Blogs Sport Wallpaper

Here's the 15-minute version of the Born to Run argument, presented by author Chris McDougall at the TED Conference in August, 2010.



BTW, if you are ever looking for inspiration, go check out TED. Lots of fascinating people and ideas. I always seem to come back from that site with a sense of possibilities.

I gotta tell ya, I'm a huge fan of Chris McDougall's new book, Born To Run. I just finished the audiobook on my iPod (expertly told by Patrick Lawlor), and all of the facts and characters are still swimming around in my head. Chris really did a phenomenal job of combining the history and unique lifeview of the Tarahumara indians, the experience of ultrarunning, the conspiracy of the multi-billion dollar running shoe industry, his personal experience fixing injuries with barefoot running, ultrarunning characters like Ann Trason, Scott Jurek, Barefoot Ted, Luis Escobar, the crazy antics of Jenn Shelton and Billy Burnett, all cumulating in "the greatest race the world has never seen". Chris is a total pro, and each chapter is packed full of facts, quotes, and antics that will get you laughing, thinking, and inspired to run. I think it's one of the best running books I have ever read.

This is definitely on the "must" list. If you're tapering down for States, get your long runs in vicaruously through this great read/listen! It's on sale at Zombie for $17.



And if you're out running, watch out for bears.

- SD

Claire Suddath of TIME Magazine did an interview with Chris McDougall, author of the new book, Born To Run. I think they both did a good job of capturing the ultra spirit (plus a funny story of Jen Shelton puking up beer and jalapeno pizza). You can read the full story here.

Highlights:

[Prize money] is actually one of the big debates in ultra-racing right now; some of the top competitors want there to be prize money but the second money gets into it, the sport is ruined. Right now, there's a certain sense of amateurism and purity to the sport. I was crewing for ultra-runner Jen Shelton during one race and she was gunning to win, but she ate a jalapeno pizza and pitcher of beer five hours before the start, so at mile 40, she blew up and was retching on the course. When she lifted her head up, she realized that two of the guys she had been competing with were standing there waiting for her. She was 40 miles out in the woods alone and they wanted to make sure she was okay. They took her to an aid station and once she was cared for, they took off [for] the finish line. You get a sense of real camaraderie out there because ultimately it's about everyone pulling together.