Matt McCue was kind enough to send me an advanced copy of his book An Honorable Run. I started the book on Monday and finished Wednesday, it was fairly short at 155 pages and I found it entertaining and well written.

I should preface that I am biased growing up in Iowa, about an hour from where Matt grew up and now having moved to Colorado and having my own love of the CU Cross Country program. The book is definitely a niche book, more likely to appeal to former CC/Track runners or the more serious runner who wants to know what it is like to run at a D1 powerhouse college. However, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Coach Wetmore and what it takes to run with the Buffaloes.

If I have one complaint about the book it’s that it wasn’t long enough. After reading it I wanted detailed accounts of each and every season and every meet that Matt participated. Thus, order up a copy of An Honorable Run, you’ll enjoy it.

I’m going to email Matt, see if we can get him on for an interview.

I have never been a fan of human interest stories, part of the reason why I don’t enjoy Runner’s World yet I have no idea why I still have a subscription. I do like reading about elite/professional runners but find little interest in stories about average people overcoming obstacles. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth, I mean if someone wrote a book about my running career, I’m pretty sure that I would find it boring and so would the rest of the population. However, I know that most people love human interest stories, it’s why Oprah inspired so many people to run the marathon. My personal feelings are that inspiration has to come from inside. It’s Bowerman telling Pre “You can’t coach desire Pre” pretty much sums up my thoughts right there.

On the flip side, Lance Armstrong coming back from cancer to win the Tour De France is one of the greatest sport stories to have ever happened. I just can’t get excited reading about a former alcoholic who now runs marathons, I’m sure that many people do find those stories inspirational but I’d rather read about Paula Radcliffe or Hendrick Ramaala.

Thus, this book is similar to “The Spirit of the Marathon” but in book form. The book is ok, I found it a tad more interesting than normal since I will be running the NYC Marathon this November. I found the course descriptions and the stories about some of the streets and neighborhoods rather fascinating.

However, I’m not sure if I would have finished the book had I not been running the NYC Marathon. Rather dull at times, but not horrible.

I give it 2/5 stars.

Thanks JM for lending me your copy.

You can find my profile on GoodReads, a rather cool site if you like to read books.

Born to Run is essentially three stories in one book, intertwined. The stories revolve around the Tarahumara tribe and the “greatest race you’ve never heard of.” The book also hits upon an evolutionary discussion that humans evolved to run. The third story is on the shoe industry, which McDougall asserts is a lot of hype and marketing and that running shoes are more likely the cause of running injuries than the solution.

This book was on par with Christopher Leer’s Running with the Buffaloes, which I would say is my favorite running book of all time. I should preface my review that I have had a strong interest in the minimalist shoe theory for the last year, after coming to some of the same conclusions that McDougall made with regards to the footwear industry and running injuries.

I have had little interest in ultra-running, but Born to Run sparked an interest. A huge part of it is that I am a time oriented individual, so if someone says they ran 100 miles in 19 hours, I don’t really have a feel or gauge as to what type of accomplishment it was or if they are a good runner. For ultra runners it’s more about the experience or placement in the race than the time and the time is only relevant to others who have ran that course or if you the runner have ran that course in the past. Thus, in no way can you compare times to other ultras since most of them are run in the mountains.

Now, I have a slight interest in ultras. Not saying that I would ever do one, but I did find myself reading up on the Western States 100 and looking at the results. It was also cool to see Zach Miller take 6th in the race as we went to college together and we ran Cross Country together, he was a senior my freshman year. However, I do have a new found respect for ultras and five years ago I had zero desire to run a marathon and now I have run five, so who knows, maybe I will get out there someday.

McDougall’s assertion that humans were born to run is extremely interesting. I don’t know a lot about anthropology but the evidence that he provides seems to be solid and well documented. The stories about humans being able to literally run down an Elk were fascinating.

