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Reddit mentions of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Sentiment score: 22
Reddit mentions: 59

We found 59 Reddit mentions of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. Here are the top ones.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
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    Features:
  • Author: Christopher McDougall
  • ISBN: 9780307266309
Specs:
ColorSky/Pale blue
Height9.56 Inches
Length6.59 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateMay 2009
Weight1.36 Pounds
Width1.2 Inches

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Found 59 comments on Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen:

u/saadakhtar · 27 pointsr/todayilearned

Born to Run - Read this book.

u/[deleted] · 23 pointsr/reddit.com

This is pretty funny coming up right now, because I'm reading the book "Born to run" by Christopher McDougall. Fantastic read, and quite a revelation - apparently we were designed to run long distances, it's how our bodies evolved. And moreover, we're designed to run barefoot. Many runners have been discovering how running shoes actually cause injury rather than prevent it. The book's fascinating, and highly recommended - it's the story of how he tracked down a near-mythical tribe of super-runners in Mexico, who think nothing of running hundreds of miles at a stretch, wearing nothing but thin sandals.

I have no connection whatsoever to the author - I saw him interviewed on The Daily Show and went out to buy the book.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-18-2009/christopher-mcdougall
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303/

u/rupert_murdaaa · 12 pointsr/funny

i remember reading about it in Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. The argument is that humans are so well adapted to long-distance running because of the way humans have hunted animals long in the past -- that is, tracking them down over many hours or even days, until the animals couldn't run any further. The tortoise and the hare, essentially.

edit: shit, i thought you were responding to the comment above that. nevermind.

double edit: and this has already been discussed.

u/eric_twinge · 9 pointsr/running

Seriously? Born to Run. Apparently once you get done reading it you are 100%, without-a-doubt convinced that humans specifically evolved to run long distances. So convinced that you run out and buy the first pair of VFFs you encounter.

I've read the Lieberman and Bramble's paper. It's a fantastic account of all the adaptations humans have amassed to become bipedal runners. These things shouldn't be surprising though. One would expect any arboreal animal to adopt similar enhancements as they move into a ground-based lifestyle. Their hypothesis is intriguing, but it falls quite short. Essentially it's a just so story, just like the aquatic ape hypothesis.

I'm not an anthropologist, so I don't personally have a concrete response to L&B. However, Pickering and Bunn do and they make a pretty good case against PR while shooting down L&B's idea.

Anyway, the fact remains that there is no evidence for early hominids engaging in this behavior. And there probably never will be. Personally, I think the idea of running a marathon, where there is a 50/50 chance that you may not eat after you're done and then have to try again sounds incredibly stupid in a primeval environment and discounts the eons of other eating and foraging habits early hominids would have known about. Also, even if there was a 100% success rate with PR, I'm still not convinced it is an optimal foraging habit, given that there are other options available.

u/FamousDrew · 9 pointsr/running

This was briefly talked about in Born To Run - a fantastic book if you haven't read it. Lots of details about ultra running, barefooting and just awesomeness.

u/finalDraft_v012 · 8 pointsr/Fitness

I'm gonna say it... Born to Run. It's the one fitness related book that actually got me hyped, long term, for running. I may not be able to do an ultra, but I'm for once taking running seriously and have found I can already do things I didn't think were possible for my body. I feel stronger and happier, and it's thanks to that book for inspiring me to run. Not to mention, I don't get knee pain or shin splints anymore once I learned about the whole forefoot strike thing (though I still wear real sneakers).

EDIT: added link.

u/pandastaylorswift · 7 pointsr/SubredditDrama

>Going by that definition, I would say that this guy has more passive, partial muscle contraction than this guy. By that metric, I would say that there is definitely such as thing as too much muscle tone.

Surely you're not serious.

>But there is a common range of athletic feats that people can expect to encounter every day. Lifting heavy things, moving heavy things constantly over a long period of time, being able to move your body for a long amount of time, etc. You're not going to need to move your body 26.2 miles very often, and you're not going to need to lift 300lb objects for a short amount of time very often. But a construction worker may spend all day moving 20lb objects. A guido may need to be able to move many different muscles very fast for 30 seconds if someone hits on his girl. That same guido many need to move his legs very fast if that someone ends up being a lot bigger than him.

