Words to Run By: Running Bibles

The question I posed on the two Facebook community pages was simple: "What is your running Bible?" 

It was a Monday morning, and I was sitting at my office job, trying to figure out how I was going to manage my clients, plan my upcoming kayaking trip, and write a running article, all within the next week. I figured, "Hey, I'll just ask other runners about where they get their running inspiration. That'll make it easy. I'll pick the top two to write about, read some online reviews, and BAM! Done!" 

I was so wrong. 

The community responded swiftly, decisively and with gusto. Within the hour, I had over thirty comments of books, articles, and podcasts that runners swore cracked the code of inspired mileage. And of course, I couldn't just take their word for it. Oh no. I had to get my hands on ivef books and listen to three podcasts, because these community members were so passionate about their vote. What should have been a three hour research session, turned into five days of sneaking books under my desk and listening to podcasts while I cooked dinner. 

The podcasts will have to wait for their own article, because I feel that they deserve it. Today's piece will focus solely on books recommended as "Trail Running Bibles."

These are my reviews of these incredible, influential books you all recommended so passionately. I hope this article does them justice, and just maybe helps you find your next running read. 

Endure - Alex Hutchinson 

Read this if...you're looking for a well-researched scientific baseline to understand the interplay of mechanics and psychology in human endurance

As a previous contributor to Runner's World and Outside, Alex Hutchinson is well qualified to write about outdoor endurance sports. He brings in his physicist background to play as well, perfectly rounding out a narrative rooted in scientific research and applied to human stories. While many sports physiology books have a clear bio-mechanic agenda, Endure manages to stay relatively unbiased and balanced. Endurance running takes the forefront, but there are also smatterings of other sports, such as cycling and football, making this a read that can translate to your non-running friends. An exploration of the psychology behind human limits, the book also encourages real-life applications, often using community stories or the author's own personal experiences to bring make the scientific jargon applicable to everyday life. 

Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness  - Scott Jurek 

Read this if...you're looking for vegan recipes and stories of personal challenge and triumph, all from a down-to-earth author

Scott Jurek is well known in the ultra community for three things: his unexpected and sudden rise to the top of the ultramarathon field, his championing of the vegan lifestyle, and his unpresuming nature. All three aspects are prominently featured in Eat and Run, which is equal parts cookbook, training manual and personal memoir. Vegan recipes are sprinkled throughout the book, which documents Jurek's childhood and rise through misery and suffering to ultra-God status (though Jurek himself would never use such self-promoting terminology). Ultra runners who have been sidelined by injury, DNFed or defeated by the elements will appreciate Jurek's unflinching embrace of the "suck," and will be ultimately uplifted by his enduring perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds. 

The Rise of the Ultra Runners- Adharanand Finn 

Read this if...you want an overview of the history, media, cultures and legends at play in the worldwide ultramarathon community 

Finn's first book, Running with the Kenyans, explored the community, biomechanics, and culture of one specific group of elite runners. In The Rise of The Ultra Runners, Finn expands the scope of discussion to world view. Finn covers his personal exploration of the growing running culture and community, and manages to document a variety of races, from big league races to backwoods ramblings one could hardly call "organized."  The book also covers some of the lesser-discussed aspects of the ultra lifestyle, including the benefits and pitfalls of sponsorship and the emergence of doping. This is a great introductory book for runners who are just stepping into the ultra scene, and who are trying to build a foundational knowledge of the races, names and jargon that make up 90% of training run talk.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - Christopher McDougall 

Read this if...you want an easy, entertaining read that touches on many aspects of running techniques, sub-cultures, and origin stories 

Self-described as "better built to take a bullet for the President than to run a marathon," McDougall starts his  journey as a non-runner who gets thrust into the world of trail and ultra-running as a reporter. Along the way, he stumbles upon the best-kept secrets of the running community, diving headfirst into the niche corners of the culture. Touching on divisive topics, such as barefoot running and persistence hunting,  Born to Run also invites debate by opening up the discussion to include the good, bad and hilarious  of a counterculture group. Set against the backdrop of a non-sanctioned race through Mexico's Copper Canyons and littered with outlandish characters,  Born to Run pits the modern ultra scene against the primitive roots of human endurance with flair, heart and unwavering humor. 

I am entirely biased about this book, because Born to Run is the book that got me into trail running. Back in 2014, I grabbed Born to Run off a Barnes and Nobles sale rack...the next morning, I was taking to the trails.

Nowhere Near First: Ultramarathon Tales from the Back of the Pack - Cory Reese 

There were no personal recommendations for this book, but it has been in my Amazon cart for a while, and this was the perfect opportunity to delve into it.

Read this if...you want an easy read with a lighthearted tone that delves into the relationships forged at the back of the pack

An ode to slow paces, aid station food, and pacers and mules, Reese's Nowhere Near First covers his journey from unwilling track hamster to enthusiastic ultra-marathon dad. Reese isn't sponsored and has never won a race, so his story resounds with 99.9% of runners who will struggled and sob their way across a finish line in 73rd place. Reese recounts his experiences on the trail with lighthearted humor and positive reflection, focusing more on the moments of connection and bonding between runners than training tips. This book is perfect for the runner who loves insane race anecdotes (such as trying to outrace a swarm of mosquitoes through an open field, or openly weeping when someone handed him a giant cinnamon roll at Mile 60 aid station) with their daily dose of genuine inspiration.