OK. It took me about three years to finally get around to
reading this book, which has morphed into a cultural cult classic in our
running world. The book, for those living under a rock and not knowing what I
am talking about, is “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the
Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen,” by Christopher McDougall.
This book has been attributed to causing the tidal wave of
interest in barefoot/minimalist shoe running, which I find very interesting.
That is only a side element to the book! It is not the main point of the book.
What is the main point of the book? Well, McDougall
admittedly goes in a lot of directions here. Before I continue, I will not bury
the lead: I liked this book. I thought it was extremely well-reported (something I very much admire in writing)
and very well-written in terms of conveying information (another thing I admire) and in terms of entertaining and keeping
the reader flipping the pages with interest.
I finished the book two weeks ago, so my acute memory of the
contents has faded a bit. In no particular order, here are some of the topics
that McDougall covers, and covers well, in the book:
--The Tarahumara (Raramuri) running people of Mexico, a
fascinating tribe of superhuman athletes who live a secret life (well, not so
much anymore!) in the Copper Canyons.
--Caballo Blanco (White Horse), the eccentric main character
of the book, who tragically passed away recently. Reading the excellent New
York Times story on Micah True (Caballo Blanco) spurred me to finally reading
the book, which had been collecting dust on my nightstand.
--The science of endurance running. Are we truly “born to
run?” He really digs deeply into this topic (pun intended) and this was among
the most enjoyable moments in the book. Side
note: For a similar read on this topic, check out Bernd Heinrich’s
excellent book from 2001 entitled “Racing the Antelope: What Animals Can Teach
Us about Running and Life.”
--And yes, there was the full frontal assault on the running
shoe industry, much of which I agree with and much of which is “old news” to
those of us involved in the sport for years.
I feel the need to address the barefoot/minimalist thing
right here and now.
First of all, here at Marist Running, we have been doing the
barefoot/minimalist thing for 30 years. Back when I was a punk distance runner
in the early 1980s, one of my many coaches at the time – Jimmy Klein – had us
doing barefoot tee-to-green strides on golf courses after runs. Even for a
biomechanically challenged dork like me, it felt great!
Secondly, we coached the Rauccis, the undisputed kings of
barefoot running. Joey Raucci ran Paul Short at Lehigh barefoot, and then
really turned some heads by racing the steeple at MAACs barefoot on the Rider
track! David Raucci did much of his 100-plus mile weeks barefoot on the grass
near his home in Red Hook, and always trains in lightweight/no-weight beat up
old sneakers. And his next running injury will be his first.
Thirdly, we have North Field, perhaps the best barefoot
running area you will ever find, on our campus. We do our “extended strides”
workout there on that carpet-like grass surface. And when we do, you will find
the fence nearest the parking lot littered with sneakers and socks as the team
does the workout barefoot.
So yeah. We get it. Barefoot/minimalist running works. In
small doses, on proper surfaces.
Regrettably, many folks have read McDougall’s book and
decided to go barefoot or Vibram Five Fingers all or most of the time. The
result, in most cases, is an excellent spike in business for sports podiatrists
and orthopedic surgeons. Does the minimalist thing work for some runners, even
on hard surfaces? YES! But for most of us, who have grown up in the shod world
of the United States, walking and running on cement and macadam, it’s probably
better having some cushioning to protect your feet and your body.
Yes, it’s true that sometimes the most expensive and most
cushioned/motion controlled shoes actually cause MORE injuries. But again, if
you are running mostly on hard surfaces, some protection is warranted.
The characters in this book were phenomenal. Having dabbled
in the ultra running community back in the 1990s, the book brought back some
fond memories. The cultural differences and uniqueness of the Raramuri were
fascinating and a great read.
But has anyone pointed out the interesting irony of the
barefoot/minimalist thing in this book? And that is this: After McDougall
proceeds to lay waste to the running shoe industry, what sneakers does he go
out and buy as he starts his high-mileage training for the 50-mile Copper
Canyon ultramarathon: the Nike Pegasus!
Not exactly the Free, or the Five Fingers, or any of the
other myriad minimalist shoes on the market. Good for him! But again, it is a
bit ironic that the man who, perhaps unwittingly, created this craze didn’t actually wear minimalist shoes when
he trained and raced!
Last point: As usual, Will Schanz was right. Schanz, the highly
loyal and annoying pest of an XC runner on our team, had been urging me to read
this book. Coach, you will love it.
Coach, you gotta read it. Trust me, you’ll finish it in a week. You will eat it
up. Right up your alley …
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It took me three years. But Schanz was right,
as usual.
“Born to Run’’ is an excellent book, worth reading. But
please: Read it for entertainment, knowledge and enjoyment … but do NOT read it
as some sort of Gospel to Barefoot Nirvana. It’s a good running book; a very
good running book. Read it, enjoy it and leave it at that.
And please, keep your shoes on … except at North Field.
