Running with wolves

My recent readings have taken me to an amazing book entitled ‘Neither wolf nor dog’ by Kent Nerburn. It is the story of a native person of the land now known as America. Riveting can’t describe it and I strongly suggest you get hold of it as it is one of those life changing stories.

This led me to thinking and reading further about the long distance running prowess of these people. The one notable example is that of Deerfoot (who is also highlighted in Lore of Running). This man was brought from the US to the UK to run against the best that England had to offer in 1861 and remained in the UK till 1863. During this time he ran numerous races and never lost bar for two occasions when he had become a little too fond of the soft English way of life.

He ran in moccasins or barefoot in conditions he was unfamiliar with and yet he still managed to whip all the best that the west had to offer.

Like the Turahumara he never trained or used any of the fancy techniques that the western athletes were experimenting with. He just ran and attained phenomenal results. Proof that yet again the so-called ancient world can teach us in our modern lives a thing or two about how to do things.

Read the book – although not about running there are many lessons we can carry through to our running and our lives. – Sean Muller