Thursday, May 13, 2010

what i did on sunday that changed my life

Not sure how much it will change, but I guess we shall see. As of sunday night i officially became a Kindle reader!! woo hoo. I downloaded my first ebook. Ill spare everyone the suspense and divulge my book, dun dun dun duhhhh Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Yes I know, those of you who know me are finding this to be an odd choice. Beau is still confused. The bottom line is, I asked everyone I knew what they were reading. Im totally tempted by the vampire books, but dont want to get sucked in, lol, cheesy pun intended. I love a good Bible study, but just not as fun without my ladies and I couldnt convince any of them to stow away atop The Beast and ride with us to the Grand Canyon. So I poked around the New York Times bestseller list and this was number 8 that day. So for 9.99 I am the proud owner of a book on running???







I have to give a quick shout out to the Kindle. Had I been at the local bookstore, i never would have chosen this book. It was just so easy to hook up the the 3g network and click purchase, that I was able to have it before my second thoughts or price consideration was a factor. I leapt right in to the world of Kindle and the water is great. It is so thin and light I can nurse a baby and use my one free hand to hold the Kindle while turning pages with my thumb. My buddy Angela reminded me how good a book felt in hand, so i was worried that i would never find the Kindle love however in 1 hr or two I learned that the Kindle feels different, but just as good. Im not sure ill ever want to mess with real pages again! even tried the Kindle Bible at church and found that if I get any faster at looking up verses, I will be inside Pastor Harms brain or selling psychic services! In short, love love love Mr. Kindle :)







As for the book, yeah its about running. Why I really chose it? well, the quick Kindle summary mentioned the Tarahumara tribe of Mexico who run and run for days at a time while kicking a ball. Once a few years back I encountered them briefly and found them fascinating. No I wasnt backpacking through the desert (although now thats on the to do list) I was watching one of the first Road Rules seasons and the crew met up with them and ran a race. Not sure why I remembered this, but i did, and with a swift click I planned to learn more. I dont allways get my Bible time in, and as a Christian who desires to do this daily, there was some guilt involved when resolving to read a non-Biblical book. I promised myself I would not engage in junk fiction. Whatever I chose , i was going to learn something, and so I have.







The book is about running, but the author isnt that much of a runner. It is a "how to" book of sorts. It is also a great anthropology read on the Tarahumara. A great diet book too! Come to think of it, its a bit of an autobiography with a splash of inspiration. As if all that weren't enough it gives an amazingly vivid geographical depiction of the mexican deserts complete with all the beauty and danger posessed there. If you didnt respect and appreciate that part of this continent, you will now. Id recommend it to my fil who is plagued with foot problems yet desires the benefits of regular excersize. Id recommend it to all of my mom friends who are forever in pursuit of the smaller pair of jeans. Id also tell any friends who are depressed, board, or searching for more within themselves to check it out. Of course its for the runner, both amateur and avid and for anyone who loves a challenge. For anyone interested in other cultures particularly Mexican cultures, but there are many more to learn from as well. it has left me with an awe for the perfect machine God created when he master engineered the human body. It has left me with a new attitude and love for the job I do everyday thus id recommend it for anyone who isnt in love with their job or has a task they arent quite sure they can accomplish. Truly this book is for everyone and if the author could improve it at all Id suggest he leave running out of the title :) in hopes of snagging a few non running readers like me!



I read this book from the point of view of a Christian wife/mother/woman who loathes running. I finished this book with a new outlook on my roles in this life and maybe just maybe a 5% chance that ill go running in the near future, up from zero its an improvement. It made me a better friend. ill never again pretend to be listening as carrie goes on and on about how far she ran today or ignore one of manda's fb posts about her latest running accomplishment. Forevermore, i get it, i appreciate it, and i know there is so much more to it than feet on pavement, both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Though there was some evolution mentioned, I still think it is a great read for today's Christian. For a creationist there is nothing more inspiring than listening to someone describe all the massive details that went in to something God created in the blink of an eye. There are lessons on selflessness, kindness, materialism, perseverence and last but not least it does contain a breastfeeding cameo about a running mama who ran 90 miles stopping to nurse her infant at checkpoints. Did I mention the babywearing Tarahumara men and women who sport infants as they run no less than 40miles and if thats not cool enough, there is one american mama who runs the same distance sporting her 4yo on her back. Had to throw those out there just in case none of my mama buddies have found any reason to read it by now :)

so in short, I love my Kindle, and I love the first book I read since the last time i was moving. Check it out!!!!

2 comments:

  1. WOW...I do good to get through 1 mile with no kids in tow, much less my 4 year old! Impressive!! :) May have to check this book out!

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  2. Courtney I want to read this book so bad right now maybe it's the one I have been looking for!

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