“There’s something so universal about that sensation, the way running unites our two most primal impulses: fear and pleasure. We run when we’re scared, we run when we’re ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time.”

In explaining the pleasure people get from running, McDougall points out that distance running has skyrocketed in popularity three times in American history, all in times of a national crisis. The first of these was during the Great Depression, when the Great American Footrace across the country took place. The second was during the early 1970s, when the nation was struggling to recover from the Vietnam War, dealing with racial strife, and feeling the aftereffects of the assassinations of three leaders. The final time was following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when trail running exploded as the fastest growing outdoor sport (12).

“The Tarahumara like to be visible only if they decide to be; laying eyes on them without invitation was like barging in on someone naked in the bathroom.”

In Chapter 4, McDougall describes getting to the bottom of the canyon with his guide after two days of hiking. Upon meeting the legendary Tarahumara runner Arnulfo Quimare, the pair made a cultural mistake by approaching his hut rather than waiting from a distance and allowing him to come out to greet them. McDougall explains the cultural misunderstanding by pointing out that the Tarahumara prefer to live in isolation, even from each other (26).