Nothing in there is context independent.

People have made arguments about pop-science-evolutionary-based-fitness and the need for extreme long distance steady state cardio (Born to run, etc, etc). You can try to break down things into fundamental principles (see Crossfit and/or Movnat). You can center your arguments about hypothetical lifestyles (construction works swinging a hammer, etc). Regardless of any of these arguments you can't isolate any absolute metric of athleticism that would span what most people would consider to be athletics.

u/Vitalstatistix · 7 pointsr/videos

That may be in this instance, but persistence hunting is absolutely a real practice. Check out groups like the Tarahumara who run 120 miles in one session. For more information and an awesome read, check out Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, who went to Mexico to learn how the Tarahumara could run so far, especially barefoot, without "much" difficulty.

u/tynman · 6 pointsr/AskReddit

I run barefoot whenever possible. It's a WHOLE other experience! Read Born to Run by Chris McDougall (http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303) to get the full scoop, or see Barefoot Ted's blog (http://barefootted.com/) for the hard-core enthusiast community.

u/HectaMan · 5 pointsr/AskReddit

There has actually been a lot of research into this topic recently, and a really interesting theory is some what cinematically put forward in the recent book "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen". I highly recommend this book to anyone even casually interested in running, history, the limits of the human body, etc. The story reads like a combination of "Into Thin Air" and "Gun, Germs, & Steel" (available on audible, if you sign up PM me for a referral).


TDLR of the book is this; current research shows that shoes and more specifically a "heel-strike" may be the cause of many running injuires as they significantly alter the strike pattern (and subsequent stride follow up).


Many modern elite runners, even those sponsored by Nike, such as Stanford's Track and Field team are now including barefoot running as a part of their training. One huge proponent of barefoot running, featured in the book, is Barefoot Ted. Check out his site for an brief overview of the latest science and "science" (Note- Ted is a barefoot dirty hippie :)).


For those who don't run, may barefoot runners don't actually run barefoot- they use thin second skin type products that provide protection from glass/butts/Hepatitis that don't significantly alter your stride. Ted has got a bunch in his store.


I met a ballerina at the gym yesterday barefoot running and we talked about the book and her experience. I wouldn't personally run barefoot at the gym on the treadmill, but what ever. If you're in Cincy and want to go for a job with me, hit me up.



(ps- I suck at running but love it)

u/pompitous_of_love · 5 pointsr/self

Certainly, if you're not used to going barefoot, you can easily hurt yourself when making the transition.

I'd like to make the case that there is a continuum extending from (1) a very primitive totally barefoot society, through (2) a long period of human development when "shoes" consisted of very primitive foot coverings, (3) a long time when shoes were visually similar to modern shoes, but not "scientifically" designed with human anatomy in mind, to (4) today, where arch support is common, and Nike even sells shoes with microchips embedded in them.

Somewhere in that continuum is probably the optimally healthy range. I contend it is stage (2).

Millions and millions of years ago, our forefathers ate nothing but raw food, because they didn't know how to use fire. That was perfectly fine, then, when other aspects of their mental, physical, and social makeup allowed them to be successful living that way.

But when man conquered fire, and learned to cook, human anatomy changed. Human jaws became smaller, making it possible for large brains to develop, without killing mothers in childbirth.

That's still probably the optimal stage to be at, in terms of diet. Modern diets blew past that, and our bodies haven't really adapted to all the sugar and fat we shovel into them.

In "Born to Run", Christopher McDougall makes the case that the reason so many runners get injured, is because modern shoes offer too much support, and the dozens of muscles, tendons, and ligaments in our feet don't get the kind of varied exercise that we evolved for. Not only walking and jogging, but jumping, sprinting, fleeing danger in any direction, as quick as possible. Then those weakened tissues are easily injured.

But it's probably been a long, long time since our forebears did all this completely barefoot. We probably don't have the proper skin thickness to propulsive force ratio to avoid lacerations anymore. Instead, I contend that our feet are at the "adapted to early technology" stage in our development, the same way that our jaw to brain-case ratio reflects that we are optimally adapted to eating a cooked food diet - an adaptation which is dependent upon the cultural transmission of a learned technology. Why would it be any less astonishing for feet? Perhaps the best foot covering is a sturdy wrapping, made of breathable plant or animal material, such as dried fibers or animal skins.