Lastly, the book focuses on the shoe industry. McDougall is no fan of the marketing and hype that surround shoes. For the most part I agree with him, but I think some of the conclusions are a bit of a stretch. I do believe that motion control/support shoes are not necessary and I am skeptical when I hear so called experts advising people to run in a shoe such as the Brooks Beast to alleviate injuries. My opinion is similar on orthotics and my guess is that if you were to go in to see a Podiatrist that 90% of the time they will try to sell you a pair regardless of your ailment.

Where my opinion differs from McDougall’s is that I still believe that training is the result of injuries for most runners and not the shoes. Simply that most people ramp up the training too quickly or people who have never ran before try to run a marathon six months later. A lot of the studies that are cited in the book are looking back at runners from the 70’s and 80’s and let’s face it, today’s marathons are filled with recreational runners which the sport did not have 20+ years ago.

I agree with McDougall that the human foot is a thing of beauty, flexible in so many ways and that putting a bulky shoe on your foot will only weaken your foot and affect your gait. What I’m not so sure of is that the human foot has evolved over the last two million years to be able to run and walk on dirt and grass. The modern running shoe has only been around since the Bowerman era. Where I struggle is the surfaces that we run on today are completely different than what the human foot evolved from. Thus, the human foot did not evolve to run on asphalt and concrete, thus perhaps we need more protection on the foot? On the counter argument you have people who are able to run and win marathons, running barefoot on asphalt, so it is possible.

The book has been inspirational for me. So much so that I went out and bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and have been doing about two to three runs in them per week. I’m also gradually moving to lighter shoes, hoping to eventually do all of my running in “heavier” racing flats.

Overall, I give the book 5/5 stars. I even gave my signed copy of Born to Run to my Mom and she finished it in four days and loved it, she is not a runner. The book has wide appeal that I believe non-runners would still enjoy it; on the flip side I would not recommend Running with the Buffaloes to a non-runner that is more of a niche book.

Pick up a copy, might change your opinion of the shoe industry, regardless it’s a fantastic read.

Interview with Christopher McDougall

Bill Bowerman, legendary University of Oregon Coach, Nike Co-Founder and the man often credited for the running boom of the 1970’s. “Bowerman and the Men of Oregon” is the biography of Bill Bowerman. It’s a good book, albeit a long one at 480 pages.

My main complaint with the book was the length and the superfluous writing of Kenny Moore. I’ve read my fair share of autobiographies, but Kenny Moore often times goes more into depth than needed. He starts off the book giving the genealogy of the Bowerman family devoting almost an entire chapter to his Grandparents, etc. Another chapter is spent on him courting his wife, in his younger years. I have to admit that I power skimmed through those chapters and I also skimmed through the chapters dealing with the Field Athletes that are profiled in the book, as I have little to no interest in the shot put, javelin, et al.

The most enjoyable material is the chapters devoted to Steve Prefontaine. Kenny Moore devotes a good amount of the book to Steve Prefontine, as he should. There are firsthand accounts as Kenny Moore knew Steve Prefontine, was with him in the 1972 Olympics, and he had a good relationship with Frank Shorter. Previously, I had read the biography of Steve Prefontine, entitled “Pre” and there was material in Moore’s book that was not covered in “Pre.” Prefontaine is a vital part of Bowerman’s legacy and their relationship is well detailed.

Chapters dealing with Phil Knight and the emergence of Nike are also top notch. The book chronicles Bill Bowerman’s perfectionism and how he tinkered with making shoes with his wife’s waffle maker. I’ve always admired the story of Nike and Phil Knight, at the time Adidas was the shoe giant of the time and Phil with his savvy business skills and outsourcing production to Japan was able to gain market share on Adidas. It also deals with the struggles that Bowerman had with Nike as it grew into a major corporation. Bowerman was more concerned in tinkering with the shoe models and developing shoes for specific athletes, while Phil wanted to grow the company from Blue Ribbon Sports into the international number one athletic apparel company that it is today.

