Born to run

Anxiety to run - long and free - is all over me. Got it from the book Born To Run by Christopher McDougall, which I finished yesterday. The irony is that the author's asking the question "why does my foot hurt?" led him through intriguing explorations and adventures resulting in this book (which I highly recommend). Now I'm inspired, but my foot hurts. Two snow storms last week have left miles of winter wonderland trails in DC's parks; I'd better not trot them. The author makes a strong case for 'barefoot' - or less guided - running, the way the people run who have never worn shoes and have never been manipulated by running gear commerce. But the tips for staying injury-free don't help much to get rid of one. Patience.

Maybe, this forced time off serves me well, letting it sink a bit. O, am I easily influenced by books. Born to Run has left me with the conviction that running is the best thing you can do to stay healthy and happy and I can't wait to get some of it. But only three years ago, reading Midas Dekkers' "Lichamelijke Oefening" seriously took away all my running ambitions for a while. Dekkers claimed that there is no scientific proof that running long and hard has any health benefits; it would only cause injury, look stupid and consume valuable time that had better be spent on intellectual exercise. Now, who's right? I think I should take some distance and compare the two accounts. But from what I remember there is plenty agreement in the two. Also Dekkers recognizes the need for sufficient exercise, not much, but more than is built in in present-day modern society. And one should eat healthy. The peoples that are natural runners or get sufficient exercise in daily life and hardly show wealth related diseases such as diabetes, heart and vessel diseases, forms of cancer, etc. are usually poor, too, and do not have access to copulent, fat and meat-rich menus. Both authors stress that the single most important reason to exercise more than is required for health reasons should be fun. And both warn not to push too hard, to not overdo it. Following these principles, allegedly, can save you a lot of stress and bring you more fun, and much more distance.

(foto source: http://www.allwedoisrun.com/tarahumara.htm)