Literary Inspiration

I decided to seek literary inspiration for the upcoming race, and I've found some books that seem pretty intriguing. I've started one, and I plan to read the other soon.

The first book, which I'm reading now, is called "Running with the Kenyans" by Adharanand Finn. It's about a decent runner from England uprooting his family of 5, moving to a small chaotic town in Kenya, and training in high altitudes with some of the best runners in the world.

I'm only 40 or so pages in so far and it's already providing me with some valuable insight into barefoot running techniques (which I find interesting since I run in Vibrams) and of course, it's rekindling my desires to embark on a similar adventure. I'd love to venture to Africa for a few months, rent out a small hut in a Kenyan village, and train with some of the most freakish distance runners the world has to offer. Or maybe stay with a running-obsessed host family in Ethiopia and wake up at 4AM every morning and run with them. For now, the trails and gyms of Southeastern Pennsylvania will suffice.

I also plan to read the apparent must-read book for any runner: "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen" after having it recommended by my Dad, my friend in the tennis industry, the internet, and the author of the aforementioned "Running
with the Kenyans" book. In this narrative, the author (who coincidentally hails from Central Pennsylvania and often runs amidst the Lancaster County farmland), studies the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, and how they honed their one of a kind running skills while remaining basically isolated from the rest of the world. I've heard nothing but good things about this book and can't wait to read it!