a fast pace, a great read

Miles today: 4.8

On the iPod: "Wake Me Up When September Ends" -- Green Day

I met Mrs. Murie on the trail system for a great morning run. With just the two of us heading out, I knew that the pace was going to be a fast one as Mrs. Murie is an elite runner, having done 7 marathons so far. She didn't disappoint. We ran like hell. I made a conscious decision to go with her fast pace as an exercise in pushing myself.

The run itself was fairly uneventful. We started at Noodles and ran to the Lake Fayetteville spillway. The weather was great and the company was even better. We talked about how summer was going for each of us and how much we both enjoy being in the classroom. We also talked about snakes. And some other stuff.

One of my students, Cole Tininenko, turned me on to a really great read, Born To Run, by Christopher McDougall. Gotta be honest and say that I usually don't put much credence in books that students recommend, but Cole was spot-on with this one. Props!

The author follows the Tarahumara peoples of Northern Mexico. They're awesome. They run barefoot anywhere from 30 to 60+ miles in a single run. All in the scorching desert. So incredibly interesting. The author also takes a look at running from an evolutionary perspective, arguing that human nature is to run. Alot. He goes on to indict running shoe companies and lambasts them for their practices, saying that big, over-developed running shoes are the real problem for much of the injuries that runners suffer. His numbers say that about 80% of all runners will hurt themselves in any given year. Ouch. Makes my left knee hurt to even think about it. In the spirit of the Tarahumara, I want to try running a mile barefoot. But i'm gonna hold off until after the marathon.

The best part of the book, however, are the crazy American ultrarunners that the author meets along the way, particularly the folks who run in Leadville, Colorado. Some really interesting characters emerge in this story. They run, they vomit, they party, they eat, they pray, they compete, they sleep in tents, they hallucinate, and they learn. All with a smile on their face.

Read this book. I love it.