Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

by Christopher McDougall

But why? Antelope don’t get shin splints. Wolves don’t ice-pack their knees. I doubt that 80 percent of all wild mustangs are annually disabled with impact injuries.

Come race day, the Tarahumara don’t train or taper. They don’t stretch or warm up. They just stroll to the starting line, laughing and bantering … then go like hell for the next forty-eight hours.

To the Tarahumara, asking direct questions is a show of force, a demand for a possession inside their head.

To endure a challenge like that, you had to possess all the Tarahumara virtues—strength, patience, cooperation, dedication, and persistence. Most of all, you had to love to run.

In terms of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone.

If Fisher had known more about Tarahumara culture, he’d have understood that racing doesn’t divide villages; it unites them.

He who loves his body more than dominion over the empire can be given custody of the empire. —LAO TZU, Tao Te Ching

“This is how we often learn things, when patients don’t listen to us,” Dr. Davis graciously responded.

he’s convinced that the next great advance in fitness will come not from training or technology, but technique—the athlete who avoids injury will be the one who leaves the competition behind.

“Forget yoga. Every runner I know who does yoga gets hurt.”

one in every seven cancer deaths is caused by excess body fat. The math is stark: cut the fat, and cut your cancer risk.

Big butts are only necessary for running.