Marshall Ulrich: Running long on empty

A long due post and review of a book which I bought last Spring and read over the summer. Overall, a book for the hard-core ultra-runners. If there was the equivalent of the Motion Picture Association for ultrarunning, I'd assign a Restricted to it (with Chris McDougall's Born to Run and Scott Jurek's Eat and Run in the PG-13/beginner category). Yet, a great book, easy to read, a captivating account of a trip across the USA on foot and many useful tips for those of us who want to keep pushing the envelope always further.

Marshall is a phenomenon in the world of endurance. Not just running: he also climbed numerous remote mountains including the mythical Mount Everest and the seven highest summits of the seven continents, and placed in many of the most competitive adventure races. And not just endurance in physical exercise: Marshall had his share of intense and shaky personal life and emotions, though his child and adulthood. A model, or let's say example, of extreme determination and pain resistance. He has a wikipedia page, a website advertising his public speaking engagements, coaching programs.

While the book is mostly about Marshall's run across the US in 52 days, it is a memoir linking this race against the clock and injury to many other milestones and anecdotes of Marshall's life and personal journey into extreme endurance. While it's fascinating to follow Marshall's physical and mental struggles through this challenge which he called his ultimate ("this was the last thing on my tick list"), this isn't an introduction to ultra running, it's for the mature audience... Now, if you have several years of ultra experience, you'll relate to the concept of rumination (p 135), time compression (p 149), and may be ready to leverage a few training, nutrition and hydration tips (e.g. p 166). As a fan of Vespa, I liked to read about the confirmation of the power of fat burning (p 67). Now, and even after having ran 77 ultra races and 120 more in training, I still have hard time putting my arms around the following two mental strength tips. The first one is that, if you experience pain in one part of your body, you just have to think (and believe...) that this part doesn't belong to your body anymore, hence the pain neither (p 132). Sure! The second one corresponds to the state that ultra legend Yiannis Kouros (holder of 134 world records!) frequently experiences of feeling his mind floating outside his body and watching him run (p 130). A way to detach yourself from your physical pain, of course! And that discussion about extreme pain control happens half way in the book so you can imagine what the second part of the book is about...

Again, an amazing life story about pushing the limits of the human body and mind, and a few inspirational and useful tips for the ultra braves! ;-)

I used my Sustainable running label for this post but I don't believe Marshall's running regimen can work for everybody, for the common mortals... While Marshall's track record proves that this extreme mileage is sustainable for him, Running on Empty is more about sustained running, running for 50 days at a 10 minute/mile pace in spite of adversity, unmerciful weather, hectic relations with sponsors, financial hurdles, uncertainty, doubt, pain, injuries, mental and physical fatigue... Hopefully not something you'll have to do everyday if you picked running as a hobby! ;-)

Here is a link to a great video clip summarizing Marshall's philosophy about ultra running and pain management (the video server seems down for the holidays though...). More videos can be found on Marshall's website or YouTube.

Scott Jurek's Eat & Run: ultra gusto!

I had quite a few running-related stories to share this week (my encounter with a rattle snake, National Running Day, 2 ultra long runs, a run in Monterey in a gorgeous weather and an opportunity to meet Sophia and Brian Robinson there) but I'll wait for the next post as I have a much bigger story to share. Two actually. First, Scott Jurek's long awaited book has been released last Tuesday and I received a preview copy 2 weeks ago allowing me to read it and post a short review here. Second, as a true ultra runner, Scott has embarked in a 2-week long book tour around the US and he stops by San Francisco this coming Wednesday (June 13)! Interestingly, there seems to be more people attending his book signing events than showing up at the races Scott competes in, these are the secrets of the media industry... ;-)

First, let me clarify something: for the past 2 years, based on some hints from Scott himself about his vegan diet, I thought he was working on a recipe book and, still reluctant to move to this diet with my lifestyle and hectic travels, I wasn't sure it was going to be for me. Well, while the book contains 25 of Scott's original recipes, this isn't a cooking book at all. It is a wonderful account of his 20-year and stellar journey into elite ultra running but more importantly on how Scott found greatness in his life and how we can all learn and use some of his wisdom in this area.