I agree that you're likely to get injured running around like that, if you're used to arch support. It might take time to adapt. There are a lot of people in this world who never have to learn to adapt, because they've been running around without arch support all their lives. And I doubt that they have the foot and leg problems of people in the developed world, just as they have less incidence of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

u/wesweb · 5 pointsr/running

My first suggestion was the stick mentioned below, but he may already have one.

If you live in a cold weather area, a good pair of running tights might be good. A lot of runners frown at under armour but their tights are perfect for cold running.

A lot of others have suggested socks, those would be good.

They say $80, but you can find these headphones for $60 at best buy or someplace like that. They're great for if you are really sweaty like me, or if you run in the rain very often.

Compression Running Socks are a great functional gift, too.

You might just go check out the local running shop in town. Most of them have shirts that they sell with a local flavor. There is a place here in charlotte called run for your life that has some funny shirts, and when I was in Chi, Fleet Feet always had good ones, too. You might get an idea for another gift, too. If you live in a big city, Fleet Feet is a great place to start.

Born to Run is a great read, too.

I left off a GPS watch because if he is into tri's, the waterproof ones can get quite expensive, and most likely he already has one. If he happens to not have one, and you wanted to think about it, this is the best investment I ever made as a runner, but it isn't waterproof.

I hope this helps!

u/m00tpost · 4 pointsr/Fitness

Most people will point to the debate on cholesterol to counter your dad's advice. I'll make my point about that first... I'm new to the camp that believes dietary cholesterol doesn't have a strong correlation to your cholesterol levels. Read this: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Gary-Taubes/dp/1400040787 if you want to really get into the debate.

Ok, my second point. Your dad may be right that it isn't healthy in general. Most research shows that reducing calorie intake is the best way to extend your life. Eating little isn't fun and it doesn't get you laid ;) I'm eating a coconut milk ice cream sandwich as I type this.

Finally, go read "Born to Run". http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265305197&sr=1-1

Then go back to your dad and have a meaningful conversation. He is just looking out for you. Just because your cholesterol isn't necessarily going to go up doesn't mean that it is good for you to consume a lot of food.

Your choice bud. Man, I'm going on too much...

u/metaridley18 · 4 pointsr/Fitness

Read a book written by that same guy called "Born to Run":

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

It's fascinating.

u/headlessparrot · 4 pointsr/sports

My experience with the Vibram FiveFingers has been somewhat mixed. I decided to buy a pair after reading Born To Run because I'd had some nagging issues with knee and hip pain that I thought might be correctable by strengthening those under-used leg muscles and tweaking my stride.

What I've noticed is that the FiveFingers have more or less helped to solve the knee issues (I used to wear a brace, but have been able to abandon it), but have somewhat aggravated the hip issues. And the truth is that while they do have benefits, for me their appeal is somewhat limited. A couple of miles in the FiveFingers leaves me a lot more sore the next day than a much longer run in my ASICS (not injury sore, but the kind of full-body sluggishness that comes the day after a good long run), and indeed I find running any distance longer than two miles to be a challenge, just because as you grow fatigued, it's more difficult to maintain good form. Say what you will about traditional running shoes, but they are more forgiving as you grow tired. Blistering is also a much bigger problem, although I've more or less become the kind of person who ignores the various festering foot sores and toenail bruises that seem to come part and parcel with a 40+ mile/week runner.

Obviously, I'm still working up mileage on the FiveFingers, but even still, I don't think they'll really ever function in anything more than a small niche for me--do my long run, change shoes, and then do a 1 or 2 mile cooldown in the FiveFingers to strengthen muscles and focus on my stride. I'm OK with that, though, because that is more or less why I bought them.

u/misplaced_my_pants · 4 pointsr/Fitness

Have him read Born to Run. Read it yourself, and you won't be able to stop yourself from recommending it because it's such a damned good read.

It'll make him want to run.

Then show him C25k.

