The Muir Beach trail run, which is put on by the fine PCTR team, is all about views and climbs.  It’s an absolute must if you live anywhere near San Francisco.

With the exception of tight parking and long walk to the start, the event is flawless.  You have the option of running the 11K, 17K, 33K, or 50K.  Don’t let the shorter distances fool you; it’s a hard — yet magnificent — run from start to finish.

I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Morning View of Marin from the Trail

Fog still lifting over the Golden Gate

The city looks so far away from up here!

Made it to the other side of the Headlands.

The Pacific Ocean

Click image to go to the RunScout.Com for a super cool Fly Over of the 33K course. The 50K does all of this at least once, about 1/3rd of it twice.

I know, I know... it's about the experience, not the time, etc. But I am still super stoked about coming in 5th female, age group 3rd.

Apparently, I have become one of those psychos who complete marathons as training. With no pressure and no time goal, yesterday’s Bizz Johnson trail marathon was one of the most peaceful experiences I have had running.

The setting is absolutely serene.  The course is inaccessible by car, making it incredibly quiet.  It starts in the town of Westwood, CA, also known as the home of the Paul Bunyon legend, and runs through the Susan River Canyon. The trail is flat and non-technical.  You enjoy a number of bridge crossing, the sound of a passing train or two, and the freaky feeling of running in two very dark tunnels.

I started running with my friend Kim (remember her from Top of Utah) who was trying to hit 3:50, but she couldn’t catch her breath from the word “Go”. Then she pulled her hamstring!  Poor Kim.  It was a rough day for her, but she finished.  I stuck with her for 10 miles, but I kept pulling ahead and taking pictures and then circling back to get her.

When she knew it was going to be a slow day, I ran on.  I caught Lynn at mile 12, which was really bad news as he was supposed to be qualifying for Boston with a 3:30. He was shuffling very slowly, admitting he had no energy at all.  Couldn’t even hold an 8:15 pace.  He told me to go ahead and use the rest of the run as a good trainer for my upcoming North Face 50-miler.  At mile 20, he ended up DNF-ing for the first time. Even the best, and both Kim and Lynn are some of the best, have bad days.

So I ran on, but at this point my pace was so “off” that I just put my Garmin away and enjoyed myself.  My friend and North Face 50 partner, Carrie, caught me at mile 16 and we ran a negative split for the second half (if you don’t count our last mile… read on). We still took our time and I still took photos, but at least I wasn’t circling back to get people. Then she got a little tired at mile 25, and I was happy to take it easy, so we walked it in.  I have never done that before!  But it was actually really fun.  We didn’t care and neither of us offered up the ‘ol, “ready to run again?”.  We were laughing and chatting and having a grand ol’ time.  At mile 26 we jogged to the finish.

It was interesting to compare the Bizz Johnson experience to the Top of Utah marathon that Kim and I ran three weeks ago. They both started and stopped at around the same elevation, but the downhill felt totally different.  It was pretty dramatic for the first half in Utah and barely noticeable for most of Bizz Johnson.  

This marathon was also different as it was run by the PCTR team.  They are of course a stellar trail running organization, but trail runs and marathons are not the same thing.  As a result, the support was an odd mix of trail running and marathoning, but didn’t quite capture the needs of either type of runner. For example, there wasn’t a single clock along the route.  This is expected in a trail run, but a disappointment for a race billed as a “great Boston qualifier”.  There was no water at the start, and no first aid that I could see. Lots of issues like that need to be worked out for next year.  I am sure team PCTR is already working on improvements as they are usually top notch.  

And, as we all know, part of the fun of running these is you never quite know what the day will bring.  We had some good times and some not-so-good times yesterday, but it sure was memorable.  Aren’t they all?

The SVRC Crew at Bizz Marathon - Ramesh, Kim, Carrie, Lynn, Me - not sure where Charles was

The low-key start line. Beautiful day for a 4-hour trail run.

The flat, very runable trail. That's Kim to the photo's left.

Just thought this was a pretty shot with the sun shining through the trees

Running through the Susan River Canyon

Mile 21 - give or take

Moments after crossing the finish in 3:44:55 - Boston Qualified!

It’s my proudest running moment.  I crossed the finish line of the 2009 Top of Utah Marathon in 3:44:55, qualifying for the Boston Marathon and achieving my goal with a whopping five seconds to spare.

