March 2010

{10 questions} for Chris McDougall author of Born to Run

by Jamie on March 24, 2010

courtesy of www.chrismcdougall.com/blog

Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run has ignited a raucous, ongoing debate in the running (and larger) community about the benefits of barefoot running and the integrity of the running shoe industry. The book’s influence has extended to our feet; both Monica and I have switched to the lighter Newton’s and I am not automatically replacing mine after 300 miles.

But Born to Run is more than a book about barefoot running. Christopher McDougall is a storyteller extraordinaire. The book is a page turner, replete with an adroit portrayal of the Tarahumara of Mexico and incisive characterizations of singular people, such as the awesome Ann Trason and Jenn Shelton. He brings to life the colorful and robust world of ultra runners, the exhilaration of the Leadville Trail 100 race and the history, lore and physiology of endurance running.

I recently re-read Born to Run via CD. My husband (a non-runner) and 13 year-old daughter (not particularly interested in adult pursuits) were captivated by the stories. The Tarahumara and ultra races became dinner table fare. High praise!

What’s more, after reading a few chapters and I felt the urge to get out there—and run long…

10 Questions for Chris McDougall:

1. The Jon Stewart appearance, interviews with major newspapers, the NY Times Best Sellers list, that Jeopardy question…..describe a memorable moment on the best selling author circuit.

Jon Stewart telling me the bottom of my foot felt like a dog’s paw was definitely one for the scrapbooks. but the wildest had to be when I met Caballo’s old girlfriend after a book signing in seattle. she gave me a picture of him from 25 years ago that showed him holding a scruffy dog and leaning against an old pickup … and he was doing EXACTLY the same thing last time I saw him.

2. At what moment after the publication of Born to Run did you realize that the book had taken on a life of its own? Do you think that the book’s release date, in the midst of the economic crisis, contributed to runners’ willingness to embrace the debate about barefoot running?

barefoot running is really just a fraction of what the book is all about. the heart of the story is the message that running can be a total blast, and not just a punishment for pizza. and if people are responding
to the less-is-best revelations about running shoes, that’s probably because we’ve hit critical mass when it comes to injuries and frustration. for decades, we’ve been told that fancy shoes will make running better,
and now it’s clear that we’ve been fooled by a bunch of marketing blather.

3. We both wear Newton’s. What do you think of them? Are your daughters wearing running shoes? If so, which type?

i’ve never tried newtons. personally, i feel more comfortable wearing nothing (interpret that any way you like). my kids are just yung’uns, so they crash around in whatever cheapos we can find. during their school’s race for education, we were the only one running barefoot — for about 10 minutes. as soon as the other kids realized they didn’t have to wear shoes, they started chucking them. soon, there was a mountain of discarded sneakers and an army of grinning kids whizzing around the soccer field.

4. Born to Run is about so much more than barefoot running. What other transferable skills should we take away from the Tarahumara?

my apologies if this sounds unhelpful, but i’d like to avoid trying to distill their culture into self-help tips. Caballo has been down there for 15 years and he’s still getting his arms around things.

5. How has the success of Born to Run shaped your approach to your current project? Any hint on the subject? Have you learned anything more about a Born to Run movie?

it’s been a wild week. yesterday, i closed a deal for the next book, and today (literally, four hours ago) i signed the movie contract. i have no clue what happens next with the movie, if anything. as for the book,
believe me — if i tried to describe it, you’d yawn. i still haven’t figured out how to pithily summarize born to run without it sounding weird and nerdy.

6. We are fascinated that women are racing and beating men at the Ultra level. Are men running these distances slower or are women running them faster? Does the 100 miler finally level the playing field? Can you talk about this a little…or write a book about it?
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Field Trips to Picasso, Lululemon and Philadelphia Runner store

by Monica on March 12, 2010

Jean Metzinger painting from the Picasso exhibit courtesy of the PHA

Yesterday was a carpe diem day. There is something euphoric about checking off items from a “things I want to try out/do” list. There are so many that somehow never happen. Yesterday was a day of accomplishment to temper the more frequent sentiment of a ”I didn’t get enough done ” type day.

