The Men Who Live Forever

RoyMcC

I thought I'd post a link to this remarkable article concerning the Tarahumara of Mexico. Their running and endurance powers are amazing. It was reprinted in the current issue of Runner's World. Now if we can only discover a lost tribe in the Wicklow Hills...

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=motivation&conitem=3b4b1ca01e91c010VgnVCM10000013281eac____&page=1

Blazer

Very interesting about the footwear...thanks for the article..good reading.

RoyMcC

Indeed it rather mocks the overblown and self-important running shoe industry.

Slogger Jogger

The Tarahumara were featured in an extensive article in Runnersworld November 2008 edition. Fascinating stuff.

T runner

Heres another group of amazing endurance runners

http://www.howtobefit.com/tendai-marathon-monks.htm

RoyMcC

Thanks T-Runner, another remarkable story. Base training 40k per day for 200 consecutive days :eek: I've just re-started my base training with 2.5 miles in the morning which is now seeming a bit inadequate

Notable how both of these groups have the most basic of diets and footwear.

thirtyfoot

RoyMcC wrote: »

Notable how both of these groups have the most basic of diets and footwear.

Its interesting how you see many coaches training programmes advocate younger developing athletes to do some bits of work in their barefeet on grass or sand. Even warmdowns or stuff at low intensity. The massive support and cushioning we get in shoes, orthotics etc mean your foot muscles can be very weak. I wonder do the Tarahumara get gait analysis done?:D

I've often wondered what would happen if you took a sherpa from the himalaysas and put him in a proper training programme as a distance athlete over a number of years.

Guisseppeth

It must be Tarahumara month as they were in the National Geographic November Edition as well.........

More general article but it did mention that "they've been known to irritate American Ultramarathoners by beating them wearing huarache sandals and stopping now and then for a smoke"

pgibbo

That's a great read. Their running form sounds a lot like POSE and Chi Running.

thirtyfoot

pgibbo wrote: »

POSE and Chi Running.

I would have said its more JFDI or RLAH. RLAH was invented by running inventor Jumbo Elliot (coach to Eamonn Coghlan for a while) and involves basically running like a horse. Its not free but gaurantees you will run a mile in under 4 minutes aged 41 or you get your money back. It is much cheaper than all the other forms of running though. When you buy RLAH it is accompanied by a mental preparation programme called TLAH (Think Like A Horse).

Apologies, I'm only having a bit of craic but I am very cynical of people who "invent" ways to run. I really should read more about them, in fact I will when I get a chance and I won't be so smart-arsed in future, ignorance is bliss on my part:o

RoyMcC

That is conduct not becoming a mod, Mr Tingle :pac: For a weak moment there I was taking that all in as serious.

But there is a great paragraph within that article. It asks - with all our advanced technology why are we (in the Western world) becoming fatter, weaker and sadder whilst they that have changed nothing in 2000 years are so much more advanced in this matter? We really could learn a lot.

I vote we send you to find out and bring back the secret in time for 2012

gerard65

+1, Tingle you had me going as well, nice one. On a serious note be careful believing what you read. Over the years I've read many reports about athletes doing incredible sessions, Zatopak etc, only to then read "well maybe in was'nt exactly like that". Remember as humans (the world over) we never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Have you ever actually met an ultramarathon runner who was beaten by a member by one of these tribes? Have you ever actually visited this area and ran with these people?. Anything can be written on paper, and if it reads to good to be true - if most likely is.!! Sorry for been so cynical - I'm an old man - it happens:(

Amazotheamazing

Sure didn't Jim Hogan/Cregan from Limerick run barefoot in his training for his first long distance races, didn't stop him winning 1966 European championship marathon in Budapest. Course, he ended up running for England, but that's a different matter altogether.

cfitz

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Sure didn't Jim Hogan/Cregan from Limerick run barefoot in his training for his first long distance races, didn't stop him winning 1966 European championship marathon in Budapest. Course, he ended up running for England, but that's a different matter altogether.

I knew there was a good reason why we didn't run barefoot round the green fields of Ireland.

Warning: Running barefoot can lead to treasonous tendancies.

Amazotheamazing

cfitz wrote: »

I knew there was a good reason why we didn't run barefoot round the green fields of Ireland.

Warning: Running barefoot can lead to treasonous tendancies.

Bit harsh, you should read his book, "The Irishman who ran for England"

(even if I suspect you're joking, you should still read his book)