The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner

[gatso]

Reminds me, still got to post my thoughts on that book.

 

'Bout time I got round to this.

The book in question is 'Born to Run' by Christopher McDougall.  I'm going to do the review in reverse, starting with my conclusion and then explaining it afterwards. 

I'd give the book 6/10 (maybe 6.5 at a push).  The subject matter is one that fascinates me, and the over-riding concept that man evolved to run,both long and short distances, (the idea of man evolving to 'persistence hunt' is an intriguing theory that seems to hold a lot of merit and I'm reading other sources now that go into this idea in more scientific detail), and that most running shoes actually prevent people from running correctly (ultimately resulting in injuries).   I'm with the author on this and am delighted to see that the book (and others who have been promoting a more 'natural' style of running) has started a popular move towards running shoes that promote this natural-style of running. More on that later.

He tells some interesting stories about some ultra-marathon races, which although highly exaggerated in places, are a good read.  His tendency to exaggerate and resort to hyperbole is the downfall of the book, and I think that's his writing style.  Some of the stuff he talks about is so interesting and absorbing that it doesn't need the 'bullshit' (for want of a better word) that he applies in numerous layers.

The book is a slow starter, but eventually gets more readable.  He focuses a lot of the book on the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico.  A lot of their culture sits around their running, and with their ability to run very quickly over long distances, in very harsh terrain the author asserts that they are the best runners in the world.  This might well be the case, but he then starts to go on about their utopian way of life, and about their amazing life-expectancy, crime-free society, etc.  I've since read up on the Tarahumara, and the author left quite a lot out in his glowing prose, as one reviewer said "the parts about the Tarahumara people was another example of outsiders glorifying one portion of a peoples' lives and ignoring or not reporting correctly the rest. "  Apparently, many of the Tarahumara live in abject poverty and the claims he makes about their life-expectancy are massively exaggerated.  The sub-title to the book "A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen" shows where he's coming from on this.  It's a shame he goes so far in his veneration of the Tarahumara, as a respect for their customs and cultures and of course, their amazing long-distance running capabilities would be enough.  It doesn't need the bullshit, and I found myself having to take everything he was saying with a large helping of scepticism - rather than being able to accept a lot of what he says as factual.  He even mentions something that happened in a World Chess Championship between Kasparov and Karpov - and gets that wrong through his need to exaggerate and fabricate the facts in order to make a stronger point (which when you know it's factually incorrect means you then question everything else he says).

The book is also written from a very American view-point (which is fine of course, as the author is American), but it grated in parts for me.

So, all-in-all it's a subject matter that I could read lots more about quite happily, but without the unnecessary bullshit this author felt was needed to make it more of a compelling story. For me it achieved the opposite.

caballo blanco found dead http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_20298068

[craigbetts]

Such unhappy news, for me Micah True's story of running is the most romantic journey of all.

I try to adopt some of the principles the 'White horse' lived by. Was not planning on a run today following a longish training run yesterday, but will squeeze one in as a celebration of the story!

[gatso]

anyone fancy a day of running in london on june 24th? we'll be doing 7x5k races at various locations around north and east london

http://www.parkrun.com/crispy/longestparkrun

they've done it the last 2 years in south london and will be doing it again at the same locations while we'll be doing ally pally, finsbury park, highbury fields, hackney marshes, mile end, wanstead flats and valentines park

[gatso]

switching threads as there's no point completely derailing the berlin one when we can talk bollocks over here

kin, what's your opinion on sports massage. pretty sure there've been no studies that have proved its efficacy yet I would guess that somewhere between 100% and 100% of elite runners worldwide at all distances use it

[kinboshi]

Sports massage has a lot of 'proven' science behind it. Definitely beneficial in many circumstances. Can be counter-productive if done at the wrong time or done incorrectly though.

As an aside, lots of sports people wear powerbands or use that kine-whatsit tape, and they have been shown not to work (beyond a placebo effect). Lots also pray before their event...

[kinboshi]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying. So if anyone knows any witchcraft I can use to heal it more rapidly that'd be grand. Blood of virgin, or piss of newt, that sort of thing.

[technolog]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying.

So is the fecking rest of you tbf.

[kinboshi]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying.

So is the fecking rest of you tbf.

True!

[Claw75]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying.

So is the fecking rest of you tbf.

just coz i literally laughed out loud doesn't mean I agree.  necessarily.

[gatso]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying.

So is the fecking rest of you tbf.

Like

[kinboshi]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying.

So is the fecking rest of you tbf.

just coz i literally laughed out loud doesn't mean I agree.  necessarily.

To be fair, I did too. Bastards.

[EvilPie]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying. So if anyone knows any witchcraft I can use to heal it more rapidly that'd be grand. Blood of virgin, or piss of newt, that sort of thing.

You could try a slug on your bellend.

Alternatively if you'd like the number of a chiropractor I know a good one.

[kinboshi]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying. So if anyone knows any witchcraft I can use to heal it more rapidly that'd be grand. Blood of virgin, or piss of newt, that sort of thing.

You could try a slug on your bellend.

Alternatively if you'd like the number of a chiropractor I know a good one.

Got any slugs?

[vegaslover]

My ankle still isn't 100%, and it's bloody annoying. So if anyone knows any witchcraft I can use to heal it more rapidly that'd be grand. Blood of virgin, or piss of newt, that sort of thing.

I've got both if you want 'em but I don't have any scientific research/proof that they work mind!!

[kinboshi]

Bad news. My Garmin 201 Forerunner GPS whatsit has started to play up (I've had it for 7 years).