I am proud of the moment because I had to dig deep.  I had to convince myself to keep running when I didn’t want to.  I had to push my legs to go as hard as they could at mile 25.  I had to sprint the final two tenths of the marathon.

It all starts at 4:30AM when the buses take runners up to the Hardware Ranch Elk Refuge which stands at 5600′.  The Hardware Ranch encompasses 19,000 acres of the Utah Cache Valley and is the historical winter range for local elk herds. Today it is a working ranch who’s mission is enhancing big game winter range and other critical habitats, thereby maintaining healthy rangelands for all wildlife.  In other words, it’s a gorgeous, peaceful and scenic place to start a run!

Hardware Ranch and Blacksmith Fort Canyon - Start of Top of Utah

The first 18 miles drop you 1200 feet through Blacksmith Canyon. It’s fast!  However, the final eight miles level out, include some rolling hills, and hit you with a number of neighborhood switchbacks.  You climb 200 feet at mile 18, which normally would feel like nothing but this late in a marathon feels like you’ve slammed on the breaks and are heading in reverse.  Just for fun, the course does it again at mile 22.  If you’ve planned well, you should have plenty of extra time from the downhill to off-set the challenges of the final six miles.

My Utah adventure was shared with friend and frequent running mate, Kim.  We both had trouble navigating the downhills.  We didn’t know if we should book-it or pull back.  We did both.  I reviewed all my mile times.  In the first 18, my fastest mile was 7:50 (oops!) and my slowest was 8:29.  I was all over the place.  Even in retrospect, I don’t know the right approach.  My goal was to feel good at mile 18, which I did.  I struggled at miles 21, 22, 23 and 24.  At mile 25 I had about nine minutes to spare to break 3:45, so I just took off.  I told myself there was no way I wasn’t going to qualify and that I could do anything for nine minutes.  After one final street corner, I saw the glorious finish line.  I sprinted, passing three people in the final stretch and getting under the arc just before the clock hit 3:45.  It’s the first time I have finished a marathon and immediatley bowled over, hand to knees, head down.  I finished 17th out of 169 in my age group (35-39).  I had given it my all.  That’s why it’s my proudest running moment.

Kim on the bus at 4:30AM - Looking surprisingly happy considering the time!

The race itself was very well organized. There were aid stations, port-a-potties, and a clothing drop box at every mile.  The race started cold and ended hot, so this little added touch was very important.  The volunteers were fantastic, but aren’t they always. Running brings out the best in people, even if they aren’t the ones doing it. The shirts are cool, if a little small.  The medal is fun, if a little big.

It’s the first time I enjoyed the pre-race pasta dinner and I am glad I did.  Kim and I met a number of first timers and an equal number of Boston hopefuls.  Our favorite was a man named John and his wife Meredith. John, 49, decided four months ago to run a marathon.  Meredith, 48, recently beat cancer and was running the 5K.  Three of their kids were with them.  John and Meredith asked a ton of questions, making Kim and I feel as experienced as Deana and Paula.

Warming by the start-line fire at 5:00AM. We are at 5600 feet.

Surprisingly, John found us the next morning warming by the campfire, two hours before the start.  At first I couldn’t figure out why a strange man grabbed my arm and  was asking me if I’d bought toothpaste (airport security took mine) and had enough sleep.  Surely, he thought I was someone else.  Then I realized it was John.  Everyone looks different in and out of running clothes.

So Kim and I started asking him a bunch of questions.  Turns out he runs two hours a day and peaked at 60 miles two weeks ago.  We didn’t think he’d have any trouble with his first marathon.  He said, “Some times I just don’t want to stop.  I figure, I’ll just go another 15 minutes.  And then I think I will go another 15 minutes.  I usually stop because it’s dark.”  Ahhhh…. and a marthoner is born. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if we run into ol’ John at a future 50-miler.  I looked up his time and he finished in 4:10.  Meredith finished her 5K in 32 minutes.  Congratulations to them both.  Part of what I love about racing is all the fine people you meet.  They took the prize this time around.

I must also mention the people of Utah.  Kim and I decided that the folks of Utah are the nicest people we have ever met.  From our waitress to our hotel desk clerk to our bus driver, not a grumpy person in the lot.  Everyone we met struck up conversation.  It was odd and pleasant all at the same time.  We almost didn’t want to come home!

