Bunion Derby

I ordered this book a few weeks ago and just finished it the other day. There was an article in Runner's World a few months ago about the 1929 footrace across America, so when I saw this book on amazon, it grabbed my attention.

It amazes me that the runner's involved in this race were able to accomplish what they did in the conditions in which they ran. Day after day they logged 30-50+ miles. These guys didn't have the advantage of modern running shoes. There was no "air." There was no EVA. There were no medial posts. Their apparel was just whatever they owned. These guys were running in wool sock and flannel shirts. There were no bandaids for blisters. No body glide to prevent chaffing. Many of the "roads" they ran on were little more than wide trails. Their nutrition was sub par. Yet somehow these men were able to continue running day after day.

The book itself seemed to read more as, "this happened, then this happened, and then this happened" than a flowing story, however, the subject matter was interesting enough that it kept me glued page after page. I found myself rooting for different runners as the race progressed. I pulled for all the black runners as I read about the disgusting things said to them as they traversed through northern Texas and Oklahoma. I pulled for other runners as they passed through their hometowns being welcomed as heroes.

One of the things I found most interesting was the final appendix. I had no idea that endurance running was second only to horse racing in popularity prior to the advent of modern team sports. Thousands of people would show up to watch endurance running events during the early and mid-1800s. I had always thought that ultra running was a somewhat new sport.

Anyway, if you are at all interested in running and endurance sports, I'd suggest picking up the book.