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Ha, that is pretty funny !

I'm a bit late to this thread but finished reading the book in about 24hours flat 2 weeks ago.

I totally loved it. I already run in vibrams but I found it inspiring just through the absolute joy that everyone featured in it finds in running. Every now and then I had to pinch myself and remind myself that these people are real, its not a fictional book - awesome!
I also have to confess to being a little teary eyed towards the end of the race - what an amazing race!

Fun book to read; it made me rediscover my tarahumaran name: el tornado mexicano

Entertaining for sure but it didn't change my mind regarding running without sneakers (and it most likely won't) as it is more story telling as opposed to science. I might run with huaraches/sandalias if I grew up doing so and the terrain was only trails. Plus tarahumarans don't run barefoot...

Zoooombie thread!

This was an awesome read.  It's definitely reccomended for all the runners out there.

exactly!

Great book. Loved every page. I find it really funny though that no one ever seems to see past the barefoot running part of it. That is only a small part of the book. The main focus (as I see it) wasn't on barefoot running at all, but on the joy of running. How Jen and Scott and the Tarahumara (sp) all live to run. They all love to run... and they SMILE while running distances even most of us on this forum can barely fathom.

I actually came across the book by accident when I looked my name up on Google. I also made sure to pick it up the day it was released, which was the day before my birthday. Those funny coincidences aside, I really enjoyed it. It's a great read despite some fact fudging. Running is my least favorite part of triathlon, but after getting inspired by "Born to Run"  I really came to appreciate running more.  

I really liked the book, but be careful on the interpretations. It is all too easy for an author to 'paraphase' a study to fit some objective or point. Selective comments from individuals, anecdoctal evidence, and the mention of a research study here and there, gives the impression of truth. It is a great book, but the author certainly takes some liberties. Although most of the 'scientific information' should actually be taken as opinion, it is a convincing book and gets you thinking, and I did buy some Chia seeds!

Tramps like us, baby we were.... oh, wait.

nm

I read this book a year ago.  When I did, it made this non-runner really want to run and let me tell you...that is SOMETHING!

Honestly, looking back...I could credit this book with my start in triathlon.  If I hadn't been inspired to run, I never would have signed up for my first tri.  So there you go.  'Born to Run'  inspired me to be a triathlete.

This book and VFF's are the reasons running is now my favorite type of exercise. Up until April of this year, I hated running...absolutely despised it. As a powerlifter, I already did next to zero aerobic exercise, but running wasn't something I even considered on my off days because I thought it was so boring. I read the book, hit the trails and suddenly running became fun, almost overnight. I still don't understand it - at first I thought it was the trails, but I've grown to really enjoy road runs too. I know some of it has a lot to do with the VFF's because I totally love the barefoot feel. I don't know if maybe the rest of it was just an attitude thing or what. Regardless, awesome book that pulled me away from one sport straight into another.

I "listened" to the book just a few weeks ago at work... (got it from the local library on CD) Yes, very inspiring. I'd done all my training and racing in XC racing flats a few years ago, but after a foot injury (not related to the shoes) and surgery, I was on a 3 year journey just to get back to running. Lisa was the final deciding factor in getting me back to being able to run at all starting this year (thank you!!!   ). And I've wanted to get back to the more minimal shoes, because I always felt so... FREE running in them. So this book what the impetus to making that happen, now 10 months after just being able to start running again at all. Fortunately, I had kept my light footstrike even with the time off and several months in very thick and cushy shoes.

Just this past weekend I did some "surgery" on a pair of my shoes, and they feel a lot better. My calves are already recovering in 24 hours, and I'll be mixing in some time with my old XC flats again.

Will I run barefoot? Who knows. With winter approaching, it certainly won't happen outside. But there are tunnels under the building where I work...

One thing I felt listening was that, while it was inspiring, I still have no desire to run an ultra.

Edited by briderdt 2010-10-12 4:59 PM

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