(This is in addition to SS. For example, do SS and then follow up with a run.)

u/woggietree · 4 pointsr/videos

Years ago I found a good saying to combat my envy was to tell myself, "REMEMBER! You're best is someone else's worst." Sure it's depressing but it is also truth. However it's part of my philosophy.

If you enjoy it, so do others, disregard how others practice their art, do what makes you feel good.

Don't be discouraged.

The odds are that you shouldn't be alive, therefor be willing to die for a cause you feel strongly about.

Die for a cause is not the same as killing for one.

A life with no direction sits on the couch.

God didn't bring you into this world, nor did he guide you.

One's brain is the most powerful and least understood organ of the human body. Remember that it was built for even weight distribution for bipedal motion. And with a gain in brain mass came a gain in reasoning. Source

Evolution is key to not only species survival but one's own survial.

Adapt and overcome.

Be human, be an animal, disregard things you feel trapped in.

*You can always escape.

GOD DAMN YOU BE BULLET POINTS YOU CUNT FUCK. fucking non effect problem i am having.

u/mt_sage · 3 pointsr/Ultralight

By "footwork" I am assuming you are talking about the high art of placing one foot in front of the other without falling down too often. I believe this is sadly neglected.

I'd recommend ["Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall.] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307266303) You'll be thinking about running -- and walking -- in a whole new light.

People who wear minimalist shoes (or go barefoot) talk about technique all the time.

u/marcopolo13 · 3 pointsr/todayilearned

I'm reading a book right now called Born to Run, about ultramarathons (about 100 miles). The book says that more women than men are able to compete at these distances at all-most men drop out of the race after 30 or so miles, while most female competitors are able to actually finish. In terms of speed, men are still faster.

However, the book focuses on a native tribe known for their incredible endurance running abilities, and not on average men. One section describes a 100 mile race, won by one of these natives. The second place finisher (with time of 18 hours, less than half an hour shy of the victor) was female. http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

u/asgeorge · 3 pointsr/running

So after surgery - the next day, and for a week - it hurt A LOT. But the number one thing to recovery is get off your ass and get moving. So I was out of bed two days after surgery (one day after I came home). I just walked around at first. I got up and walked several times a day and it hurt a lot, but the doc assured me that yes, it will hurt and yes, keep doing it. After a week I showed up at physical therapy and they were awesome. I learned some good exercises and stretches. I went there three times a week for a month. After that month I started swimming laps at George Mason's Manassas campus pool (Freedom Center). I swam and worked out in the gym for 4 months before running outside. During those 4 months I ran a little on the treadmill but not a lot (a mile or so). I was still heel striking (I don't learn real quick)...

I will skip the story of the other surgery (disc removal and spinal fusion) that I had in my neck two or three years later, but the recovery was even faster because I was experienced in the pain and the benefit of getting up and moving early.

After the second surgery, I read Born to Run and bought some Vibram 5 Fingers. After two months of more PT and recovery I started running on my "toes" (forefoot really) and haven't looked back.

Here's a pic of me in Nov, 2008 (on the left) and me May, 2012 (on the right). That's about 30 lbs of fat gone.

u/devmode · 3 pointsr/Health

I recently read the book Born to Run that discusses barefoot running and specifically focuses on a tribe of ultra-distance runners in Mexico. It was a decent read.

u/skinny_reminder · 3 pointsr/running

My husband is currently reading the "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen" by Christopher McDougall and was telling me how the Tarahumara Indians constantly use the chia to help with their endurance running. Is the Chia something you can find at a grocery store? What is the consistency? Do you cook with it or eat it raw?

u/stuckinthemicrowave · 3 pointsr/GetMotivated

If the people on /r/GetMotivated love to run I highly recommend this book, it's all about different races and just the general love of running.

u/kmj442 · 3 pointsr/running

I believe he is talked about in "Born To Run" Good book too.

u/Trumpetjock · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

It probably has to do with persistence hunts.

Humans have extremely large glutes in comparison with the rest of our physiology, and that of other animals except for those known to be serious runners (horses, canids, cheetahs). The larger the glute, the better the runner, evolutionarily speaking. If this was one of the primary modes of attaining food (which is a growing theory of human evolution), then that would explain your penchant for voluminous gluteus maximi.