In 22 very well written episodes Scott convey the subtle balance between the joy and pain associated to ultra running, the balance between the physical and mental preparedness. Although one key of this balance has been for him to switch to a vegan diet, and that you may not be willing to go that far, the book is a great source of motivation and mental strength. Scott also shares many technical nuggets from his unmatched experience, running tips which cover breathing, posture, time management, pacing, dietetic (of course!), training plan, footwear, core training or stride form and cadence.

A few quotes which I particularly like:

• "Racing ultras requires absolute confidence tempered with intense humility."
• "Run until you can't run anymore. Then run some more. Find a new source of energy and will. Then run even faster."
• "I run because overcoming the difficulties of an ultramarathon reminds me that I can overcome the difficulties of life, that overcoming difficulties was life."

But the paragraph which sums up Scott's inflection point the best comes in chapter 7 when he talks about his first major win back in the mid 90s: "I won the Voyageur on my third try, eating more plants and less meat. I didn't run harder. I had been right: I couldn't run harder. But I had learned something important. I could run smarter. I could eat smarter. I could live smarter. I knew I could keep going when others stopped. I knew I had good legs and good lungs. I wasn't just a runner now, I was a racer. And I was a mindful eater. How many races could I win with my newfound secret? I aimed to find out."

While you can have a look at how great Scott's racing career will turn out (e.g. in Wikipedia or UltraSignup.com), these words apply to anyone entering an ultra race and learning from the many lessons this sport has to offer, a sport that we often describes as a continuous life and human open lab experiment. An endeavor capable of changing you from the inside out as Christopher McDougall (Born To Run) qualifies Scott's own experience.

Scott (red top) right after his 6th consecutive win at Western States, with his best friend, confident, pacer, ass-kicker, Dusty (photo credit: Robin Mills)

When I first started running seriously, marathons first then ultramarathons, I shared the same philosophy than Scott Dunlap which is that running allows us to stay fit while enjoying eating (and, no, that's not the only reason we run! ;-). Scott (Jurek) goes much farther and seriously in associating this two concepts, demonstrating how eating well turns into running excellence.

Overall the book will show you Scott the way some of us had the pleasure to discover when meeting him at ultra races but with a much deeper introspection than his humility was hiding so far, highlighting new traits I didn't know myself: a special blend of human and intellectual intelligence, open-mindedness, gifted but very hard working, kindness, passion, mental toughness (e.g. winning two major 100-mile races with a sprained ankle), humility and competitiveness, resilience, sensitivity, compassion, integrity, pragmatism, attachment to family values and friendship, care giving, ...

You don't have to be aiming at winning Western States 7 times in a row to read or like Eat & Run, nor to become a vegan. If you are a runner, you will find in this book a lot of inspiration to handle your own struggles, during races or simply in life! Thank you for opening both your heart and your mind, Scott, and going through this ultra race that writing and publishing a book is!

And as Brooks says, Run Happy out there! ;-)

PS: chatting about the Brooks Cascadia at Miwok 2007

Labor Day: how hard are you working on your running?

It is Labor Day today and, while many are enjoying the outdoors and camping for this last long summer weekend, the family is enjoying a quiet time at home to catch-up with... work. No race, just two nice evenings with friends, a movie night with a French movie (Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté from Claude Lelouch with Jean-Paul Belmondo) and a bit of running before taking the week leading to Rio del Lago off.

I wrote my last post on the plane to Austin and did not run for the three days over there. My flight out of Austin was 2-hour late because of a mechanical problem and I ended up in SFO at 1 AM instead of SJC (San Jose) at 10 PM. My first conference call on Friday morning was at 6:30 AM, leaving me with just 4 hours of sleep so I got back to bed for 90 more minutes after my second call and before two others...

