Born to Run - a tale for runners

My Score: 9/10

Coverage: Running, barefoot running (I have both the book and audiobook)

Born to Run is a captivating and inspiring book that explores the secrets of arguably the world's best distance runners, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico. McDougall, a journalist and a runner himself, takes us on a journey from the labs of Harvard to the remote Copper Canyons, where he meets a colourful cast of characters and learns about the ancient art of running. Along the way, he challenges some of the common myths and misconceptions about running, such as the need for expensive shoes, the benefits of stretching, and the limits of human endurance. He also shares his own personal transformation as he trains for a gruelling 50-mile race with the Tarahumara and a group of eccentric mostly American ultra-runners.

Born to Run is not just a book about running, but a book about life. It is a book that celebrates the joy of movement, the power of nature, and the potential of the human spirit. It is a book that will make you want to lace up your shoes and hit the trails, or at least get off the couch and walk around the block. It is a book that will make you think differently about yourself and the world around you. 

I really like how he looks into the evolution of the human body and the mechanics of running to show the readers that we probably should be running, for health at least, in a barefoot style. It is something that I have integrated into my training and for 3 years or so I only trained in barefoot shoes or unshod, in part inspired by the content of this book. In my opinion he loses his way on diet, why follow evolutionary past for the mechanics and then dismiss it entirely on the diet. He mentions subsistence hunting and then goes on to the conclusion that a plant based diet is the way to go! 

The dietary advice aside this is a great book for those interesting in running, you won't get anything out of it in terms of training plans, nutrition or anything like that but you will likely get inspiration and the realisation that you should integrate life and fitness rather than seeing them as 2 different parts of your life.