"The best runner leaves no tracks"- Tao Te Ching

I woke up this morning craving the kind of sustenance that only comes with a decent latte, which in turn requires the new Arcade Fire album from the library (ask me if you want it;)) and something decent to read, so I headed to downtown in lu of things more engaging, and happily so. While I was trolling stuff at the library I actually came across something really interesting, which hasn't happened for me in a couple months (33 Men, sadly, is maybe the worst, most drab nonfiction I've ever read).

The book is called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It is about this Men's Health writer, who is an oft-injured jogger who goes in to see a few specialists about a spiking pain in the heel of his foot that he got after a 3-mile run. He isn't happy with the diagnosis (cortisone and more cortisone, and a recommendation to switch from running to biking), so he travels to Mexico to study arguably the greatest distance runners on the planet, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyons, who supposedly compete in the world's severest 50-mile exclusive trail races on routes known only to them.

In addition to the neat cultural aspects of the book, or perhaps in response to it, McDougall is constantly fact-finding the answer to the question of what makes the greatest distance runners the greatest. In the first few chapters alone he offers interesting, little known facts about runners, such as that 8 out 10 runners are injured every year and that the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons think that distance running is "an outrageous threat to the integrity of the knee".

OK, so obviously anyone reading this blog didn't need a book to tell them that! But you have to read it yourself for the good stuff. But his major argument is that the best runners are barefoot runners, and he poses a very interesting argument. Check it out for yourself sometime. It might make you think twice about those toe-fitting shoes.

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

~JV

Summer Runs?

Hi everyone!

I know there are a few runners still left in Kent...Even if the sun doesn't come out to play, I will still be running!

On Thursday evening at 6pm the Crooked River Trail Runners meet at different meeting locations to begin a large group run at 6:30pm. I will be attending every Thursday through June 9 prior to RAAM. If you would like to join look up "Crooked River Trail Runners" for the meeting location that changes weekly.

This Thursday the run will begin from Lock 29-Valley Trail.

If you are interested in another group run, post a weekly time/day/meeting location on this post!

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

-Sara

Black Squirrel 5k Announced for 2012

Join Kent State University Recreation and Wellness Center for the 2nd annual Black Squirrel 5K Race on Saturday, April 14, 2012. They expect this race the be better than our first, with some changes that will improve the quality of the race and the entire event. KSU Recreation and Wellness Center looks forward to your continued participation and support of this race. For more information, view the facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=143045359101161 Remember early registration means a lower cost too. Let's represent the unofficial mascot...Black Squirrels Rock!