The other parts of the book that I found enjoyable were Bowerman’s trip to New Zealand where he met legendary Coach Arthur Lydiard and revised many of his coaching philosophies. The tragedy at the 1972 Munich Olympics and how Bowerman coached the US Olympic Team. Finally, an in depth account of Bowerman and Prefontaine’s battle with the corrupt AAU.

What I loved about the story of Bowerman is he was tough as nails. He wasn’t a “win one for the gipper” speech maker, he told his athletes flat out that he could not motivate them, that it had to come from within. He didn’t believe in coddling his athletes and didn’t even enjoy recruiting. At the time Prefontaine was in High School other Coaches were paying him visits, while Bowerman sent his assistants. Finally, he sent a hand written letter to Prefontaine stating simply that “If you choose to run at the University of Oregon, I have every confidence that you can become the greatest runner in the world,” Pre was sold.

I give this book 4/5 stars. Skip the boring parts though.

After finishing Running with the Buffaloes, I snatched up Sub 4:00. Sub 4:00 is a story about Alan Webb, entering his freshman year at the University of Michigan. Before entering college, Alan had recently broken Jim Ryun’s 36 year old high school mile record. The book chronicles the 2001-2002 freshman year of Alan Webb, however Lear also discsssed other members on the team, including the promising incoming freshman Nathan Brannen. Alan Webb entered the University of Michigan with high expectations and a media circus, with everyone asking and speculating when/if Alan should turn professional.

The problem with this book is simply that Alan Webb is not all that interesting of a character. He complains about the coaching that he receives and constantly debates going back to training under his high school coach Scott Raczko. The book starts to take on the focus of whether or not Alan will stay at Michigan after his freshman year. Also, the camaraderie at Michigan is not the same as the CU team in Running with the Buffaloes. Alan does a lot of his workouts alone or just with Nate Branen. Nate Branen actually comes off as the likeable guy, who you want to see succeed and not Alan Webb.

The book was a decent read and since they’re not a lot of books on running, it’s worth a read. Chris Lear does a good job of being objective; I don’t get the impression that he slants the story. I’d rate the book as 3/5 stars.

I can’t blame Alan for going pro after his freshman year, after all, look how well it has worked for the guy! And you wondered why Alan didn’t even make the Olympic team this year.

“Running with the Buffaloes” is the best running book that I have ever read, 5/5 stars. That’s it, it’s that good, pick up a copy, and you will not be disappointed. Ok, Ok, I will give you a review.

“Running with the Buffaloes” chronicles the 1998 Cross Country season at the University of Colorado. The book begins with the early team cross country training camp, up in the mountains of Colorado, and concludes with the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Heading into the 1998 eason, CU was one of the top cross country teams in the country and also had one of the top runners in the country in Adam Goucher.

The author, Chris Lear, was a former All American from Princeton and a 4:09 High School Miler. Thus, he is a former standout runner who could relate to the University of Colorado CC team. He also had full access to the team and since he wrote the book a year or two out of college, this allowed him to get a solid perspective of the team that an older author or non-runner would have been unable to obtain. However, Chris is not just a runner, his prose is exceptional.

“Running with the Buffaloes” does an excellent job showing the dedication of the CU runners, who were putting in 100 miles per week. Chris Lear also writes about a few of the runners who are simply hoping to make the team and overall does a good job of discussing the entire Men’s team. Lear focused heavily on Adam Goucher, as he hopes to win the individual NCAA CC Title, however this should be expected that the top runner on one of the top teams in the nation gets a bit more coverage.

Lear also details Coach Mark Wetmore, who is an interesting guy himself, pony tail and all. Coach Wetmore uses the Lydiard training method, focusing on high mileage and during the season several of his runners develop runners, leading many to question if Wetmore is running the boys to hard. Coach Wetmore is a Coach who values what his team thinks, but ultimately knows that he is the Commander and Chief and that the team should heed his advice.

