Sometimes,' She Said, 'it Takes A Woman

When It Comes To Mentors, You Can't Beat Survival.

But Yeah, Ann [trason] Insisted, Running Was Romantic; And No, Of Course Her Friends Didn't Get It Because They'd Never Broken Through. For Them, Running Was A Miserable Two Miles Motivated Solely By Size 6 Jeans: Get On The Scale, Get Depressed, Get Your Headphones On, And Get It Over With. But You Can't Muscle Through A Five-hour Run That Way; You Have To Relax Into It, Like Easing Your Body Into A Hot Bath, Until It No Longer Resists The Shock And Begins To Enjoy It.

The Only Way To Truly Conquer Something, As Every Great Philosopher And Geneticist Will Tell You, Is To Love It.

The 'tarahumara' Use Their Legs 'as Designed.' By Running At A Young Age With Minimal Footwear, They Naturally Develop The Best Biomechanical Use Of Their Legs. Cushioned Shoes Restrict Foot Movements And Allow For Over-striding. Short Strides Are Natural.

There Is A Growing Subculture Of Barefoot Runners, People Who Got Rid Of Their Shoes. And What They Have Found Uniformly Is You Get Rid Of The Shoes, You Get Rid Of The Stress, You Get Rid Of The Injuries And The Ailments.