In the end, the weekend was an amazing experience.  While my race was the biggest of my life, my friend Kim – who is a 3-time Boston finisher, 14-time marathoner, and 3-time ultrarunner – had some major and unexpected breathing issues at mile 21.  She had her own adventure that included paramedics, an oxygen mask, a blood test and the question “Would you like us to call an ambulance to take you to the hospital”.  It’s worth it’s own blog another time.

It was a grand adventure for us both.  Every marathon, good or bad, seems to provide a never-ending array of experiences and stories.  I guess that’s why we do them.

Half marathons seem to be getting expensive.

For example:

Silicon Valley Half Marathon – $60

Big Sur Half Marathon – $85-$95

San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon – $85-$115

I realize that you’ll probably receive a finishers medal and shirt.  In some cases you will hear from bands along the course and have a fun expo to attend.  There may be balloons and great volunteers.  Maybe some good food once you cross the finish line.

However, these prices seem to be getting out of control.  It’s just 13-miles (says the endurance snob).  Perhaps we are too focused on the expos, the bands, and the spectacle, as opposed to the run.

What does this have to do with the “Unofficial Carrie and Julianne Half Marathon”?  I’ll tell you…

My frequent partner and I were going to run a trail half a couple weeks back.  However, when we realized it was $75, and we had just paid the $90 for NF Endurance Challenge 50 mile, we balked.  Seventy-five dollars for two hours of running vs. $90 for twelve hours of running…hmmm….

QuickSilver County Park - The Site of Our Trail "Half Marathon"

Instead, we met at the lovely QuickSilver County Park to run 13 miles on our own, for free.

What did we get for our money?

• Flexible start time (6:30AM-ish)
• Flexible course (“Let’s go up here.” “OK, looks great.”)
• 2500′-3000′ of ascent (we guessed)
• Personalized aid stations that we carried in our packs
• A nice run that we did together

What didn’t we get?

• An actual race
• Rock bands
• Finishers medals
• T-shirts
• Cheering crowds of adoring fans
• An Expo

I remember my first 13-mile race.  It was the Santa Cruz Half Marathon, which remains one of my all time favorites at that distance.

Location of the Santa Cruz Half Marathon - One Race Worth the Price of Admission

Register in advance, and it costs $45.  That feels a bit more reasonable to me.  You get a medal and t-shirt and the joy of racing along a gorgeous ocean course. After the run you can spend your day on the world famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk or at a cafe in Capitola.  Another nice one is the KP San Francisco Half Marathon, which takes place in February each year.  It’s simple, well organized, and half the course follows the ocean.  Cost $40-$50.  Beware, no finishers medals (at least this last year).

When 13-miles is the longest you’ve ever run, I think it’s worth some money to experience the thrill of the race.  When you are training for something longer, I think it’s worth the money to test your speed.

However, there are a lot of half marathons out there and you don’t need to spend a fortune. Know what you get when you plunk down the money.  Do you need an expo? Do you need bands? (If you’ve never done one with “bands at every mile”, realize you only hear each band for maybe one minute at most.  Over the course of say a two hour race, that’s 13 whole minutes of music.)  Maybe you just need a beautiful location with a course that will challenge you.  Do you want a t-shirt or a tech-shirt (there is a big difference).  And let’s be honest, a little bling once you finish never hurts.

As for the free Carrie and Julianne Unofficial Half Marathon, I am pleased to report that Carrie and Julianne won!  Yup, that’s right.  We tied for first place.  In fact, I’ll never forget crossing the “finish line” (parking lot/finish line, you say tomAto/I say tomato). I looked at my friend and said, “Hey, we won.” After laughing, Carrie said, “If we get two more people next year we will double our numbers.”  So come out to the Mockingbird Hill Lane Entrance of the QuickSilver County Park around 6:30AM-ish, the last weekend in August 2010.  Bring your own aid station and don’t expect medals or t-shirts.  Meet the defending champions/race ‘organizers’ and have a great run!  We will all go for Peet’s coffee afterwards, but it’s not included in the cost of admission.

South Valley Running Club - Kim, Allison, Kathy, Raina, Andrea

Congratulations to the South Valley Running Club participants in last weekend’s inaugural Dirt Inspires Women trail half marathon, which took place in the Redwoods of Nisene Marks State Park, Aptos, CA.  Club finishers were Kim, Allison, Kathy and Raina.

The course was not easy, scaling 2425′ over its 13.1 miles, including a big ol’ climb smack dab in the middle.