For further information, check out the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

u/catfishjuggling · 3 pointsr/loseit

Glad you got something out of the story.

That story from Discover is great. There was book called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall that is a longer version of this story. He actually runs an ultra with the Tarahumara. It is a fantastic read.

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

u/tdrusk · 2 pointsr/movies

Born To Run A runner asks the question, "Why am I experiencing all this pain when I run?" He explores a Mexican tribe, the Tarahumara who run anywhere from 30 to 100+ miles a day. The story provides a large amount of background about running, inspires people to run(everyone in my household runs now), and has really intense race sections.

u/xorandor · 2 pointsr/self

Read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303/

Those stress fractures you're facing could be preventable.

u/north_runner · 2 pointsr/funny

Persistance hunting and distance running is the subject of many anthropological papers and popular books, like Born to Run.

u/arbuthnot-lane · 2 pointsr/Fitness

Doesn't look very Scandinavian to me. I suspect Grete Waitz might have skewed your impression of us Norsemen.

For a real people made for running, check out the Tarahumara, a native Mexican people. With widely dispersed settlements, these people developed a tradition of long-distance running up to 435 miles (700 km) in one session, over a period of two days through their homeland of rough canyon country, for intervillage communication and transportation. An awesome book about them came out a few years back

u/seasmucker · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

I'm a big fan of barefoot running, but since it's hard to actually run barefoot, check out http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/.


Here's a NYtimes article about it: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/business/30shoe.html?_r=1

But mostly I'd recommend googling for your information. Born to Run is a great book about the greatest ultramarathoners of them all, the Tarahumara.


Here's an interesting factoid: The more money you spend on your shoes (therefore more cushioning, fancier technology) the more likely you are to injure yourself.


You have to start out slow, since your arches are weak and your feet aren't used to it, but since I started doing it, I haven't had a single joint injury, or shin splints, or anything else. Muscles still get sore and after a while my feet hurt, but before, my joints were always giving me trouble and I'd get injured constantly and have to stop for weeks while I recovered. Just doesn't happen anymore.

u/hasweL · 2 pointsr/running

"...running is rooted in our collective imagination... Running was the superpower that made us human — which means its a superpower all humans posses.”

-Chrostpher McDougall

Edit: To the OP, I think you would really like his book Born to Run

u/ElSherberto · 2 pointsr/BarefootRunning

I think something like this is alluded to in the book Born To Run where the author discusses a tribe with a culture of barefoot minimalist footwear (edit: as JCii pointed out, they use sandals) running who have lower rates of many diseases.

I haven't read the book, only heard what's been said on a Daily Show interview with the author. However, it should be noted that any time you hear something can "boost your immune system", it is always BS, unless it also causes Lupus or other diseases caused by a boosted immune system.

u/samuraimatteo · 1 pointr/reddit.com

I read about this in Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Amazon.com link

It's about a guy who learns about running through his own injury. It includes a large section on persistence hunting. It's a really great read, I'm actually suprised by how many times I've recommended this to all my friends.

u/Chift · 1 pointr/Fitness

Sure, amazon would do a better job then me for reviews "http://www.amazon.ca/product-reviews/0307266303/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1"

Besides that. I absolutely hate running, I would any day of the week hop onto the mountain bike and hit the trails. The author asks the simple question why his feet hurt when he runs, then ends up finding a culture of people, the Tarahumara, who simply just run (we're talking 100 milers here) pretty much barefoot. I'm not sure how to say it, it just made me buy some vibram fives and enjoy the freedom of running. That being said I enjoy running more now (I think the switch to barefoot, makes you feel like a kid again) but I still prefer biking.

Hope that helps!

u/obeythametal · 1 pointr/stopdrinking

Thanks, friend! To answer your question, I used to take long walks to relieve stress -- I did this for years before I ever started running -- and one day about a year ago I thought, "I wonder if I can run from here to (distant landmark)". I did it, and kept doing it, increasing the distance each time. I expected to feel winded, but instead I felt powerful. I'd had self esteem issues all my life & this was the first time I felt truly like I could accomplish anything. Around the same time, I started reading Born to Run and not only did it give me advice that would be essential to healthy running, it also cultivated a deep motivating passion (obsession, maybe) for running. Since then I have run regularly. I can be more specific about my training schedule if that would be helpful to you, just let me know!

u/useless_idiot · 1 pointr/AskReddit

As others have mentioned: Guns, Germs, and Steel; G - E - B, Omnivore's Dilemma, Freakonomics. One that I just finished and really enjoyed was a new hardback nonfiction release called "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen". It was greatness.

