What an amazing book! I loved reading it and could hardly wait to keep up the scorching pace it set throughout - just as the Tarahumara tribe runs through their Sierra Madre canyons in Mexico. A runner, journalist, himself, Christopher McDougall begins this journey when he has severe pain on his heel after running a mere three miles. His doctors ask him to stop running because they say humans are not designed to run etc. But Chris's mind goes to an assignment in Mexico when he hears about the Tarahumara tribe that lives up in the canyons, in caves, away from civilisation. They are shy, kind, happy people who are almost invisible and extremely sensitive. But what interested Chris was their name, the Raramuri, or the running people. The Tarahumara Indians run 100 km runs easily without any sign of fatigue and enjoying every bit of it. They run in their regular gear, do not train and run in thin sandals and not shoes. Chris thinks that if they can run hundreds of miles and still be fine and healthy, why can't we be? There must be a secret. But they are not easy to approach so Chris finds out about the only other man who has had access to their running, a man called 'Caballo Blanco' or the White Ghost, a white man, who runs like the wind, has no fixed place and is difficult to trace. Caballo Blanco has the Tarahumara's extra endurance and their invisible trait. Chris tracks him down and they begin an audacious plan.
How come the Tarahumara never won races, Olympics was a question? The answer is that they are quite content living up in the hills. Running is for them a way of life, a joy that nature gave them. There were attempts made in the past by an American journalist named Fisher who recruited a few Tarahumara and raced them against some of the best ultra runners in the USA at the Leadville 100 km dawn to dusk race. In the 1990s he first raced Victoriano Churro, Cevildo Chacarito, Manuel Luna and others who hung back in their shy style from the pack, did nothing of any significance until the 40 mile back and then picked off the trained ultramarathon runners one by one and came first, second and fifth in times that were unbelievable. Encouraged, Fisher did another race, this time pitting Ann Trason, a 33-year-old ultrarunner with a huge reputation against Manuel Luna, Juan Herrera, Martimano Leivantes (42) in a 100-mile race. Ann takes them on and pushes the shy Tarahumara by setting a tough pace and taunting them by asking them - how does it feel to be beaten by a woman - she asks. Martimano retires with an injury, which he attributes to a curse by the bruja or witch Ann, and with him, his runner Shaggy stays back too. The other proud Tarahumara runners take off to beat the bruja and from way behind Juan Herrera comes up like the wind and cruises past Ann Trason who looks on in disbelief at the way Juan flies past her, hardly showing any sign of fatigue. Herrera beats her by 30 minutes to the winning post having won the 100-mile race in 17 and a half hours.
Shaggy, the runner, an ex-prize fighter, follows the Tarahumara and sets up his house in the canyons and learns how to run like them. He is Caballo Blanco. Fisher meanwhile staged more races, grew richer before the Tarahumara realised he was exploiting them and never came to race again.
Caballo Blanco tells Chris how to run like the Tarahumara. It is about character he says - about love, compassion, kindness. Don't fight the track he says, take what it gives you. If it offers 1-2 steps, take 3 he says. He tells him to follow the formula of 'Easy, Light, Smooth and Fast'. If you begin with easy and then move to light then to smooth, fast will automatically come. Caballo reveals his grand plan - a race in the Copper Canyons of the Tarahumara for which he will invite some of the greatest ultra runners in the world. From the Tarahumara, he is confident of getting Arnulfo Quimare, Manuel Luna Silviano and others.from the US. He contacts the reigning champion Scott Jurek, Barefoot Ted, Eric, a trained runner, Jenn and Billy, two party kids who run like crazy. Chris helps Caballo, who himself will run just as Chris will too. It will be a 50 mile run in the treacherous canyons, not just for the topography but also because of the drug cartels who kill.
After doing his research on shoes and running, Chris comes to the following conclusions - the best shoes are the worst for your feet, humans are designed to run without shoes and our feet like a good beating. The researcher Lois Lieberman says - 'You could halt epidemics with running. Run. Move your legs. You cannot deny history. You can't deny who you are.' Lieberman actually lived with an African tribe that could outrun a deer and catch it when it dropped. Chris proves how Nike and the other shoe companies designed all kinds of footwear that actually damaged running feet and finally came down to the barefoot wisdom.
The 50-mile race begins in the mountains with about 25 runners form the Tarahumara showing up. El Coyote - Luis, Young wolf - Billy, Brujita Bonita - Jenn, Deer - Scott, - Monkey - Ted, Oso - Chris taking off in a dawn to dusk run after a rousing speech by Caballo Blanco on how loco all these runners are. The runners take off and by the end of the day, Arnulfo drives home, beating Scott Jurek, followed by Silviano. Jenn is a big star with all the locals loving her spunk, the bruja. Caballo discontinues the race to see who will win - Arnulfo or Scott.
The book ends with Caballo's story and how he came out of the USA as a prizefighter and settled into a life in the mountains sustaining himself on the barest things in life. When he needs money he works for three months moving luggage and stuff like that and then it is back to running in the mountains. when my time comes, I will just go and lie down someplace he says.
The book is simply brilliant and fully converts you to running barefoot and if not, at least on the cheapest shoes. And it makes you fall in love with running, with life itself as it careers through and pounds through just like any classic race would. One of the best I have read this year. All-time. Read!
Run, run, run. Beautiful!
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