The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner

[boldie]

Was my last hockey match of the season on Saturday, so managed to get through the season without an injury. 

FFS!

[kinboshi]

Was my last hockey match of the season on Saturday, so managed to get through the season without an injury.

FFS!

Thought you'd be happy about that one

There's still time to pick up and injury, I'll probably fall down the stairs or something now.

[boldie]

Was my last hockey match of the season on Saturday, so managed to get through the season without an injury.

FFS!

Thought you'd be happy about that one

There's still time to pick up and injury, I'll probably fall down the stairs or something now.

I'll just have to ask soon-to-be-Mrs Kin to shove you down the stairs or something.

[kinboshi]

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.

[kinboshi]

Was going to post a link to the book (using blonde's affiliate link ), and read through some of the reviews.  This one reflects a lot of what I thought about the book:

"It's not that you aren't warned by the title of this book: three superlatives in one sentence should tip you off that there is a lot of hyperbole in this book.

"Born to Run" is an entertaining read, as long as you don't mind that a lot of the facts and characters are exaggerated. It's kind of funny to read that American River 50m is a "hot, hilly, and hazardous cross-country ramble" when in fact the race is one of the easiest 50m races in the country: most of the course is flat and run on a bike path! Also, the Leadville 100m raceis hardly the beast it sounds like: it's not even in the top ten hardest 100m races.

What bothers me more than these embellishments is the depiction of ultrarunners as a bunch of fringe folks or freaks. I'm an ultrarunner myself and have run numerous 50m and 100m races. The overwhelming majority of ultrarunners are perfectly well adjusted people who lead normal lives, and this book does a real disservice to them. Depicting ultrarunners and their accomplishments in a breathless and exaggerated tone also undermines the central argument of the book, i.e., that running long distances is something normal that humans are well adapted to do.

This brings me back to the main message of the book, which makes the book worth reading. The sections on the evolution of humans and the science of running are quite interesting and compelling. Focus on those and read the rest with a grain of salt!

One more thing. If you go to Luis Escobar's site www.allwedoisrun.com and scroll half way down you can see what looks to be the non-photoshopped version of the cover image, along with photos of the Copper Canyon race described in the book (apparently it was 47m and not 50m like the book says. Details, details ...). "

Anyway, it's less than a fiver to buy the book - here's the link click me click me.

[kinboshi]

Going back to the 'natural' method of running and the more extreme 'barefoot-running', it's amazing how the running shoe manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon.

Newton, is a company who only produce running shoes that promote forefoot striking (as opposed to the standard running shoes from Nike, Adidas, etc. that have massive midsoles that promote heel-striking), and their shoes are growing in popularity, but they still only command a very small percentage of the market.

inov-8 are a company who have focused on off-road shoes until now, and in my running magazine that arrived this morning, they had a little 10-page leaflet about their new range of 'natural-running' shoes, and lots of background to why it's the war forward (pardon the pun).  Most of that leaflet is here:  http://www.inov-8.com/research and they have some running shoes that I'd go for (not sure at all about the ones that look live gloves though - very similar to the Vibram five-finger things: http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=barefoot+running+shoes+vibram ), instead of me having to just look for the lightest running shoes that have a minimal midsole, even if they aren't designed for forefoot striking.

It's interesting that Nike, who get the brunt of Christopher McDougall's wrath in his book, have also started selling running shoes that promote the 'barefoot style' of running. It's a growing market and worth a lot of money, so it's no surprise at all really.

I'm looking for a pair of off-road running shoes, and I'm split between these http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detail.asp?PG=PG1&P=5050973118&L=27 and these http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/reviews/shoes/off-road-shoes/salomon-speedcross-2/58998.html - both have low-profile midsoles and both come in ridiculous colours...

[George2Loose]

is it actually lonely running or just a cool name for your diary?

[kinboshi]

is it actually lonely running or just a cool name for your diary?

It's the name of a book and a film from the 50s/60s and thought it'd be a cool name for the thread. Should have called it Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Runner.  Missed a trick there.

Running's not lonely, but it can get dull and monotonous at times. The hardest part is dragging my lazy arse out of bed, and once I'm out it's usually fine. Feels good when I get back and I know I've got some exercise in before the day has really started.

[kinboshi]

Another short run this morning.  A little over 5 miles @ 7:23 pace.


I've downloaded another book that looks interesting:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Survival-Fittest-Anatomy-Physical-Performance/dp/0224075071/ref=as_li_wdgt_js_ex?&camp=2486&linkCode=wsw&tag=blondepoker-21&creative=8918

Mike Stroud, studied anthropology and genetics before qualifying as a doctor.  He's probably best known for his antics with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, such as the polar expeditions and the 7 marathons in 7 continents in 7 days.  I'm only a few pages in, but it looks like it's going to be an excellent read.

[Laxie]

Still no injury?  Boldie will be gutted.

[kinboshi]

Still no injury?  Boldie will be gutted.

I scratched my ankle, does that count?  I think I'll survive though.

[Laxie]

Still no injury?  Boldie will be gutted.

I scratched my ankle, does that count?  I think I'll survive though.

Doesn't count if you'll survive obv.

[kinboshi]

Still no injury?  Boldie will be gutted.

I scratched my ankle, does that count?  I think I'll survive though.

Doesn't count if you'll survive obv.

It was a really sharp thorn though.

[Laxie]

Still no injury?  Boldie will be gutted.

I scratched my ankle, does that count?  I think I'll survive though.

Doesn't count if you'll survive obv.

It was a really sharp thorn though.

Mildly entertaining but not effective for the purpose of Boldie's goal.  Try harder please.

[kinboshi]

Got an email from the organisers, it included this:

"With just over a fortnight until race day, those of you who are running in the Virgin London Marathon really are at the point now where trying to fit in more long runs will generally be detrimental to your performance on race day. Now really is the time to start your taper if you haven't done so already.

At this stage, it's all about self-preservation, and giving your body the chance to recover from the months of training you've put in. Don't do anything that will put your participation in the race at risk — you've done all the hard work, so ease off, and avoid any risky activities where you could potentially injure yourself. "

Good advice imo, poker it is this weekend.  Unlikely to pick up a debilitating injury at DTD.