Unique to the event was prize $$$, spanning $100-$500 in three different categories, and the lack of men. They weren’t allowed to run! That didn’t keep SVRC members Craig and Rich from volunteering alongside Andrea.

Another weekend, another fine showing by SVRC! Nice.

My fourth grader brought home the Guinness World Records 2009 today.  He stumbled across a photo of Terry Fox, who stills holds the world record for most money raised by a charity run.

“I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.” Terry Fox

In 1980, Terry raised $20.7M by for cancer research by running 3,339 miles in 143 days on an artificial leg.  On average, he logged one marathon per day, running from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Thunder Bay, Ontario.

“When I started this run, I said that if we all gave one dollar, we’d have $22 million for cancer research, and I don’t care man, there’s no reason that isn’t possible. No reason!” Terry Fox

Terry was inspired to act when, in 1977, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, the most common type of malignant bone cancer and one that tends to strike the young.  At the time, the only treatment was amputation.  On March 9, 1977, Terry’s leg was amputated 15 centimeters above the knee. Terry was 18 years old.

“The night before my amputation, my former basketball coach brought me a magazine with an article on an amputee who ran in the New York Marathon. It was then I decided to meet this new challenge head on and not only overcome my disability, but conquer it in such a way that I could never look back and say it disabled me.” Terry Fox

Terry was unable to actually complete his initial distance goal.  The cancer had metastasized to his lungs and he was forced to stop running on Sept 1.

“People were still lining the road saying, ‘Keep going, don’t give up, you can do it, you can make it, we’re all behind you.’ There was a camera crew waiting to film me. I don’t think they even realized that they had filmed my last mile… people were still saying, ‘You can make it all the way Terry’.” Terry Fox

But others carried on for him. CTV organized a telethon for his cause, raising $10.5M in a single day.

Terry Fox died June 28, 1981, at the tender age of 22.

Terry’s legacy lives on.  The Terry Fox Foundation has raised over $400M for Cancer Research and amputation is now rare for osteosarcoma.

Other people have done amazing things with their running.

The most money ever raised by a marathon runner was $3,669,325.  This distinguished accomplishment goes to Steve Shalke who finished the 2007 Flora London Marathon in support of the Oasis UK charity. In fact, the London Marathon is the largest single-day fundraising event in the world. Since 1981, London marathon runners have raised over $800M for hundreds of charities.  I have the honor of contributing to that total. As a 2006 London Marathoner, I raised in excess of $6000 for African Revival.

Seems these days using sporting triumphs for good causes is par for the course. And it should be!  Athletes accomplish amazing feats every day.  I can’t think of a better way to use that “star power” than to help.  Kudos to my friend who has raised just shy of $7000 for the National MS Society. Kudos to my other friends who just started her drive for the Susan G. Komen society.  We might not all raise $20M, but I am convinced every little bit helps.  It’s the power of people and the power of sport.

I have been running in my brand new Nike LunarGlide road shoes all week and I love them!

This is saying a lot.  I have worn only Mizuno on the road for the past 5 years and I have never liked a single pair of Nike.

Here’s what Nike says:

The shoe’s entire design is specifically shaped to accommodate a woman’s foot, from its dynamic Arch Bridge for enhanced stability to the wedged carrier construction for unprecedented cushioning with dynamic strike management.

The women’s LunarGlide+ also features a patented Dynamic Support system that adapts to you, your foot and even the various parts of your run to provide just the right amount of cushioning and support.

The system instantaneously adapts to each and every foot strike, so if you need more support near the end of a long run, you’ll get it. It also adapts to the needs of each foot individually, so you’ll no longer be forced to compromise the support you need or the cushioning you crave.

Here’s what I say:

The shoe is great;  very light, 9 oz., and extremely flexible.  The minute I put them on, I forget all about them.  Isn’t that really what you want in a shoe?  You don’t want to keep adjusting laces or noticing little issues.  You want to lace up and go.

The cushioning and support system actually seem to be a breakthrough, at least as far as I can tell.  It really does adjust throughout my run and stays comfortable the entire time. I have done every variation of road run in these shoes: long, short, slow, fast, easy, hard, flat, hilly.  My feet felt great every time.

I am an overpronater who needs some stability and this shoe fits the bill.  While I have loved my Mizuno Wave Inspires for years, lately my feet have had aches and pains.  The last few pairs have left me wanting.  I wonder if it’s because I run so much more than I did when I started with Mizuno or if the slight tweaks have had a negative impact on me.

