Born To Run Book Review

I have had my mind blown. I just finished reading Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. It is one of the most incredible, informative, fascinating, entertaining books I’ve ever read.

There are so many elements that make this book amazing.

1) The adventure and excitement of the story. McMillan relates his experience in spending time with members of a super-tribe of Indians in Mexico. Just for the fun of it, they go out and run 40, 60, 100 miles. The kids run. The adults run. The grandparents run. His story culminates in a 50-mile race among the members of the Tarahumara tribe and elite ultra-runners from the US. The adventure aspect of the story makes this book a fast page-turner.

2) The humor. McMillan is just plain funny. A few nights ago I saw midnight on the clock as I sat in bed finishing the book. There was an experience at the end which made me burst out in laughter. The kind of unstoppable laughter that makes your eyes water. I was scared that I would wake up my wife because my laughing was shaking the bed so much.

3) The anatomy, physiology, and science behind running. These little tidbits are woven throughout the story and are, for me, the most valuable part of this book. There are incredible insights into form, diet, training, and motivation. These aspects alone make the book worth reading.

4) What we can learn from the Tarahumara Indians. The fascinating thing is that these people have absolutely no running injuries. The book delves into why they run, and how they run which provides the key for why they never get hurt.

Born To Run has changed the way I run and the way I think about running. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Click on the cover for a link to Amazon where you can read more about the book and order it. Prepare to have your mind blown.