to run and read

By Gonzalo Zapata, creator of @corrercorriendo and author of the book THE HAPPINESS OF RUNNING.

Surely when we can go out again, our usual routine will change, what will happen to my work? What will the classes be like? And we also wonder what will happen to sports, many people today are determined to start some sport or if they trained in a closed space to change their usual sport. For those who have these questions, I recommend starting to run, it is an individual sport, low risk, that can be done anywhere, you just have to have some shoes and be careful not to push yourself to the maximum in the first few weeks, which progress is progressive. But since we always need a push, I leave you with some recommendations for simple books that will motivate us to start running or keep running... I also leave you a Bonus Track for those who don't want to run:

 BORN TO RUN, Christopher McDougall

Entertaining and successful book that tells the story of a Mexican tribe called the Tarahumara, who are considered one of the best long-distance runners. This book is very popular among runners, since taking advantage of the way of running of this tribe, the author addresses the issue of running barefoot, why the natural tendency or barefoot is the way to improve performance and avoid injuries.

And the most important thing is that it manages to transmit one of the great secrets of being able to run long distances without getting tired: Enjoying the moment of running and the happiness that it generates.

WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING, Haruki Murakami

It tells the athletic story of the author, who is one of the most prestigious and famous Japanese writers.

Murakami tells in this book from the moment he decided to start running and how this is a turning point in his life. He was 33 years old, married, working in a bar and also beginning his career as a writer. From then on the book becomes a description of anecdotes, challenges (including overcoming injuries), reflections on the importance of running and how these are linked to life, and it is even a training book as it describes the preparation he does for his new challenge: The New York Marathon.

RUN BETTER, LIVE BETTER, Santiago Garcia

The author is a film critic, passionate about running and a great marathon runner.

In this book, he provides (non-technical) advice from the point of view of an amateur runner and conveys in a very good way how starting to run changes your life.

What best summarizes what Santaigo Garcia feels about running is read on the back cover: “I was a non-runner. I had a life with which I was dissatisfied, incomplete... Until one day I discovered running. It was many years ago, but today I can't remember how a life could exist without running."

RUN OR DIE, Kilian Jornet

Cult book for those who like to run Trail Running. The author is a Spanish athlete, considered one of the best mountain runners in history, he has broken countless records (to give you an idea of ​​his capacity, until recently he held the record for ascent and descent of Aconcagua in 12 hours and 49 minutes).

This book is a personal diary and his philosophy of life, which is based on contact and understanding of nature. Of how important it is to have emotions and experiences, since it is what one will finally remember.

In this book you can also read about his experiences competing and how he manages to reach beyond his limits and meet his goals.

If you like running in mountains and nature, you must read this book.

WORLD MARATHONS, Enrico Aiello

This is a guide to some of the best 21k and marathons in the world. It is a very illustrative book, with very good photos, a description of the races and the city where it takes place, as well as some tips to be able to run them.

Information is found from the most famous marathons, for example Boston and New York, to some quite original ones such as the Polar Night Half Marathon. It's easy to read, highly entertaining, and also a great gift for a runner.

Obviously I recommend reading all of them, each one contributes something to better understand this exciting sport (and those who practice it), but the most important thing is that I'm sure it will give you the final push to put on your shoes and start running!

BONUS TRACK

THE 5AM CLUB, Robin Sharma

"Control your mornings, boost your life" It is the motto of this book, which was written by Robin Sharma; Global expert on leadership and performance.

The 5 in the morning club is a concept that the author developed more than 20 years ago and gives us a series of revolutionary habits that will improve our life, health and performance in any area, to achieve our dreams and goals. Recommended to make a big change in our lives.