Thursday, December 11, 2014

Are We Born To Run?-Christopher Mcdougall

Rating:****

This is a Ted Talk by Christopher Mcdougall explaining whether humans are made to run or not.

First, he talks about a woman from Ethiopia who, after nearly dying in childbirth decided to run in the New York Marathon.  She was not there to win as she was facing tough competition.  During the race, she had stopped to help an injured woman.  Eventually, the wounded woman told her to go ahead.  By this time, they were both far behind the leading group.  However, the woman from Ethiopia ended up winning somehow.

There is a tribe in Mexico called the Tarahumara.  They are known for their ability to run long distances.  They are capable of running hundreds of miles without stopping.  This is a group of people that has been running forever and they see running as a key to survival, not a painful experience.

He also talks about when humans are best at running in their lifetime.  If you begin running marathons at age 19, you will reach your peak at age 27.  You would think you would be in your late 30's when you go back to the same level that you were at at 19, but it actually takes much longer.  On average you will be in your 60's when you reach that level.

I joined the cross-country running team in October.  The competition was running a 7k and that was extremely tiring.  I could not imagine running a marathon let alone what the Tarahumara do.

It has been tested and proven that running without shoes can be better for you than with shoes.  Mostly because it is just more natural.  Thousands of years ago, when humans didn't have weapons, all they had was the ability to run long distances.  They had no claws and no giant teeth like other animals.  For these reasons, Christopher believes that humans are made to run.

Mcdougall. Christopher. Christopher Mcdougall:Are We Born To Run? Ted Talk. Youtube. Feb 4, 2011.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-iGZPtWXzE

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