I was up at 4:30am to get dressed, stretch and drive a few towns over for a 5:15 11 mile run. Hilly and challenging, in the way that makes you finish knowing you had nothing left (and probably should have eaten something in your groggy haste). By 10 am I was off to see the Picasso and the Avant-Guarde exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Cubism art history and comparative studies, a very enjoyable show followed by a yummy veggie sandwich on olive focaccia at the cafe to fuel me ahead. It felt great to walk so much after a hard run, I often don’t have the opportunity to do that and sit stiff in my office chair. Yes, playing hookey today, an occasional must!

In the early evening, Jamie and I decided to finally try out the run/yoga sessions advertised on the Lululemon website. They offer this in many cities around the country in conjunction with local running stores, in this case Philadelphia Runner. I have run twice in one day only a few times but with all quiet on the home front (husband in town taking the reins), I could not forgo this perfect opportunity. We arrived early at the running store and browsed a well stocked, very friendly-staffed establishment. Runners are so friendly aren’t they? I love that. A group of about 20-30 people headed out from the store in small groups. A 5 mile group, a 2 mile group and a 2 mile walk/run group. Many of them were beginning a training program for the Philadelphia Broad Street 10 mile run. Broad street is a fun, flat race through the center of Philly. We opted for the 2 miler and followed a young lady and man throughout the streets of a bustling downtown. It was a beautiful 60 degree night and a welcome change from the suburban landscape that backdrops our standard route. We got the feeling that most runners were new runners, perhaps there to take on their first race. We met afterward at the Lululemon store around the corner for oranges, bananas, a little stretching and some ab exercises…yoga? Everyone was very welcoming and friendly and seemed to be catering to a new/beginning runner crowd. There was no yoga to be found, but I was able to find a pair of technikini mesh underwear in a fabulous shade of purple (which brought up a discussion for a future post topic: do you wear underwear when you run?).

We headed back to the Philadelphia Runner as we had heard there was a speaker. We felt positively lucky to find Runner’s World contributing nutritionist Nancy Clark already fielding questions. She has written several books on sports nutrition (Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Fourth Edition, Nancy Clark’s Food Guide for Marathoners, 2nd Edition, and Getting It Right From The Start, Nancy Clark’s Food Guide For New Runners) [click to continue…]

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{book review} A “Healing Night” Sleep — the Runner’s Holy Grail

by Jamie on March 3, 2010

It’s amazing when you get to a certain age, and you talk about sleep in the same way you spoke about getting inebriated… I got eight hours last night. It was fantastic! Johnny Depp

Often, on running mornings, the first thing we talk about is our state of sleep. “I got to bed too late.” “I woke up at 3 and couldn’t get back to sleep.” “I’m tired!!” Sleep, like so much of youth, was a simple activity, taken for granted. In middle age, I court sleep. And fret over it. While sleepy, I am cranky, tedious and famished. A good night’s sleep is the holy grail of comfort and restoration. I bask in it.

I recently read, Healing Night, by Rubin R. Naiman, Ph.D. Naiman is a clinical psychologist specializing in the field of sleep. He works with natural wellness guru, Dr. Andrew Weil. The book is replete with new age flourishes. But, the vast amount of information about sleep is enlightening……I thought that I would share some of it here.

Yet another debt crisis to fear: sleep debt. Chronic lost and damaged sleep has a deleterious affect on our mood, physical well being, mental acuity, athletic ability and waistline. Falling asleep within 5-10 minutes of hitting the pillow signals a sleep debt. Sleep should be a gradual process (akin to walking into a lake).

Naiman recommends that we avoid looking at the time once we begin to enter the sleep state. If 20-30 sleepless minutes have passed, he advises us to get up, do something else and await sleepiness. My obsessive mind wanders–has it been 10 minutes? 20? 24? Should I get up now? In 5 more minutes? I’d better peak at the clock. What time did I go to bed again?

The term “cognitive popcorn” is bandied about. It refers to those thoughts (often anxiety filled) that enter our consciousness and prevent us from falling asleep or wake us up mid-sleep.

Sleeploading is recommended. That is, make up for sleep debt by spending a week or so going to sleep and waking up when the body chooses…even on vacation, this transcendent opportunity rarely presents itself!

Our bedrooms should be cool, dark and quiet.

We are biologically programmed to nap.

The BFF of runner’s, NSAID’s (Advil, Motrin,Aleve), compromise deep sleep by inhibiting melatonin production.
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