About the Book
This book is about why and how all humans-who still possess their physical or cognitive abilities-can switch from the dominant lifestyle to barefoot running to stay fit and healthy, stop possible addictions, enhance their lifespan in good health, enjoy a better life quality, avoid ending up in nursing homes, "save the planet" and save up to hundreds of thousands dollars on tobacco, alcohol, other drugs, fuel, healthcare, excess of food, etc. Long-distance running has been and remains a vital activity for all human species. Only the form has evolved: our ancestors practiced persistence hunting for about three million years to catch animals for food, while we must run marathons not only to prevent the chronic diseases-which are yearly killing over 41 million people and destroying our immune systems, namely obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, Alzheimer disease, other dementia, depression, insomnia, stress, etc. -, but also to terminate any need for unnecessary or harmful consumption, stop global warming, save natural resources and thus provide a chance for the survival of our species. What's more, contrary to popular belief, even current humans are born to run barefoot, which prevents fatigue, pain and injury, so much so that-after the readaptation to barefoot running-doing a marathon or an ultramarathon can look like a walk in the park. Meanwhile many shod marathoners keep incurring the risk of painful experience. The damage (cramps, breakdown, knee injuries, blisters on the feet, tendonitis, etc.) usually appears on the second third of the course, and keep worsening until the finish line. Afterwards, some runners will need weeks or even months to recover. Others-like shod Abele Bikila at the 1968 Olympic Marathon in Mexico City-will never be able to run a marathon again, unaware that their serious injuries came from wearing sneakers. All humans are naturally addicted to endorphins-the powerful hormones of happiness-and persistence hunting for food, or running marathons for medals, is the only way to get enough of them, and to stay fit and healthy, incidentally for free. Endorphins are the reward for the hunters who manage to catch the animal for food, so that the species can survive. Ironically, although nowadays most humans enjoy easy access to food, we must keep running regularly unless we prefer to suffer from the above-listed chronic diseases. In other words, running a marathon is the way we practice persistence hunting. Sadly, many humans keep seeking happiness and the meaning of life in the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, medicines, illegal drugs, excess of food, etc., which result in chronic diseases, fuel air pollution and global warming, and create new addictions that prove hard to get rid of, even for those who end up running marathons, which explains, for instance, why many marathoners so eagerly long for "a beer" after the race, despite the well-earned endorphins. Additionally, our hunter-gatherer body is designed to store fat for later use in case of scarcity. This explains why the combination of humans' propensity for laziness and overeating with unlimited access to food inevitably leads to overweight or obesity, even among medical doctors, star chefs, wealthy or powerful people. And finally, we know that chronic diseases gradually destroy the brain, the heart, the blood vessels, the lungs, the kidneys, the immune system-on which the effectiveness of vaccines depends-, the penis, the testicles, the joints, etc.
You will find in this book detailed explanation on why and how we can efficiently take back control of our health and lives. The book is based on my experience of over 300 marathons and 18 ultramarathons in 94 countries on the seven continents, and on my transformation from a gullible sedentary consumer into a rational barefoot runner for human survival.
