Why We Run: A Natural History

If you are a runner, you know how your mind works when you run. The thoughts enter and expand and develop in new ways. Heinrich figured out how to describe something personal in an biological and exploratory way. We evolved to run. So he thinks about this animal and he thinks about that animal in great detail and great biological accuracy. Then he relates it to humans and our big brains. Then he talks about the ultra marathon race he is going to run (eventually) and why we run. But first he has to conquer injury and other life events. The part that touched me the most was when he talks about his parents leaving him at the orphanage and how he had to eat horse feed to get enough nutrition. So he navigates back and forth between survival of the fittest and his own survival. But he also takes care of his sister. He does get back with his parents and the one bit of advice his father gives to him is something to think about. Heinrich's Why We Run is a winner.

. . . is what I said involuntarily just after finishing the book. This is a very well written book that compares the physiological aspects between animals and humans as they pertain to running and endurance. It covers a wide breadth of material ranging from bird migration to the running differences between prey and predators, but it all comes around to answering the question of why humans run and have a very high level of endurance. A good part of the book is autobiographical as the author begins by discussing the effect that running and nature had on his earlier life and ends with describing his experience competing in a 100-kilometer race. This book would appeal greatly to runners who want (or need) to go beyond the run-a-bunch-of-intervals and drink-a-bunch-of-sugar-water style of running books. It would also appeal greatly to readers who generally enjoy popular science or nature books.

This book is truly a classic on the biology and anthropology of exercise. I first stumbled upon it in the bookstore when I was just looking for some more books on running. I wasn't looking for anything in particular and I picked up "Why We Run" off the shelf to give it a chance. It was just what I was looking for. The exploration of human anthropology and the scientific explanations of why we run were in exact alignment with my beliefs. Heinrich's basic assertion is that we run because we're supposed to run. Our systems are made to use fatty acids and glycerol as fuels for long distance, nomadic type activities, not quick glucose intensive activity. This clearly sheds light on the heart rate formula for weight loss and what is particularly best for any specific person. If Heinrich's points are correct, then the conclusion would be a lower heart rate is most effective for weight loss and the preferred zone for any type of exercise. Any exercise in the higher heart rate zones could be classified as survival training--or expending energy that is meant for fight or flight type activities, like running away from tigers or the like. This is clearly not anything we have to do in our modern times. Heinrich goes to great lengths to explore his arguments. He takes the biology of the other animals and compares them to ours in a very "easy-to-read," unscientific way--something that is relieving for anyone who's spent hours with their nose buried in anatomy books. The book is anecdotal, because Heinrich bookends the story with his own 100K run. This makes the book entertaining as well and not just a dry scientific read. It's also great biological justification (translated: "excuse") to tell a spouse who thinks you spend too much time training for the next big race! Perfect for runners and walkers who want to understand their body and what is best for optimal health! Kevin Gianni, NCSF-CPT Author, Personal Trainer

This book was published in 2001, 20 years after the author ran in the 100 kilometer ultramarathon race in Chicago at the age of 41. You can guess the outcome :) This is one of those rare books where the writing gets better towards the end, unlike the deadline rush or inspiration vacuum that afflicts the quality of too many books in the last chapters. The early part of the book is devoted to biological treatises on various animals and examples of extreme adaptations (e.g., the speed of the antelope, the distance capacity of the camel without water, the extreme distances of certain bird migration patterns). This stuff reads very academically (the author is a PhD biologist) and won't appeal to all readers, but is interesting in that you see how it fuels the author's thinking about his own training preparations later in the book. The last few chapters are simply superb. It is the story of the author's training and experimentation with energy management of fats and carbohydrates during training, his stream of consciousness during the race itself, and of course the race outcome. Imagine running 62 miles in less than 7 hours! At the age of 41. Some of the author's philosophy of running and of life itself emerges as well, and you get a sense of an unassuming ego that is so pleasant in today's fist-pumping narcissistic age.

My wife bought me this book before we left for the Boston Marathon. She and I have built a pretty decent running book library but they all focus on training, diet, form etc, etc. Mr. Heinrichs book focused on why we are all runners by design. He explores the relationship between prey animals and the hunters and how we fit into the picture. Great read that is off the beaten running book path. I loved it.

This really is a remarkable book about not only the science of running but the science of endurance and survival. Bernd Heinrich combines an autobiographical journal-type approach to launch off into a fascinating scientific inquiry. By studying birds, antelope, camels, bumblebees and frogs (to name a few) he basically comes to the conclusion that all animals rely on endurance in some way or another to survive. The book will possibly be appreciated by runners and athletes more than not but it's full of so much interesting information that it should hold the interest of anyone willing to learn new things.