As I'm supposed to be tapering before the 100-mile race next week, I stayed in the neighborhood this weekend for some flat, albeit fast, miles. Friday: 12.5 miles @ 6:22 min/mile, Saturday: 9.3 miles @ 6:45, Sunday: 6.2 miles @ 6:57 and this Monday: 9.3 miles @ 6:17. I promise, I will be slower next week on the 100-mile... ;-)

While I was running and pushing harder today, I thought about the "work" aspect of my running, this hobby I call my second job. Like some people say: "No pain, no gain..." which I believe to be true if you want to progress in anything. Not necessarily physical pain, but at least diligent efforts to push the envelope and get you out of your comfort zone. Anyway, I hope that what ever you are up to, you too were able to use this quiet time to "work" on your passion or hobby on this Labor Day. If you did not have to actually work your first job today...

This weekend I also added a dashboard to my running log to track my progress against special milestones. Doing so, I discovered that, today, I ran my 30,000 th kilometer in Brooks shoes. I remember when I celebrated my 10,000 miles in Brooks back in 2007, it is going to be soon 2,000 miles. I am also 96.7% of having 24,902 miles which is the circumference of the Earth at the equator line, an imaginary trip around the World in 2,500 or so stages. Stay tuned for this other celebration! Next week will be my 50 th ultra race, so this other milestone will come first.

Now, guess what we talked about at my friends' on Saturday night? Yes, Black Mountain again (see last week's post)! The two families we had dinner with are familiar with the trails in Rancho San Antonio and, after hearing me praising the 306-degree views from the top of Black Mountain, they now want to extend their run or hike to this newly popular place!

Last but not least, I have a colleague who asked me some running-related questions on Friday night so I thought I'd share the reply with all of you. Here you are for a mini Q&A session, hope it helps. And talk to you after Rio del Lago then. Have a good short week in the meantime!

Q: I see in your pictures that you seem to wear compression shorts... do they help you? what do you like about them? Have you tried compression socks, and if so, what's your experience?

Indeed, I'm using long shorts such as this one from Brooks: Equilibrium CoRe short. But I actually take a couple of sizes up because it's not for the compression they offer, it's to avoid chaffing between the legs/thighs on long runs.

As for compression socks, I never used them except on long flights to avoid blood clots. I find them not looking nice and, given the number of miles I do, they would be expensive (wear inside the shoes), unless you use only leg compression sleeves. That being said, I heard good things about them and there are a few elites wearing them now.

Q: What is your nutrition intake regimen on your long runs... do you stick with gels, or do you expand into more solid foods?

It depends how long is the long run. Under 20 miles, I may use one gel (GU) especially if it's hilly. For longer runs (~30 miles), I may take with me a Snickers bar and a couple of GUs in case. For even longer runs, I would hope to find a place to buy some food such as banana, chips and/or pastries. And, of course, on races, I use what aid stations offer, which is usually a lot of variety in North California (fruits, cookies, brownies, soup, potato and salt, chips, ...).

Q: What's your strategy on electrolyte replacement/management (nothing/powders/tablets/salt stick)?

I go with Gu2O, and more specifically with the Lemon Lime flavor which means that I need to carry with me ziplocks with enough powder on long races where I don't have a crew, as different flavors or brands are usually offered at aid station. I'm also a big fan of S!Caps from Succeed! taking at least one per hour, if not one every 30 minutes in hot weather during races.

Depending on the temperature and elevation, I'm drinking a bottle of 16oz of GU2O every 15 to 10 miles. And about the same of water, although I don't track my consumption too precisely.

The other important finding in this area for me has been Vespa (vespapower.com). It actually addresses both the drink and food aspects as this drinks will accelerate your metabolism to transform your own body fat into energy. It comes from Japan where they have the top ultra runners on the planet (at least on road) and it works for many of us here. By the way, you don't even need a lot of body fat for Vespa to work! ;-)

Q: Do you have any good Core Strengthening resources you might recommend? I find lots of individual exercises, but I'm looking for a complete routine/flow/sequence for consistency.

I must admit that Core Strengthening is not my forte despite all the recognized benefits. I tend to only work on my Core when I get more time out of running from tapering or healing from injury, both being infrequent actually. Same for yoga, I feel I don't have time, but it's more a matter of priority of course. Agnès is the opposite, and Core Strengthening helped us alleviate the hip pain for many years. In particular she is an avid adept of Pilates which she practices at the Y on the Reformer.

