Born to Run- Review

 "Born to Run"
by Christopher McDougall.

McDougall is an award winning journalist who set out to find the answers of why he kept getting hurt while he ran, and why there was a group of people on this planet who seemed to be able to run for days (literally) and never get hurt. This question led him to discover the greatest runners of all time, the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico's Copper Canyons. He soon meets characters along the way who are incredible in their own unique ways. It is composed of a handful of ultra-marathon runners who each have their own story to tell. Some of their experiences are hard to believe  if only because I could never imagine myself or anyone I know being able to do what they do. To give you an idea, one racer begins her day with 20 miles in the morning, does the things she needs to do and then as an reward runs another 20 miles. Later that evening, just to relax, she goes on another 15-20 mile run. THAT'S INSANE. This whole book blew my mind the entire time I was reading it.

But this book wasn't just a bunch of stories mixed together. He had scientists' and researchers' stories about how they discovered why the human body is meant to run. Needing speed back then makes sense, out run danger so you don't get eaten, but it was the endurance aspect that was puzzling. They soon realized the speed of most animals that humans would have hunted back then was similar to what a human can run. They also realized those same animals can't run for long periods of time without stopping for rest. This is where endurance comes in. The fact that ancient people were able to run 5+ hours at a time, chasing the same animal, is why they were able to catch it, not because the humans were faster in the first place. Isn't that interesting? I learned so much in this book, but I didn't feel like I was reading a scholarly assignment. He weaved in the science and facts in with awesome inspiring stories making everything connect.

There are stories within stories, but the transitions are seamless and don't seem distracting at all. Since I am training for a small race myself, I was obsessed with his descriptions of how these people were running, and what their secrets and techniques were. Last night I even put them to the test and while I can't run even 5 miles yet, I still did much better. This book helps you realize what your body can do. We weren't meant to sit around and be inactive, our bodies need us to move, that is why they were built the way they are. Another piece to the puzzle? Loving to run, and being a good person, makes you a better runner. That is the theory behind great runners like the Tarahumara and champion Scott
Jurek - They were compassionate and service oriented people, who loved to run. I haven't quite gotten to that stage of Zen quite yet, but hey, it's all about the journey...right?

Anyway, I loved this book. I think I loved it because I am currently killing myself in this race training and this just made me more motivated and excited to finish. That being said, I think I would still love it even if I wasn't a runner. It was so well written I couldn't put it down and I would recommend this book to anyone.

not born to run....yet

yes, ANOTHER post today!

So I'm reading this book, Born To Run, and it's pretty bad ass. There are a group of indigenous people in Mexico who are super runners. They just live in this community with no currency or jobs or crime or anything like that, and run. Like, for 48 hours straight. The reporter who wrote it does an incredible job telling all of the stories. As I was waiting for TWO AND A HALF HOURS for my project to render today (see previous post) I got to read a lot of it and needless to say it pumped me up. Not only was I pissed about the project, my friend Sarah sent me awesome music AND I'm reading this book? I felt pretty unstoppable....until about the 1.5 mile marker and then I was feeling pretty stoppable. 

It's crazy how easy it is to run on a treadmill but once you hit the pavement it's a whole new ball game. I know I go faster outside and there are hills and that damn head wind that always likes to join us for our runs. I wasn't feeling like an Indian runner for very long....actually I never really got to that point in the first place, but I am hoping to get to my version of it one day.

80's Night

Thanks to my good buddy Sarah, I have an 80's playlist worthy of Thursday nights!

I am going to go run out all of my frustration now...

(who knew I would ever WANT to run?)

Imma be a college drop out

I have been staring at this screen for two hours and at the moment says only 77% done.

Oh. My. Hell.

I have to pee, 

I'm starving, 

I missed a class that I have a test in on Thursday, 

I'm going to miss my other class if this thing doesn't finish, 

I am on the verge of tears and the F-word.


I need a (insert swear word here) vacation.

Countdown

2 school days and

4 work days until

8 days of vacation.

this is going to be the longest week ever!

so much for that- review

so much for that
by Lionel Shriver

Shriver's novel begins with the main character, Shep, packing for the trip of his life. He plans on moving away, with his six figures he has saved, to a remote island and living out his days. The catch? He is going with or without his wife and teenage son. This has been his dream since he was a child, and he was no longer going to let others get in the way of that dream. As Shep tells his wife he is going and hopes she joins him, she surprises him with the diagnosis of a deadly cancer. Obviously all plans are off.

This novel takes us through the challenges of a marriage, already on the edge, that has to deal with the slap in the face that is cancer. Their relationship is one of love, but also frustration and pain. Shriver makes me love to hate Shep's wife, who is impossible to please, and not at all the "i accept my fate" cancer patient we sometimes expect. It's a harsh reality to how life is like for the terminally ill.

Shep gets to confide in his best friend Jackson who just happens to be a far right wing enthusiast who hates anything government run. His rants were entertaining, but they also made a great deal of sense and got me thinking. Jackson, although slightly annoying, is hard not to like. His family is just as captivating. He has an infuriating sister who makes my top 5 list of characters I hate (she's that annoying/awful) The characters throughout this book are well thought out and keep things interesting. There is such a wide range of personalities in their lives it reminded me of my own.

Shriver approaches a serious topic -the price of health care in the Unites States- in an upfront, no nonsense way. Both Shep and Jackson face bankruptcy even though they both have insurance. It goes to show the ridiculousness of the system and how it influences medical decisions. "how much is a life worth" is just one question trying to be answered in this novel. There is little romance in this book, but when it shows up, it is very sweet. Shep's marriage seemed very realistic to me, and I appreciated the dynamics between husband and wife that weren't picture perfect or even perfect the majority of the time. These two had issues, but doesn't everyone?

While Shriver writes in the way that creates pictures in my head, she also can come off as a bit too stuffy. Using words and phrases that no one would ever speak aloud made me skim over some explanations and conversations. There were also a lot of very rare diseases and things happening that I doubt really happens to someone all at once.

In the end, I read a book to enjoy myself, not to change my outlook on political or social issues. I don't think the ending could be anymore perfect, and was probably my favorite part. How she ended the story left me satisfied. This book entertained me and made me a fan of Lionel Shriver. Because of this book I read We Need to Talk About Kevin, which blew me away (review pending). I am not a picky reader, but that being said, I still really liked this book.