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Born to Run

a Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Mar 16, 2012danielestes rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall is fun, energetic and will certainly make you question almost everything you thought you knew about running. The frame of the story is based around a hidden Mexican tribe living in the Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyons) in the southwestern Mexican state of Chihuahua. The tribe is extremely isolationist and also one of the few remaining indigenous peoples who happen to be exceptional athletic runners. This is apparently due to their earthly living habits and hunting needs. Per the title, the book makes the case for why the skill of running might be a part of our human genetic makeup, and it's a convincing argument. Born to Run is also a lengthy primer on the sport of ultra-running, which is running distances longer than a marathon. Sometimes it's competitive and often the total mileage is between fifty and a hundred miles. I've never heard of this kind of running, and I still can't imagine anyone running that far. If you enjoy running at any level, then this book is for you. It's a love letter to an activity that many approach as a kind of spiritual communion with being alive.