Back to Core Strengthening, and to show you that I'm a big believer, I bought two books a few year ago which I recommend: Core Performance and Core Performance Endurance from Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams. Nice visuals and clear instructions, great presentation on glossy paper, and I particularly like the summary workouts at the end of the book (what you are looking for). If only one, take the second book.

Caballo in the Bay: not a ghost!

40 years ago, André Frossard, a French Academicien, wrote a book with a provocative title: "God exists, I met him!" This Friday I can say: "Caballo Blanco is not a ghost, I met him!"

Caballo is the main hero of Christopher McDougall's book, Born to Run, which, to my surprise, made the New York Times bestseller list for 12 weeks in a row! Not that it doesn't deserve such a success, but I was not imagining thousands of readers when I got one of the first copies back this Spring at the Zombie Runner store in Palo Alto (see my book report).
If you have read Born to Run, you must wonder what drew the white horse (aka Caballo Blanco or Micah True) out of his recluse life in the Copper canyons of Mexico. What got him to leave his Tarahumara and Raramuri friends and come to visit the Silicon Valley, Seattle, LA, Phoenix this month. Tu put things in perspective, Caballo has spend years living an ascetic life in inhospitable canyons in Mexico. He got so immersed into this recluse tribe that they gave him a Spanish name. Blanco relating to his caucasian origins. And the local children scared of seeing a gringo for the first time in these canyons reported seeing a ghost...

Caballo is on a mission. Not one of the Spanish and religious missions which conquered the Tarahumara lands and pushed them to run farther and faster in remote canyons. On the opposite, a mission to protect this pure and ancestral culture which made this people excelling at ultra running. Not a sport for them, but a pastime and a way of of living, hunting, travelling, commuting, escaping our world, and hiding...

Caballo is touring the West to raise money for the Norawas de Raramuri foundation. A foundation to support two annual races he setup 5 years ago, which goal is to provide the Tarahumara a chance to race locally as they cannot afford to travel around the world, not to mention the danger of exposing this genuine culture to our artificial and commercial environment as we have seen in past experiences at Leadville in the 90s (look at chapters 11-13 of Chris' book).

So, this Friday night, a few local runners were invited to meet with Caballo. From Kati's invite I thought that would be a very intimate encounter and I was really excited about it (I had proposed Kati to organize a special event at a local running store to support the fundraising). To the point that I missed the homecoming celebration at Cupertino High School where Max was a prince and a king candidate for his last year before graduating. Anyway, what a surprise when I found out that 80 or more other aficionados joined the party from as far as Vacaville (Vivianne and John) and Tahoe (Kati)! The party was hosted by a local ultra icon who I had the pleasure to discover through this opportunity, Mike Nuttall.

Mike is one of the three co-founders of the legendary design company IDEO in Palo Alto. His house at the top of Portolla Valley has incredible and gorgeous views over the Bay on one side, and is right on the mid-Peninsula trail network. The perfect home for an ultra runner and it was entertaining to hear Mike share his love and passion for running, as well as how he got into it.

Back to the hero of the night, Caballo (pictures courtesy of Scott Dunlap).
Caballo started his presentation by making it very clear that the Tarahumra did not send him. "They do no need help. They never have to ask or beg. They share. If they don't have anything to share or trade, it's not a problem, they will share something later. They have a beautiful zen-like detachment with things."

Here are a few random notes and quotes which will resonate more with the ones who read Born to Run, and run...

