Sports truly bring out both the best and worst of humanity. The self-discipline, the quest for perfection, overcoming long odds through hard work, and the triumph of mind over matter can be inspiring and uplifting. On the other hand, selfish and destructive tendencies can also come out as emotions run high; just listen to the rancorous insults that fly at sports games from Little League to the professional level. Or consider the recent riots in Vancouver, British Columbia, after the final game for the Stanley Cup. I have to admit, I just didn’t really get all the enthusiasm for sports. I was into theatre and music rather than athletics during school and much preferred reading to running. So, in an effort to “get it” I’m exploring books about different athletic activities for the next few columns. We’ll start this week with ultrarunning and American football, and then continue exploring other sports.
“Running was the superpower that made us human”
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
By Christopher McDougall
A couple of summers ago I decided I needed to get in better shape. Several friends in the ward were training for a half-marathon and invited me to join them. With visions of increased energy, a more svelte frame and a daily euphoric runners’ high, I found a beginner’s running program online, bought some brand new running shoes (includes some heel-cushioning insoles to make them fit my feet better), selected a state park close to my home with fairly flat paths and set off. About six weeks into the nine-week program (the first time I’d ever run a whole two miles without stopping!), I caught a nasty cold that laid me out for almost two weeks. By the time I was healthy enough to consider running again, my momentum and motivation was gone – I realized that I didn’t like it very much. Running, it seemed, just wasn’t for me. Then Born to Run did what I thought was impossible. It actually made me want to try again.
Mr. McDougall started by asking his doctor a simple question: “How come my foot hurts?” Researching the answer led him to various medical professionals, scientists, shoe experts, and running enthusiasts, and finally to the Mexican desert, in search of both answers and inspiration. The elusive Tarahumara, as the author describes them, are “a near-mythical tribe of Stone Age superathletes” and “may be the healthiest and most serene people on earth, and the greatest runners of all time.” Mr. McDougall goes on a quest to track them down and learn from them, and others who had previously sought them out, how to run.
I was fascinated by what he learned from Dr. Dennis Bramble, a biology professor at the University of Utah, and his student David Carrier. Human physiology actually mirrors the structure of other “runners” in the animal kingdom – like horses and dogs – as opposed to “walkers” – like pigs and chimpanzees. He lists dozens of biomechanical proofs that our bodies are designed to run more efficiently than walk. How our bodies are put together confirms that we are built for long-distance running!
One of the more shocking revelations (to me, at least) in this book is that “there’s no evidence that running shoes are any help at all in injury prevention.” That’s right. Not a single evidence-based study shows that running shoes make you less likely to get hurt. In fact, Mr. McDougall goes on to point out a study which found that after controlling for all other factors, “runners in shoes that cost more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get hurt as runners in shoes that cost less than $40.” It actually pays to be a cheapskate sometimes!
Throughout, Mr. McDougall deftly intertwines his personal running experience with the more scientific aspects of running he gathers and introduces us to several individuals who are inspiring both as runners and as people. While I don’t think it’s unique to the ultra-running community, there certainly was a genuine caring and compassion shown for each other among the runners profiled in this book. Scott Jurek, “America’s greatest ultrarunner,” is just one example. Scott took care of not only his two younger siblings while growing up, but also his mother, whose multiple sclerosis got progressively worse. After winning a 100-mile race, instead of going home and collapsing into bed, Scott makes it a habit to wait at the finish line for hours until the last runner is in. Mr. McDougall describes the changes that ultrarunning brought about in him: “Because I was eating lighter and hadn’t been laid up once by injury, I was able to run more; because I was running more, I was sleeping great, feeling relaxed, and watching my resting heart rate drop. My personality had even changed: The grouchiness and temper I’d considered part of my Irish-Italian DNA had ebbed so much that my wife remarked, ‘Hey, if this comes from ultrarunning, I’ll tie your shoes for you.’ I knew aerobic exercise was a powerful antidepressant, but I hadn’t realized it could be so profoundly mood stabilizing and…meditative.” With benefits like that, I beginning to wonder if I can afford to not run!
“No such thing in football as a sure thing”
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
By Michael Lewis
For those who haven’t seen the film, here’s a quick outline of the story: Michael Oher grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Memphis, Tennessee, disadvantaged in almost every way. He had an absent, often-incarcerated father and a crack-addicted mother. He’d been in and out of foster homes for his entire childhood, sleeping on neighborhood porches or friends’ couches when he could, and had attended eleven different schools before high school. A series of unlikely events led him to attend a private Christian school where his natural athleticism started drawing significant attention on both the basketball court and the football field. It also brought him into contact with Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a wealthy couple whose two children attended school with Michael. The Tuohy family invited Michael to live with them, providing all his material needs, hiring a tutor to help him bring his grades up, and eventually legally adopting him. He was recruited aggressively by many college football programs, finally settling on Ole Miss, his adoptive parents’ alma mater. I loved reading about how seamlessly Michael fit into the Tuohy family. They took him under their wing in every possible way and provided him with a love and stability he had never experienced. The Tuohys saw a need and they filled it without worrying about what others thought.
What struck me most about Michael Oher’s story is how common his tragic background is and how many other boys and girls are in the exact same spot with absolutely no hope of escape.
He was lucky. Between his natural gifts, a solid (and wealthy) support structure, and hard work, he was able to find a different trajectory and break the cycle of poverty that entraps so many others. Leigh Anne Tuohy is affected by this realization as well. Towards the end of the book, Mr. Lewis shares a brief conversation between Leigh Anne and Sean. Leigh Anne is moved to tears, and anger, by a newspaper article that describes a 22-year-old man who was a football star in high school, but despite his talent, lacked the grades or means to go to college. He managed to build a decent life after high school, raising his daughter by himself and owning a small carpet-cleaning business, but was shot during a home invasion. “Do you realize that you could take this kid’s name out and put Michael’s name in and have the same story?” she said. “Why didn’t this kid fall on our doorstep?” Seeing such a great need, the Tuohys recently started the Michael Oher Foundation to help other promising athletes meet the NCAA’s academic standards so they can attend college.
The book provides an insightful window into not only the life of Michael Oher, but also how the game of American football has changed over the past few decades. Mr. Lewis has an ability to explain sports without the fanaticism and jargon so many non-sports fans find off-putting. I was almost as intrigued by the chapters on Bill Walsh, Lawrence Taylor, the salary cap, and offensive line strategy as I was by Michael Oher’s story. But Michael Oher and the Tuohys are the real heart of the book.
While researching this book, I discovered that Michael Oher has written an autobiography called I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond. I can’t wait to hear his story directly from him.
*Warning: There’s a bit of bad language in both of these books, as is, unfortunately, sometimes common in sports settings. I didn’t find that these few instances detracted from my learning experience in either book.
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On My Bedside Table…
Just finished: Superparenting for ADD by Edward M. Hallowell, MD
Now reading: Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention by Katherine Ellison
On deck: Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
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Over the next couple columns we’ll take a look at some other sports including baseball, basketball, hockey, and rugby! What’s your favorite sports-related read? Come find me on goodreads.com or email suggestions, comments, and feedback to egeddesbooks (at) gmail (dot) com.