problems that hampered his adventures.  This was complicated by his location being out of the USA.  Medical treatment could get suspect when you get away from our medical system.  The reader can appreciate Yasso’s determination in completing assignment under these conditons.

            Just as the reader is immersed in the stories, Yasso changes gears and starts telling the reader the more practical aspects of such runs.  This leads to training program for 5-K’s up to marathons.  The programs tend to be on the easier side of training as typical for the parent publication, Runner’s World Magazine.

            I liked the book, especially the accounts of the races.  The pictures of the sites and of Bart through the years add to the enjoyment of the book.  An overriding message from the book is that each of us can find adventure in our running and races just may be the best source.

            That’s well worth the read.   

  Richard Westbrook

           

“I had taken running for granted or at least put too much emphasis on the wrong things.  I had never won a race of the mythical 26.2-mile distance, and at age 43, I probably never would.  It was time to appreciate the sweaty exertion for what it was – an affirmation of life.”

                                                                                                               Bart Yasso

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Born to Run

Posted: June 20, 2013 by smrtnsasy in Runnin' & Readin'
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          This is a look into some books that are running related.  The relationship may seem like a stretch at times, but it is there.  That may include tapping into the psyche of running and not just the obvious physical aspect.  But, as most serious runners know, our running is affected in one way or another by everything we perceive.  Reading helps us to broaden that perception.

BOOK:  Born to Run, A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

AUTHOR: Christopher McDougall

PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009  

          Born to Run is an incredible book.  It doesn’t matter if you are a serious runner or a couch potato.  It doesn’t matter if you like mysteries or adventure.  It doesn’t matter if you as a runner are interested in training or injury prevention or running for fun or fitness.

        This book encompasses all the above and more.  It is one of my favorite books.  I’m an avid reader who reads a lot of different genres.  I like fiction and non-fiction.  I read a lot on running.  I read classics.  I read mysteries.  I read adventure.  I read westerns.  I read philosophy and religion.  I read science.  I read geography.  I read travel. I read biography.  I read history.  I read sports.

          Some of my favorite books are The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour; The Spirit of St. Louis by Charles A. Lindbergh; Once A Runner by John L. Parker Jr.; Bunion Derby by Charles B. Kastner, and others.  Now, added to that list is Born to Run.  It fits nicely into the list ranking very high.

          The book takes us from Colorado to Mexico and some other related sites along the way.  We meet interesting characters.  The characters are so varied that we can see ourselves in there somewhere.  The great thing is that the characters are real, but as we read the book, we would swear that these characters are made-up for the story.

           Therein lays the allure.  Born to Run reads like a novel, one that is both a mystery and adventure story.  It is biographical, historical, and scientific.  The characters engage us.  We want to read the next page to see what happens to them.  It is the story of the land, people, philosophy, and running.  For what more could you ask?

            The author, Christopher McDougall, is a runner himself, so he writes with a sincere interest.  That interest is made evident in the beginning of the book.  In his search for answers on some running problems, he finds out that a lot of conventional wisdom is misplaced.  Through his search, he learns.  We learn along with him.

          The mysterious Caballo Blanco is the catalyst that takes us into the Copper Canyon region of Mexico.  That is where the Tarahumara Indians live and run.  The Tarahumaras are linked with an elite ultrarunner, surfers, and barefoot running.  The story leads to the epochal point of a race in its truest form.

          The race is not one of the glitzy, corporate sponsored events we are familiar with in this country.  It is almost a “secret” event.  You will remember the race and the setting long after you read the account.  You will identify with the runners in the race.  McDougall paints a startling picture in which our mind will be engaged with the vision, smell, and heart-pounding feeling of the sites both there and here.

          The book would go on your bookshelf with the books on ultrarunning.  But, it is so much more.  Delving into lifestyles, it gives the reader a glimpse into differing philosophies.  This ranges from the “why” of running to the importance of life.

          Telling you too much about the specifics of the book and the story would give too much away.  It is better to explore the story like one would explore a new running route.  After starting the book, the runner will want to run more because of learning what can be done and what the human potential can be.

          Read Born to Run, and you will become a better runner.  You will share experiences you never thought possible.  You will understand Kuira-ba…We are all one.

 Richard Westbrook

                                                “The best runner leaves no tracks.”

                                                                                      Tao Te Ching

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