1. Raramuri means light-footed ones.
2. If you come to run the Copper Canyon Marathon, Caballo will assign you an animal best capturing the traits he sees in you. A spirit animal. Or, if he is out of inspiration, a spirit vegetable...
3. In 1993, the Raramuri really came to run Leadville for food, definitely not for the sponsors. There was a severe drough back in the canyon in 1993 and 1994.
4. In the 80s, I didn't like myself, I was taking running too seriously.
5. We distribute literally tons of corn to the top runners. And the gringos who place are welcome ot give back their own ton of corn and even the cash prize.
6. Unfortunately, because of socio-economic reasons linked to biofuel developments, corn became extremely expensive in Mexico.
7. I'm signing a lot of books (Chris's book), although I didn't write or even read it!
8. The race is held every first Sunday of March.
9. By the way, Chris keeps saying that the race is 50 miles, but it's actually 47.
10. All Raramuri are running and exercising, all their life. There was this 95-year old man hiking up a tough trail. Nobody had told him to stop. I really like this philosophy of "live until you die."
11. There are about 40,000 Tarahumara remaining in Mexico.
12. The less footwear, the more focused on the trail you are.

Last but not least, when asked how he felt about what he does for the Raramuri, Caballo concluded his speech with a sincere "I don't know if this is the right thing to do, but I go with my feelings, and I'm convince this increased awareness will ultimately benefit them." For sure, I personally feel more confident in Caballo taking initiatives in this area as he is almost one of them. Rather than letting stranger commercial or federal organizations field testing programs from the outside. What a fascinating experience with a secular civilization. Thank you to Mike and Kati for spreading the word this way!
With that, plus the time I had to spend with the family and on some work deadlines, I did not join the Saturday morning group run I advertised earlier on my blog. I had my share of Caballo's spirit and philosophy. And, in particular after listening to us, I was more interested in running solo, as he does most of the time in his canyons. Maintaining a sustainable life balance in a hectic life...

Caballo Blanco comes to town!

Yes, the famous White Horse! Or let's say the mysterious one as many of you might not have read Born To Run yet. Again, see my book report, this should get on your must-read list for this year and at the very least your wish list for the end of the year Holidays.
Caballo Blanco is visiting us in October in order to raise funds for his newly created foundation, Norawas de Raramuri, a non-profit to support the Raramuri and their culture, including their running traditions. You can look at the schedule that Caballo maintains online (especially for last minutes updates); and here are some special events and dates from his trip across the West Coast region:

1. Oct 3 - 50 miler (Man vs. Horse) in Prescott AZ. He will speak to runners during a pre-race meeting.
2. Oct 17 - fun run in Portola Valley, CA (meet at the Windy Hill parking lot at 0830)
3. Oct 17 or 18 - Auburn Running Company, Auburn, CA
4. Oct 20, 21, or 22 - Microsoft: featured speaker at an on-campus event + Seattle Running Company (date/times TBD)
5. Oct 23, 7pm - 9pm, Zombie Runner, Palo Alto, CA
6. Oct 24 - Brazen Racing half marathon in San Ramon, CA. He will be available to runners prior to, during and after the race.
7. Oct 25 - fun run in Santa Maria, CA (with Luis Escobar, el Coyote, featured in the book too) (time TBD)
8. Oct 31 - Javelina Jundred in Phoenix, AZ. He will speak to runners at the pre-race dinner.

At the risk and expense of decreasing the suspense Chris builds up throughout his book, here is a picture that Caballo Blanco posted on Facebook. Yes, it is hard to believe he is now so connected (Facebook, website, radio interviews), but that is part of living in the 21st century, even in the most remote and isolated Copper Canyons.
I really look forward to meeting this legend this month, intrigued by the subbtle balance between building awareness for the cause of the Tarahumara while protecting their secluded and multi-century traditions and privacy. Hope you can join the party and this running-related cause!

Born to Run: the Tarahumara secret

"In the hills of Mexico, a tribe of Indians carries an ancient secret: a diet and fitness regimen that has allowed them to outrun death and disease. We set out to discover how the rest of us can catch up."

Thus starts Christopher McDougall, to share with us the secret he learned from the Tarahumara, in his article published in Men's Health magazine: The Men Who Live Forever. A 7-page introduction to a much deeper dive into this amazing tribe's history and running passion with this 287-page book, published earlier this year (2009): Born To Run - A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.

