My wife and I have always talked about exercising and what would be best for me. I always imagined that running was the best for everyone, but being a bigger guy I thought that long term goals with running were just imaginary. I tried frequent lifting, insanity, different workout videos; heck, I even tried karate! (for a day). At the end of it all, there was a similar theme to my exercise habits: I always went back to running.
I didn't know why at the time, but it seemed the way to go. When my wife Cindy bought me "Born to Run" I was actually excited because it seemed to me as if it would be a historically interesting book. It was historical, but in a way I didn't expect. It was written by a guy a lot like me. He is bigger and has always tried running, but unfortunately for him he has had several problems with his knees and feet that have prevented him from running. Every doctor he spoke to told him the same thing, "choose something else". He thought that maybe it was time to find his other niche, until he found a news article about crazy running men in Mexico who could run for days at a time without stop. That moment changed his life, and in a way it did mine as well.
The book is more about the philosophy behind running than about speed or endurance or form. This was the type of book I needed. It explained about a humble people, the Raramuri, more commonly called the Tarahumara (The Running People), and how their lives revolve around running and a certain lifestyle. They are incredibly humble and private. They live a life eating a healthy plant diet with the occasional meat thrown in. Living off the land and having almost nothing does not stop them from giving freely to people they don't even know.
Running to the Tarahumara is not a sport, it is not just for the exercise, but if for their very existence. They run to hunt, to eat, to travel, to live. And though they run for survival they more importantly run for fun. They play a game that can go on for days at a time that consists of running a certain path while passing a ball between them. This is not on a smooth path but in random mountainous areas. The game is not competitive, but focuses on teamwork and helping each other. They enjoy it and enjoy the run.
The concept of running for fun was beyond me. I'm heavy, lumbering, and having to watch myself in a mirror would be horrible to say the least! (I can imagine how bad my form is). Trying to understand how that could be fun took the entire book, and a lot more miles, for me to understand. The effort I have had to expend seemed to trump the whole "fun" card and I found it more will than work that gets me through it. The more I read, and the more I ran, the more I began to understand the feelings that the Tarahumara have for running and the humble lifestyle they live. They have the chance to live a modern life of comfort, but they choose to stay in a canyon in Mexico because they love their lives and their traditions. They know, as it seems many of us have forgotten, that life is not about being comfortable, but about growing and becoming better and stronger. I don't necessarily mean a better time for a mile or a longer distance, but healthier, more humble, and more understanding of what life is really about. The Tarahumara may not be educated in our sense, but they have a knowledge of some important aspects of life that the modern world seems to have forgotten, or simply cast aside.
This morning I went for a run and realized how much I enjoyed it. It didn't feel great, I wasn't supercharged, and my knee actually ached a little, but the feeling of gliding along, growing both physically and mentally, just made me feel the freedom that that Tarahumara must feel in the canyons of Mexico. I may not be graceful, I may not be an amazing runner, but I am beginning to understand the importance of running and how it can, and has, changed my life.
Here is a small article with a little more info about these amazing runners. You can also check out my literature page for a review of "Born to Run" and where to buy it.
http://www.menshealth.com.sg/mh-runners/secrets-tarahumara-runners
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