Born to Run 2 – The Successor Book. Worth a Read?

As many others interested in running, I loved McDougall’s first book, Born to Run, which is now already more than ten years old. The story was not only inspiring but a real page-turner.

McDougall has now just released this follow-up book, but it’s actually not much of a follow-up. My personal opinion is that it’s not worth a read if you’re already into running, but might be okay for people who are just starting to run.

The best thing about the book are what McDougall calls “Movement Snacks” – little short exercises to help improve running form. I think these don’t just benefit running form, but also form in general.

So, here’s my challenge to you, as you’re now reading these words:

Get up from the desk or wherever you’re sitting and take the next 2-3 minutes for the brilliant 100UP exercise. It goes like this:

1. Remove shoes if you’re wearing them
2. Stand tall, feet shoulder width apart, straight back
3. Raise one leg as high as possible while your opposing arm is driven forward/upward
4. Back, switch leg/arm. This should look like marching in place.
5. Repeat 100 times (50x per leg).
6. Reply to this newsletter and tell me how you felt!

When I do this, I certainly feel some of the “correct” muscles activate. Apparently there are runners who don’t run but just do this exercise a bunch of times per day, sign up for a race, and break records.

And if you’re interested in my full review of the book, take a look here.

Thanks for taking the time and feel free to suggest this newsletter to a friend who might enjoy it as well. All the best to you!

– Teesche