I learnt about the book thanks to a fortuit email from Mike Palmer, an East Bay ultrarunner, email which I found on my BlackBerry at the San Francisco airport, right after flying back from Paris in May. Mike was announcing a book signing session at the Zombie Runner store in Palo Alto. Agnès was picking me at the airport and we stopped by Palo Alto on our way back. Here is what Chris wrote in my copy of the book:

To Jean,
A better runner than I’ll ever be.
I love your blog and your approach to running.
Bon(ne) chance
C. McDougall

With such a nice dedication, my review may be a little biased, but I can assure you that I have No Financial Interest (NFI as we say on forums) in the book. My only interest is in getting more people to learn about our sport… and this is indeed a fabulous book for that!

The book

Let’s start with what it is not. This is not an encyclopedia about the history of ultra running, although it contains the description of a few selected key milestones. This is not exclusively about Christopher’s ultra running experience, unlike Dean Karnazes’ books, although Chris shares some tips about how he re-learned to run. This is not a single story. The book actually contains several intertwined tales:

• First and foremost, the story of a Hidden Tribe, the Tarahumara, so hidden by necessity in the Copper Canyons in Mexico that very little has been written so far about this group of ultra ultra runners;
• The story of Caballo Blanco, a unique and intriguing Tarahumara insider;
• The story of the Leadville 100-mile race and the 1994 edition in particular;
• Stories about the ultra running legends Ann Trason and Scott Jurek;
• The story of rising star Jenn Shelton and unorthodox Ted Barefoot;
• The story of a man, the author, who reconnected with the joy and pleasure of running;
• The story of the modern running shoe, raising many questions about its pretended benefits as opposed to the pros of running barefoot;
• The pre-history of running, with scientific discussions about the origin of our ability to run;
• And more stories and anecdotes about coaching, nutrition, health, training, adventure, Man’s passion for running, and the love and pleasure of running.

What surprised me the most is that, despite the lack of pictures (except for the one on the cover/jacket), Chris’ descriptions are so illustrative and vivid that it is very easy to visualize and relate to every story he is embarking us on. And another fate in my opinion is that Chris remains very nicely focused in his book on running. As a former war correspondent, I am sure he could have chip in a few of his personal anecdotes but he did not. He could have embarked on a dissertation about politics in Mexico around the urbanization of the Copper Canyons or the terrifying development of drug cartels in that region, but he did not. Born To Run is solely about running. For our pleasure.
Beyond the captivating stories, which taught me a lot about the history of running and ultra running, here are the three main personal takeaways of this book:

1. When it comes to footwear: simpler and lighter is better. The whole chapter 25 on the history of running shoes was a revelation for me who started running seriously only ten years ago, especially the fact that, the less support the foot get while running, the more the foot will get back to its original and natural form, developing for instance muscles to strengthen the arch. I’ve never run barefoot but can’t wait to try. I cant’ wait either for the brand new Brooks Green Silence coming out in February 2010, a sort of response to the Nike Free when it comes to lightness.
2. A sane diet which, I must admit, I’m not ready to embark on yet but I’m seriously considering, or at least contemplating for now, especially for the healthy properties beyond the running side (less risk of cancer in particular).
3. And, last but not least, the most important one and the Tarahumara secret, have fun when running. I actually started re-applying this rule during my last arduous long runs, forcing me to laugh when I found the trail tough, reminding me that I run for fun even when I train hard. This secret also reminded me a quote from Lee Jebian, a veteran ultra runner in the Bay Area: “ultra running is too much fun!”

To illustrate the broad content covered by Chris in his book, here are some pages or sections I particularly like:

