Last night I cashed in my Level 2 credit for some bling: Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall. You can find it here. Naturally, I got the Kindle edition and can therefore say quite precisely that I am 57% of the way through it. This has been a phenomenal read thus far. The characters, the analogies, and the crazy climates these people are running in (not to mention the distances) are completely insane. I put off snow shoveling for half the day, being so engrossed.
As a chubby guy who can jog slowly for all of three minutes, it might seem that a book about people who can run for a hundred plus miles would be discouraging. But, instead it is inspriational. These people don't run because they are trying to fit into their high school duds. They love to duel with nature, both external and internal.
When I did get around to the shoveling, a son and his mother from next door helped me. I've got wonderful neighbors all around the cul-de-sac. Tonight we snacked on stuffed mushrooms, cheese sticks, and bacon-wrapped shrimp with jalepenos as the superbowl started. I ended up being less than interested in the game. Instead, I will curl up with the rest of this wonderful book. This book also provides futher reasons to believe that a fore-foot strike with bare feet or minimalist shoes is the most healthy way to run. If anyone can point me to the benefits of heel-striking in the modern, thick-soled running shoe, I would appreciate it. I like to read about every side of an argument.
http://view.ed4.net/v/H9NAGH/CXWRR/D4XKVRA/MRQWOC/MAILACTION=1&FORMAT=H
ReplyDeleteThanks Rob! I need to be more clear in the future, so I don't mislead others. When I speculate that barefoot or minimalist is perhaps the most healthy way to run, I mean in terms of form. From what I've read so far, over the past few million years, people have run with the balls of their feet hitting first. The YouTube video I linked in a few posts ago with the adolescent Kenyan is exactly what I'm thinking of as good form. But, it isn't an endorsement of running barefoot - especially in my urban environment. But, I will look for shoes that let my feet function pretty much as they would without shoes.
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