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

u/tach · 1 pointr/Fitness

No, my point is that the general aged twiggy-like appearance of Scott Jurek can not be adscribed to his ultrarunning endeavours, using as a counterexample Mr. Karnazes.

This addresses especifically your "I would think his lack of muscle was more likely from being the kind of guy that runs over a 100 miles at a time than from his being vegan" opinion.

> If you are just saying that eating meat helps athletic performance then I would definitely agree with you.

Well, not exactly athletic performance but overall health and well-being. Maybe you can manage with a vegetarian diet, but you'll really have to dial it in, and be really obsessive compulsive on macronutrient composition and supplements. An omnivore has it really easy, just partition your plate in thirds, and have meat/fish in 1/3, and veggies in the other 2/3rds. Add moderate fruit if not trying to lose weight, and presto.

> EDIT: Have you read Dean's book? It's really great!

Nope, it's on my wish list along with Born to Run.

u/rocketvat · 1 pointr/pics

here

Right, humans can definitely be fat and lazy, and I'm not saying the average american could get off the couch today and run 25 miles to hunt down an antelope. But it's how we got to where we are, and anyone is capable if they live the lifestyle.

u/alans97 · 1 pointr/AskReddit

And read Born to Run. I ditched the shoes and run barefoot or in cheap sandals now, no more plantars fasciitis for me!

u/RagingErectus · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Read this:
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

Get it now. Read it. If you do nothing else posted in this forum, read that book.

> Is it safe to run with sore legs?

Yes. In fact, I find when I'm sore, the only thing to relieve the pain is to run lightly.

> "Yeah fattie, good luck with that." my embarrassment keeps me from exercising because it's so obvious that I need to. Thoughts?"

OK. Why are you concerned with what other people think? Fix that, it has nothing to do with your running. Anyone that's serious about running will do nothing but encourage you. Anyone who says anything like this is jealous and can't get off the couch.

> Does anyone have any suggestions for alternative forms of cardio or any tips to make running more enjoyable?

If you're running and doing it right, it's not a chore, it's a joy. You'll wake up early and jump out of bed excited because you get to run today. It changes your life.

Running is not about muscles. Running is about converting energy(food) into work. Your muscles are along for the ride and will adapt quickly.

It's not about training, routine, etc. All those things aren't bad - but frankly the human body is more or less made to run a lot. An hour or so into a good run, a serenity/exhaustion comes over you and suddenly everything is clear.

It's highly unlikely you'll really injure yourself while running. If your stride is improper you can have some knee pain, but fix that with some thin/light shoes and focus on your stride and your body will heal quickly. Don't pound your heel on the pavement - let the ball of your foot absorb the hard impact.

> concerning what can be done (or eaten) to become a physically and mentally healthy person!

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables." Also, run/jog. Details are not as important as doing this.

u/genida · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Anyways, having looked over my bookshelf, here are some recommendations purely for the sake of recommending. Maybe not spot on what you're looking for, but why not...

Neverwhere. A book I've read about nine times. Because it's awesome.

Time Traveler's Wife. Kind of established/re-ignited my hope and sense of romance. My father isn't much of a reader and usually takes months to go through a single book, but after losing his wife, my stepmother, he went through this in a week and thanked me profusely afterwards.

Island. I'll tell you right off, it's one of those 'intelligent reads'. The end is proclaimed early, it comes as predicted and it's depressing, but the book overall is nice. You read it first, to check :)

Gates of Fire.

Born To Run. Just read this recently. Fun, interesting, quick.

u/rougetoxicity · 1 pointr/running

I definitely know how that goes as far as hating to waste money on shoes. I've always been really cheap about shoes, and if i'm going to spend 100$ on shoes, they better be the best ones in the world, and they better last a long time.

As far as minimalist running suggestions, i'd first suggest that before you even consider it to do your research, get educated, get interested, and then get started.

