It is in genes - running!

Born To Run 

Christopher McDougall (2009)
(A hidden tribe, super athletes and the greatest race the world has never seen)
Just finished reading a book (a non-fiction) about an elusive Indian tribe, a great foot race and a bunch of mad runners who do ultra marathons.

I think that this is a book that any serious runner should read it to get a better perspective on running and also on life itself!
The book starts with the author trying to track down a fabled and elusive gringo, Caballo Blanco, who had left his normal life in the US to live amongst a equally timidly elusive Tarahumara Indians in an isolated dry wasteland of canyons and desert-like terrain in Mexico in their simple way of life. The Tarahumaras are said to have been running all their life, first from the Spanish invaders and now from the drug dealers.
These Indians have tremendous ability to run extremely long distances with minimal preparations and donning simple footwear - a piece of rubber sole draped by leather strings. They do not need scientific modern training or complicated training schedules or expensive state of the art shoes. They shy away from races and treat running with respect.
The author goes on to narrate about some whacky American runners who are themselves champion athletes but who party like crazy and run equally crazy.
The running community seem to have a bone to pick with the mammoth shoes companies. Is it coincidental that the rate of running injuries seem to rise with the advent new modern cushioned shoes? The rate of injury, like plantar fasciatis, appears to increase in direct proportion to the price of the shoe. What is this with frequent need to change the footwear? Is there devious plan to boost sale? Interesting, look at the rampant upgrading of shoes annually. Only when you think you found your perfect pair of shoes, you realise that they are already out of production by the following year!

Caballo Blanco (died 2012, aged 57)

 There is a very interesting explanation to why humans should be running, especially long distances. Simians' feet are adapted to walking with its architecture. We, on the other hand, have nuchal ligament to support our head, Archilles tendon with loads of hard springy fibres, an efficient breathing mechanism and an excellent temperature regulating system via sweating. So, it is actually humanly possible to outrun a deer. Most animals (deer, cheetah, etcetera) can only run short distances with bursts of energy, crippled with risk of exhaustion and poor thermoregulation.
Anthropologically, we outlived the Neanderthals not because of bigger brain capacity. As living conditions on Earth deteriorated with global warming, the good life for the muscular and big-built Neanderthals became challenging. They had to start hunting as the the forests became scarce. Hunting of animals where you have to tire down beasts was the only way to do it. Homo sapiens succeeded where Neanderthals failed and outlived their rivals.

Copper Canyon Trail Run

The author finally catches up with the legendary ultra marathoner, Caballo Blanco. He partakes in a gruelling 50km trail run with the locals and survives to tell his story and the soul searching journey of 'The White Horse' @ Micah True@ Michael Randall Hickman.

When I get too old to work, I’ll do what Geronimo would have done if they left him alone,” he told McDougall in “Born to Run.” “I’ll walk off into the deep canyons and find a quiet place to lie down.” Caballo Blanco.
[Geronimo was a brave Apache Indian who ran in the badlands of Arizona from US Calvary only to die as a fugitive, a nobody as a drunk.]

Respect the distance!

The basic rule of running is to respect the distance. Whatever it is a long track, a short trail or a marathon, the distance must be be respected. This, I learnt from the Salomon trail held on the grounds of the agricultural university at the area which houses the the dairy cows.
This time around, what used the playing field of aspiring veterinary students was our running ground. Tuned to most appropriate tunes of the 'Best of Eagles' country rock tune befitting the environment, to the smell of decaying cow manure and early morning dew, running in the muddy and sometimes slippery, sometimes uneven ground of latterite soil, we struggled through the trail of country road to the amusement to the masticating bullls and cows! Probably, they must be amused at our follies at running fast but wary to the deceiving slippery wet trail.
The trail initially took us through a puddle of mud as seen above. Some how, most runners managed to keep their feet dry by going around it. On the way back, however, most runners did not bother. What is a trail run if you do get dirty. Anyway, they all had splatters of mud on the calf and back and the shoes were all in different shades of brown.
If running the miles is not difficult enough, running on this kind of terrain makes it triply difficult.  It was made even more difficult by the never ending climbs. If you think coming down is easy, it is not. You are afraid of losing grip as the soil was slippery. And the mud that sticks to the sole of the shoes ensures that grip is at minimum.
Some of the runners still managed to find time to take photo shots of the cows which they would have never seen in their lifetime. They would only know them by taste!
The initially promised 10km run turned out to be 11.3km but it was in good fun. As like in any police drama series, where the cops would gather in the local pub to celebrate the solving of their case, we ended our day by stopping at a thosai shop.