It’s priced right!  At only $100, it’s a great deal.  I will pay up to this amount, but I usually have to buy last year’s models.  This is a debut line with Nike’s brand new Dynamic Support engineering.  Fantastic.

The LunarGlide looks super cool!!  OK, so maybe this isn’t the primary goal of a good running shoe, but it doesn’t hurt!

Will this shoe work for you? No idea, but I highly recommend it! And so does Runner’s World, who awarded the Nike LunarGlide it’s “Best Debut” honor in the August 2009 issue.

Congratulations to Nike.  Well deserved.

So much going on!  It’s exhausting!  But in a great way.  I have been so busy these past few weeks that my husband and in-laws allowed me the gift of staying home today to do, well, nothing. THANK YOU!  They are off enjoying a day at the pool with our three boys.  I am hanging out in my very quiet home, catching up on laundry and letting my legs and feet rest.

So let’s get started…

Beautiful Mt. Madonna Trail

Mt. Madonna Challenge

Big news of the weekend is that we had a very successful Mt. Madonna Challenge run yesterday.  With 216 finishers, it was the largest turn out ever recorded. In addition, it was the inaugural year for the 18K.

The field looked like this:

6K finishers – 111
12K finishers – 68
18K finishers – 37

I was reminded when marking the course just how steep it is!  I was reminded again when Kathy, Raina and I decided to run the 6K after we finished cleaning up.

I think the addition of the 18K distance was a great idea by our race director, Allan Abrams.  It seemed to attract a number of trail runners from the PCTR crowd.  I was supporting the finish line aid station and feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

My favorite comment was by a man brand new to trails.  ”I don’t even know how to describe this to my friends.  We only run roads.  I can’t even begin to tell them.  It was so beautiful. And so hard. So, so, so hard. But so beautiful.”  That was the best summary of trail running that I have heard in a long time.

I realized, yet again, that runners simply rock!  I met more than one person who had planned to run, got injured, and decided to come volunteer.  How cool is that?!  And, as always, everyone said thank you.  We added a few little touches this year, including PB&J, potatoes, watermelon, and pretzels.  I can’t tell you how many people personally thanked me.  And our shirts were a crowd pleaser!  We were worried.  They were a light, frosted, lime green.  We thought they were killer, but as race committee member Jimmy said, “I bet we look back in a few years and say, ‘Why did we do lime green shirts!?  We thought we were so cool in 2009.’”  Ha!

Of course, not everything went as planned.  Seems we didn’t mark one of the hair-pin turns as well as we could.  A few people went off course.  We needed more water. Awesome volunteer Jennifer ran to Safeway just 10 minutes before start time.  We needed more electrolyte fluid at the finish.  We were pretty much out when the final runners crossed.  We also need to figure a better way for the 18K runners to join the 12K course (the 18K is the 6K + 12K).  We had too much congestion.  We will try to think about how to do that better for next year.

All in all, a great day!  I was very proud to be a part of the team organizing this run.  I am totally stoked to take over as Race Director for 2010.  Thank you to all the runners, volunteers, Allan the RD, and the rest of the SVRC race committee.

TransRockies Stage Race

The 113-mile TransRockies run started this morning. The first stage is 20 miles, with over 2000′ feet of ascent, starting at 7900′ of elevation.  Tons of big names are there: Kami Semick, Hal Koerner, Nikki Kimball, Dean Karnazes, Caitlin Smith, Anita Ortiz, Prudence L’Heureaux and Devon Crosby-Helms.

But even better, my two pals and fellow SVRC runners are there! I have never personally known anyone who has been in a major event. Lynn and Kevin are the talk of the town. Like two kids in a candy store, I don’t know that I have seen two people more excited about anything.  Their enthusiasm is contagious.  We all know it is going to be very hard, but we also know they can do it.  They are both amazing.

I am following the race and will be updating my Twitter feed with the daily report.  You can follow the official report on the TRR site. You can follow Lynn and Kevin on Lynn’s blog.

Top of Utah Training

On the more tradition side of life, I am four weeks from Top of Utah.  My training is going very well. No injuries, knock on wood.  No interruptions to my schedule, knock on wood.  I am at the challenging point of the plan.

You know that point where you max out mileage and speed, and your body is just tired?  I am there.  I need a lot of sleep right now. My kids and husband laugh at me as I climb into bed at 8:45.  Then again, they know the drill.

