Born to Run is one of those books that I wanted to read when it was released, but the stack of books on my nightstand was too tall at the time. Occasionally I’d spot the book when unpacking boxes or while I was looking for something in the sports and outdoor section, but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I suddenly found myself with nothing to read for the weekend that I finally rang up a paperback copy and took it home.
The book barely got me through the weekend – Born to Run reads so effortlessly that it’s easy to lose track of time and find that you’ve ripped through half of the book or more in one sitting. Christopher McDougall balances 3 or 4 parallel storylines, skipping back and forth between his search for the Tarahumara Indians, the development of the American ultramarathon, and his own struggles with running injuries and quest to run pain-free.
McDougall captures that perfect tone that provides just enough background information without belaboring the finer details. I’m not a runner, and never have been, but that was no impediment to my enjoyment – on the contrary, the story made me, for the first time in my life, consider the possibility that running could be something other than painful and torturous. And if you are a runner, well, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend a better read to you.
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