BOOK REVIEWS

 

‘What I talk about when I talk about running’

Haruki Marakami

4/5

Japanese author Haruki Marakami lays down his philosophies on running, writing and life in general in this part biography part running diary and part travelogue. He explains what it means for him to run, what he gets from it and how it is a fundamental part of his lifestyle. Haruki makes the grade of a serious club runner in having completed over 25 marathons, mostly around the 3:30-3:40 mark, has taken part in the occasional ultra marathon and triathlons. He generally runs six times a week when training for marathons- between writing novels.

 

He shares previous experiences with the reader, both good and bad.  Why he started running and what makes him carry on. Along the way he reminisces about past races, and intertwines his life story of owning a jazz bar in Tokyo, then his decision to become a novelist.

 

His writing, as you can expect, flows easily and naturally, and comes across well. He’s no expert, (nor does he claim to be), but records his own thoughts and ideas on running.  At 180 pages the book is an easy read and can be read in a weekend. I found it insightful and engaging and because he’s running at a level many of us are at, many club runners will enjoy it.

 

‘Running for peak performance’

Frank Shorter

4/5

Running legend Frank Shorter presents a glossy book with lots of nice shiny pictures in it, a one stop shop of easily digested chapters aimed mainly at beginner and intermediate runners. As expected, all the basics are covered, from getting started, benefits of running and stretching to running shoes, safety and diet. All cover pretty much all you need to know without getting into too much detail.

 

More advanced runners will take more from his chapters on physiology, motivation and technique.  The chapters on injuries can be used as a “first port of call” for many running related injuries. He covers knees, back and hip, foot and ankle injuries and injury prevention in separate chapters.

 

Different types of training are covered; interval training, hill training, (although I was a bit disappointed not to find anything on cross country or fell running). Racing is adequately covered. There are beginner training programmes for 5k, 10k and half marathon and an intermediate programme for the marathon. More specific goals will have to be looked for elsewhere.

 

In all, it’s quite a handy little book, and can be read in portions as required.

 

Book Reviews written by: Steve Myerscough

Submitted: 12th February 2010

 

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

£16.99

5/5

“How come my foot hurts?” is not normally a question that can inspire a true adventure story, but author Chris McDougall has managed to write a great book stemming from this seemingly innocent query, taking him to a reclusive tribe of near-mythical athletes. And no, it’s not Carr Hill School on a Monday night.  Instead he makes his way to find the running people, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians in Mexico. The Tarahumara organise races that can last all day, from sun up to sun down, or from sun up to the following sun up.  Along dirt tracks.  And without running shoes. 

 

After have been given, (in his eyes), a rather unsatisfactory diagnosis by one of the top sports medicine specialists in the states (the human body is not designed for that sort of abuse – especially not a man of your size), Chris travels over to Mexico, and with the help of a mysterious gringo called Caballo Blanco, tracks down the elusive Tarahumara. He interweaves his story with edge of your seat race reports when the Tarahumara crossed the border to take part in an American ultra marathon race, anecdotes about the great and good in the world of long distance and ultra marathon running: Frank Shorter, Emil Zatopek, Ron Clarke, Scott Jurek, Dean Karnazes and the rise of ultra running in America. Caballo’s dream is to bring the top guns of America to race the Tarahumara for the ultimate racing showdown (no easy task in the drug running badlands of Mexico). McDougall interweaves all the characters and their backgrounds into a delightfully compelling narrative.

 

Chris answers all the questions that arise; if they are so good, why are they not kicking Kenyan butts in the world’s major marathons?  How do they compare with the best American athletes? Surely they should be doing what Usain Bolt did on the Olympics? (With regards to this last point, Mexico did field Tarahumara runners in the 1928 and 1968 Olympic games, and both times they finished out of the medals; the excuse was that the marathon distance was far too short).

 

The central theme of the book, away from the running commentary, is how; or indeed why; do the greatest endurance runners in the planet not use standard running shoe attire? Do they know something we don’t? Are running shoes more of a hindrance than a help? And do the likes of Nike, Adidas, and Asics know this?

 

So, was Chris tempted to go naked? Certainly not after keeping his feet wrapped up for forty years – he went for an old pair of Nike Pegasus, almost a decade old, similar to Nikes original running shoe, the Cortez.  Eight weeks later, he was running more miles at a faster pace than he had ever run before, and enjoying them more than he had ever done before.

During his research he discovers that humans have evolved to run – which is why we have muscular arses and Achilles tendons (Chimpanzees, which walk, don’t have these).  Humans can get more than one breath per stride, typically two or three, as opposed to four legged animals that can only take one.  Furthermore, as we are covered in skin, and not fur, we can regulate our heat by sweating. All other running animals have to lose heat by breathing, and once at their maximum temperature they cannot run. So although we are initially slower than whatever animal we are trying to catch, we have far more endurance so soon enough we would catch up and when they fell to the floor with exhaustion we had our dinner.

If it’s so natural to run why do so many people hate it?  Are the world’s problems due to the fact we are no longer a running people? Should we bin our running shoes? Chris investigates all these issues and finds some intriguing answers.

This is a great read, and not just for runners. It’s an uplifting mishmash of social commentary, adventure story, natural history and ultra marathon running. If you only read one book on running this year, this book is it.

 

See Interview with Chris McDougall, author of Born to Run in the Runner Profile Section.

 

Written by: Steve Myerscough

Submitted: January 2010

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor