20B20W - 7th book

Why We Run by Bernd Heinrich (earlier released as Racing The Antelope) is a book which would have more aptly titled Why I Run/Ran.

Bernd Heinrich aka Ben is an ultra marathoner of repute and won the US 100K championships against much fancied competition in 1981 at the "young" age of 41!

He is a zoologist by training (was nicknamed "Animal" as a high schooler) and brings to bear his knowledge of various creatures large and small to understand and improve his running. The book goes off-topic more than once but continues to be a good read. While not as well written as say a Bill Bryson book, the author endears himself to the reader by sheer grit and achievement. Like all great scientists he makes himself the subject of amusing and at times, not so safe experiments incl. trying to use 3 six-packs of beer as fuel for a marathon (one definite reason to read his book!). The thing to note is that a lot of his stuff is now available to beginners in various forms, but when he did it, it was a lot of self-discovery. Worthy of praise. At time the book tends to get just a wee bit self-laudatory, but what is the point if you can't pat your own back in your book?! (Just wait till you see mine!) But the author comes across as humble and hard working, both qualitiies enough to endear him to me.

If Born to Run taught you about the Tarahumara, this will tell you about the Pronghorn antelope, dogs, rabbits, various migratory birds, etc. Amongst several interesting things I learnt from it, I learnt that a book called "Indian Running" about American Indians and their running was written in 1981 by Peter Nabokov. Must look for it.

Good read.