One of my favorite parts of the book is after the death of CU runner Chris Severy, the team wants to do something to honor his death; the idea of wearing a black patch on their uniforms is mentioned. Coach Wetmore tells the team that ultimately it is their decision, but that they shouldn’t wear a patch just because it’s the societal norm. The team ultimately takes Wetmore’s advice and runs the way that they have been taught all season long.

Coach Wetmore comes off as a master tactician, a coach that studies his runners and devises a plan to improve all season long, training through some of the early meets. He is not a “raw raw” kind of a guy, or a Coach that is going to blow you away with a pre-race speech. He is simple, methodical and wants to get down to business. I would have liked this guy as a Coach.

“Running with the Buffaloes” almost has a surreal feeling to it. You have the top runner, Adam Goucher, getting defeated in an early race and coming back to win the National Championship. Then you have the tragic death of CU’s number two runner, Chris Severy, and the team responding by coming back and taking third at the national championship, which was better than their ranking going in. It’s amazing, because if Goucher finishes fifth that year or the team doesn’t crack the top ten at Nationals, the book probably looses a lot of its luster.

I’ll leave you with a great excerpt from the book, a quote from Coach Mark Wetmore:

“In football, you might get your bell rung, but you go in with the expectation that you might get hurt, and you hope to win and come out unscathed. As a distance runner, you know you’re going to get your bell rung. Distance runners are experts at pain, discomfort, and fear. You’re not coming away feeling good. It’s a matter of how much pain you can deal with on those days. It’s not a strategy. It’s just a callusing of the mind and body to deal with discomfort. Any serious runner bounces back. That’s the nature of their game. Taking pain.”

“Running with the Buffaloes” is a masterpiece that all runners will enjoy. When I first read it, about a year and half ago, it was when I had a stress fracture and my foot was in a boot. It was horrible, because all I wanted to do was go bust out a long run on Magnolia Road or out at Teller Farms.

“The Perfect Mile” tells the story of three athletes trying to be the first to break the coveted four minute mile. The story focuses on John Landy, Wes Santee, and of course Roger Bannister. The book chronicles the races and training that eventually lead up to that historical day on May 6, 1954, the day that Roger Bannister ran the mile in 3:59.4. Shortly there afterwards, John Landy broke Bannister’s record and sets up a showdown at the 1954 British Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, B.C. which was billed as “The Mile of the Century.”

The four minute mile was once thought impossible; it was the “Holy Grail” of athletic competition. At the time some people even thought that the human body was incapable of ever breaking such a feat. This is a story of the good old days, of true amateur racing, no professionals, no doping, just racing for the glory.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Bascomb does a superb job of chronicling the events, with interviews and firsthand accounts. The amazing part is how everyone knows the name Roger Bannister, yet few outside of running know John Landy or Wes Santee. All of these men were primed to break four minutes, but often times fell short due to weather, lack of competition, scheduling conflicts, etc. As always, the first one there gets the glory and these other two men missed by literally seconds.

The other fascinating part of the book is how Roger Bannister balanced medical school while training to break the four minute barrier. The book also discusses the training undertook by each of these men and it’s hard to believe the intensity at which they ran. By intensity, I mean they did almost all of their running at interval pace, Bannister pretty much ran on the track every day, for short duration of times, he wasn’t doing long runs, etc. that even a miler would use today.

The book also discusses the AAU and how they sidelined Wes Santee, just as he was getting ready to face Bannister and Landy. Wes had problems with the corrupt AAU Track and Field body and was getting a heavy dose of what Steve Prefontaine would fight for years later. His story is probably the most interesting, because as a college runner, he raced a lot and for his team, thus he had less time to focus on breaking the four minute mile.

The book is more than just about running. It’s a coming of age piece. The British, who just saw Sir Edmund Hillary climb Mt. Everest, are hoping to show the world the power of the British Empire. Australia, a rag tag country back then is hoping to make its mark with a strong showing by John Landy. Americans are hoping Wes Santee can make the claim, to show that they are on their way to becoming a super power.

