Book list part V

Book List part V

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougal. This is such an interesting book! Who knew there were really 100 mile runs! I didn’t! Now I would love to go to Leadville Colorado and see the race. Don’t think that’s because I’m interested in doing anything so crazy. No, if I can continue to make the 5 mile in Mantua, that will be a feat.  This is a definite must read if just to hear the sordid tale of Nike or was it Adida? As well as the evidence for barefoot running.

Since I got the book on Kindle I can’t flip back through and remind myself of the interesting facts. I don’t like electronic books, but when you have tons of books already living at your house, you begin to see the beauty in at least the idea of the Kindle. (We recently packed up about 200 more books to take in to McKays used book store.)

Anyway, since I don’t have the hard copy to peruse, here is a quote from Amazon:

An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?

Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run. 

A must read.

Letters: a compilation of letters from Leon Leishman Hall while serving in the military from 1942-1944, compiled by Stephanie Winzler. This was certainly an eye-opening, humorous, and revealing compilation. The quote:

So Dad, I guess you have the house started on by now, no doubt? Or is it the same old story? Oh just wait till we get this or that and we can’t do this just yet because of that . . . why the hell don’t you start so you could have something to work for, why worry about the financial part of building, it’s the principle of the thing that really counts. Or what other excuse have you now, or you haven’t by chance actually started construction have you? I didn’t think so. Beats Me?

So many stories we don’t know; so many stories people don’t tell--perhaps all for the better, perhaps not. I remember talking with Grandma Hall one day when I was at Aunt Verda’s house, Grandma told me how unhappy she had been being married to grandpa all those years and that she would have left him except for the children. It was a revelation to me, and one I could tell that Aunt Verda didn’t appreciate much. And while I’m sure everyone knew but me, it wasn’t until grandpa was dying and in the hospital that I found out he smoked (and drank coffee).

It was nice to read about Dad’s physical prowess in so many areas, which I knew, but I enjoyed reading his stats as did Mary--also nice that his abilities have continued down the generations.