There is a plethora of research that's very convincing. when you have an hour or two to spare, spend some time and go on an internet journey... cruise through the sidebar over at /r/barefootrunning and read the links check out the harvard study on the subject. Google points against it also if you wish.

Born to run is a pretty interesting book. Its not strictly about minimalist running, but it has some good ideas about shoes in general, and running philosophy and science. Its writing isn't the best, and some of the facts are a bit questionable, but i really enjoyed reading it anyway, and it has a way of getting you really stoked about running.

I've always been skeptical of things, and im not much of a bandwagon hopper, but i stumbled across the idea one day while shopping for new running shoes, spent probably a week absorbing information, Became fascinated and convinced, then just took my shoes off and went for a run! Ive since picked up a pair of Merrell trail gloves, and have increased my speed and mileage considerably(after the transition period of course) and decreased my knee pain, and increased my enjoyment and interest in running tenfold.

u/DrMarianus · 1 pointr/pics

But they don't use weapons. The advantage we have is that we can make tools which allow us to wound the creature. Then we can track it by sight or by clues left by the animal.

Check out Born to Run. It's a great book about humans and running. There's a story in there of a tribe that will still occasionally run down it's food. They run until the animal tires out.

u/Underbyte · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I hear you, There are the most comfortable things i've ever worn in my life though, and there is some pretty solid evidence behind minimalist footwear.

Also, they're not rock climbing shoes. They actually dont perform nearly as well as actual specialty "rock climbing shoes" do when it comes to rock climbing.

u/200OK · 1 pointr/BarefootRunning

Have you read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall? It changed the way I thought about running. What shoes are you currently using for your ultra training?

u/rcklmbr · 1 pointr/pics

Those people are stupid. Then again, starting running barefoot is also stupid. Read Born to Run. After all, this book is the reason this conversation is happening in the first place. You should realize that the claim is valid. Then again, you haven't been walking in bare feet since you were young like the Tarahumara.

The funny thing is that the claim that running in bare feet comes up about every 10 years, then eventually dies away because it becomes widespread past the early adopters (the athletes) and into the general public. Once this happens, these people get hurt, and they start to realize "oh shit, maybe I really do need to wear shoes".

This is all personal opinion, of course. There are numerous sources saying either way (I think that site is satire, it's just the first site that showed up in a google search... I'm sure i could find more credible sources if you want though), so it really comes down to one thing: do what is good for your body. I had a friend that would constantly get injured (his knees). He ended up reading Born to Run, took off the shoes, and slowly worked his way up in mileage. This had the side effect of slowing him down, and as a result he stopped getting injured. This stuff can work both ways. What i'm suggesting is that you wait until you know what is and isn't good for your body (meaning do the tried-and-true wear shoes), and go from there.

u/thatguythomas90 · 1 pointr/pics

I completely concur with this statement. Read the book "Born to run" It'll give you a little insight into the barefoot running culture. I blew out my knee at one point, and I'm back up to running like a fuckin champ.

u/hcmc_ironpig · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It's basically a chronicle of the author's adventures to find a Native-American tribe known as the Tarahumara people who can run 12 marathons in a day. Quite interesting.

u/antap · 1 pointr/geek

I hear ya man. I wasn't huge huge, but I was 185 at my biggest. I'm at 145 now. 138 at my lowest.

If you have an extra hour you should check this out Why we get fat

And also get this on audio book. It's very well done, enlightening, and entertaining. Born to Run (Acquirable on the internet)

I don't know how serious you are about health, but looking back I really wish someone would have sent me those two links when I started.

u/SloBird89 · 1 pointr/running

Up up up! for mandatory Born to Run reference.

u/Dia-L · 1 pointr/loseit

I've had problems with knee and some hip pain while running. I've found running on the balls of my feet completely relieves the pain with the added bonus of a horrendous calf workout. I'd also recommend reading Born to Run really interesting book and the author had the same problem you are having.

Barefoot shoes have completely changed my outlook on running.

u/tony_bennett · 1 pointr/videos

you should check out this book - Born to Run

u/Jonzard · 0 pointsr/reddit.com

Has someone been reading Born to Run?