I give this book 4.5/5 star. A great read, I even gave it to my Mom (Non-Runner) and she really enjoyed the book as well. Thus, I think I can say confidently, runners will love this book and even non-runners will find the story enthralling.

The books a “cult classic”, that’s what they told me. It’s also out of print and hard to find, unless you want to spend $200+ on Ebay for a used edition. I was reading a formal book review for “Again to Carthage”, John L. Parker’s much anticipated sequel to “Once a Runner” when I decided to hop on Amazon, to read some other opinions about the book. I did a search for “Again to Carthage” and it also brought up “Once a Runner” with a listing for one used book. I clicked on the link and see a used edition for “Once a Runner” on sale for $21. I hit the buy button faster than Eliot Spitzer at the Emperor’s Club VIP.

When my copy of “Once a Runner” arrived, I noticed that the book looked brand new. The spine was in perfect shape, no creases, pages were white and crisp. My next thought was that I could sell this book on Ebay after I was done reading it. Thus, I tore into the book, not literally, after all I had to be careful as I was selling this book on Ebay once I was finished.

To preface, I do a decent amount of reading, around 40-50 books per year, all though this year is a down year. I read a bit of everything from fiction, non-fiction (classics), historical, and books on economics and business. Thus, I have some literary knowledge; I’m not one of those simpletons who wait for Oprah to tell them which book they should read, I can make my own decisions. Speaking of Oprah, does she really need to be on the cover of “O” magazine every month?

I’ve found that a lot of movies and books that are billed as classics never live up to their expectations. I read “Huckleberry Finn” last year, which I enjoyed, but I bet it was a lot funnier in 1884, with the colloquialism being easier to understand. I imagine if you handed a 14 year old kid a copy of “Star Wars” in 2020, he’s going to tell you that it’s not as cool as you told him it was going to be.

I’m not going to give you the recap of “Once a Runner” you can find it on wikipedia, or odds are that you have read it already. The book was 248 pages and I finished it in two days, not because it was an enthralling read, but because I was eager to sell it on Ebay. I thought the book was decent, definitley not a classic and I probably wouldn’t even recommend it. The book has its moments and I got a good laugh when he makes fun of Runners World, apparently it was lame even back in 1978.

If you look on Amazon, the book has about a 90%+ rating of five stars. Five stars, seriously? I’d probably give a total of less than ten books that I have ever read a rating of five stars, on a scale of five that’s perfection, this book was not perfect.

My guess is that the book is popular because runners are an odd bunch and there are few books written about running. Thus, the competition is not fierce. Compare that to a legal thriller, or a murder mystery, where there are probably thousands of non-fiction books in circulation and the market is saturated.

The climax of the book is when Quenton Cassidy shows up at the Southeastern Relays in disguise as a Finnish runner to battle the best miler in the runner who is from New Zealand. Disguise, ok, what kind of a disguise does one wear at a track meet, a home track meet, so that your teammates don’t know who you are? Right there, that knocks you down to a 3 star review Mr. Parker. It’s sort of like Lois Lane not being able to tell that Clark Kent is Superman, come on Lois, he changed his hair style and put on some glasses. Heck, I shaved my head two weeks ago and everyone still recognized me at the office.

I finished the book, I didn’t regret reading it, in fact I read the entire book which says something. In general, if I loathe a book in the first 30 pages, I won’t finish it. That didn’t happen, so if I had to grade it using Amazon’s scale, I’d give it 3 stars out of 5, mostly due to Mr. Parker’s superfluous writting.

Wait, the best part, wait for it… I put the book up for sale on Ebay and sold it a week later for $230! Boom, thanks Mr. Parker! Actually, I think Mr. Parker probably has an attic full of copies of “Once a Runner” and he is controlling the market, slowly selling them off, he is the De Beers of the publishing world.