1. Page 54: how explorer Rick Fisher and his fiancée, Kitty Williams, discovered the Tarahumara
2. Chapters 9 and 10: the history of the mythical Leadville 100 race
3. Page 59: the Western States debut and how it connected with Leadville
4. Chapter 11: how Ann Trason got into ultra running and remained at the top of it for more than 15 years
5. Page 88: pacer stories (“A tough pacer can save your race; a sharp one can save your life.”)
6. Page 90: the discovery of the Tarahumara secret at Leadville by Chlouber and Coach Vigil (“[…] when they hit the dirt ramp, they hit it laughing. Everybody else walks that hill. […] SUCH A SENSE of joy!”)
7. Page 95: the reference to Emile Zatopek and his supernatural connection with the Tarahumara secret (his love for running and ingenuity with regard to training and pacing)
8. Page 114: a saying of the Tarahumara Indians that Scott Jurek uses for inspiration: “When you run on the earth and run with the earth, you can run for ever.”
9. Chapter 19: how Scott Jurek debuted in ultra running (it’s worth knowing for any runner who might have struggled in cross-country or on short distances) and how he got in “the greatest race the world has never seen.”
10. Page 133: how young, surprising and rising ultra star Jenn Shelton got into the Tarahumara picture (and you need to read until the end to get the full picture!)
11. Page 145: a mention of the Cascadia mountains which, I assume, the trail shoe designed by Brooks and Scott Jurek have been named after
12. Page 150: how Barefoot Ted got his ticket into the Greatest Race and how he then connected his own experiments to the Tarahumara ones
13. Chapter 25: again, the enlightening chapter on running shoes
14. Page 175: how Alan Webb turned from a “flat-footed frosh” to the fastest American on the mile, thanks to his coach getting him to train bare foot
15. Page 181: a glimpse at Bowerman’s marketing genius, or machine (Nike’s co-founder)
16. Page 201: the story of Norwegian sailor Mensen Ernst (what’s cool with ultra is that there is no limit: no matter which limit you can think of in running, there is someone who has or will run further, if not faster. Because we are still relearning how to run and perfecting this natural gift)
17. Page 202: Eric Orton as an example of what extraordinary things amazing coaches can get out of people
18. Page 203: Eric’s quote which kind of rephrases the title of Chris’ book: “Everyone is built for running.”
19. Page 207: Ken Mierke’s quote: “You’ve got enough fat to run to California, so the more you train your body to burn fat instead of sugar, the longer your limited sugar tank is going to last.” (A great advertising quote for VESPA, the all-natural amino acid supplement!)
20. Page 208: a healthy diet which not only improves running performance but also decreases the risk of cancer (another piece of the Tarahumara Miracle puzzle)
21. Page 211: Dr Ruth’s diet
22. Page 213: the summary of the Tarahumara secret applied to Chris’ new life as a runner
23. Page 222: a scientific comparison of the length of strides between humans and horses (and you have to read the book to know the answer)
24. Page 223: “everyone is built for running” indeed with all the best attributes for running marathons: “Springy legs, twiggy torsos, sweat glands, hairless skin, vertical bodies that retain less sun heat,” and the list could go on
    
25. Page 253: one sentence which summarizes Scott Jurek’s philosophy of running as well as the legendary camaraderie which characterizes ultra running: “The reason we race isn’t much to beat each other, but to be with each other.”
26. Page 254: Scott Jurek, “the world’s only twenty-first-century Tarahumara.”
27. Page 273: Scott’s quote to struggling Chris: “I’ve been there, man. I’ve been there a lot. It takes more guts than going fast.” So true...
    

OK, enough content unveiled, you now need to read and enjoy the whole book. To confirm that you are indeed… “Born To Run!”

One last note: it is really cool to get to know these super athletes better, from some of their struggles to their better known accomplishments. This is another treat of ultrarunning: these amazing athletes are very approachable and you can even run with them! At least we have that over the sports which get so much coverage in the medias such as basketball, golf, baseball, soccer... Yet, we want more people to know about our sport, an ultra paradox...

Other relevant links and sources of pictures to complement Chris' vivid text:

1. What Can The Tarahumara Indians Tell Us About The Importance Of Running Long Distances? (Fitness SpotLight)
   
2. Caballo Blanco's home page
3. A portrait of Jenn Shelton (Outside.com)
4. Chris' original article on the Tarahumara secret in Men's Health magazine: The Men Who Live Forever
5. Dietary cholesterol and the plasma lipids and lipoproteins in the Tarahumara Indians: a people habituated to a low cholesterol diet after weaning (pdf)
   
6. The food and nutrient intakes of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico (pdf)
   
7. The Wikipedia page on the Tarahumaras