Running with Sherman: How a Rescue Donkey Inspired a Rag-tag Gang of Runners to Enter the Craziest Race in America

by Christopher McDougall

To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time. —LEONARD BERNSTEIN

The first rule of healing is “Do no harm,”

so despite my doubts about this crew, we couldn’t resist crowding around for a closer look. “My ass is breaking my ass,”

The kids were enchanted by the donkey,

Yes, they look ridiculous with those stubby bodies and Bugs Bunny ears,

We had animals on the brain for more than 300,000 years—and then, out of the blue, Edison and Ford came along and stole our hearts. As soon as we had electric lights and affordable cars, we moved indoors and locked the animals out.

“Flooding” an animal means bombarding it with new sensations, forcing it to follow your commands without giving it time to process what’s happening. If your dog gets feisty and nippy around loud voices, for instance, then it’s time to break out the pots and pans. You’re supposed to hold your pup tight on a short leash and subject it to such a terrifying barrage of clanging that in the future, every other noise will seem trivial

by comparison. Flood the dog’s sensory system with that decibel overload, and its fear of noise should be gone forever.

Donkeys operate on one frequency—trust. They do nothing on faith, but everything on certainty.