My training plan is pretty aggressive.  I am wondering if I bit off more than I can chew. My long runs are 18, 31, 20, 22, 20, 16, 23.  I did the second 20-miler today.  It was nice going for 16 miles, when I had Craig and Charles with me.  The last four were alone and, well, boring.  Thank goodness next weekend I have a half-marathon in the trails. I think I am going to race it in place of the 16 miler.  Then one more long run and I taper. I better qualify.  Ultra training is so much more fun than marathon training!  I am itching to start preparing for the North Face Endurance 50-miler in December.

So that’s it for now.  Better get back to doing nothing/laundry/dishes/nothing.

I have been a member of the South Valley Running Club for almost two years.  I was thinking this weekend how lucky I am to have met all these great people.

On Saturday, I had to do a 22-miler starting at 5:45AM.  Did I go it alone?  Of course not!  Kim called the night before to say she could meet me.  Kim and I are both tackling Top of Utah in a few weeks, so we not only started together in the wee-dark hours of Saturday, we finished the final 5-mile tempo together too.

At 6:30AM, Kim and I landed at the Coyote Creek trailhead where we picked up four other members of SVRC.  For the next 90 minutes we ran as a group, swapping places and talking partners.  I had not run with Craig or Jimmy in a long time and it was great fun just to chat it up.  Craig and I talked about books.  Jimmy and I talked about schools.  Before we knew it, it was 8:00AM.

We were back to the trailhead to pick up about ten more people from the club.  I ran with Lynn and Kevin for a while.  Chatted with Steve, Andy and Marti. And then peeled off to find Kim so we could get that final tempo done.  During our tempo, Kim and I talked marathon fears and strategy.  We checked in on each other’s training and had one of those, “What could go wrong,” conversations.

After the run, a group of about 20 of us met up at a local diner for breakfast.  Lynn and Kevin are joining ultra elites at the TransRockies race this weekend and we all wanted to wish them well.  I looked around the table at everyone who turned out.  A nicer group of folks you couldn’t find.  All different ages, stages of life, and running levels.  All came out just to say “good luck” and enjoy the morning together.  For a moment, as I watched everyone talk, pass syrup, toast their coffees, I thought  the scene would make a nice ending to a good John Hughes movie (bless him).

I joined SVRC reluctanly.  Like most runners, I enjoy running on my own.  What is the point of a club?  But my good friend was a member and he told me I would really like the people.  And then I ran with Craig, our president, and enjoyed it so much I wanted to do it again.  I figured, what’s $20 (the annual fee).

I have learned so much about running from these great people.  I have learned about heart rates, and track workouts, and how to really train for a marathon.  Along the way I have picked up many good partners for training and racing and just enjoying.  I have also learned to give back to the sport and community that gives me so much.  I wrote the club newsletter for a year.  I have volunteered at many races and  I am learning to coach and race direct too.  All because of SVRC.

And I still run on my own, more often than not.  But now I have an incredibly nice group of people who teach me and cheer for me, and hopefully I do the same in kind.

Every trail runner I know has by now heard of the book, Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall. And with good reason.

It’s the story of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyons. It’s also the story of the author’s quest to cure his running injuries. And it’s the story of one of the coolest ultra races ever recorded, and the lucky few who ran it.

What I love about this book is the way in which McDougall weaves his tale.

There is adventure, mystery, and murder.  It is played out by richly painted characters fresh from fiction, who also happen to be real: Barefoot Ted, Caballo Blanco, and Jenn Shelton.

And there is great running knowledge too, about stride, injuries, the shoe industry, nutrition, and what to do if one is lost, hungry and face-to-face with what appears to be a gunky pond of bacteria.

The book is funny, entertaining and telling.  I loved it!  I couldn’t put it down.

McDougall comes across as “one of us”.  Just a guy who likes to run and gets annoyed when his foot hurts.  He wants to go farther, but it hurts.  All of that leads him to Mexico, and the little-known, very quiet, Tarahumara, who are arguably the greatest runners on earth.  It also leads him to Caballo Blanco, another guy “just like us”, who happened to decide that living hidden in the mountains – running everywhere – was a better way to go.  And the list and stories go on.

They all converge in the dramatic conclusion; a race that matches Scott Jurek (not just like us) with the greatest of the Tarahumara runners.

It’s an adventure that any one of us would have loved!  It was almost as fun to read as it must have been to experience.  OK.  Maybe not.  But this one is worth it.

Most enjoyable running book I have ever read, without question.