Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness

Even if you don't care about ultrarunning or know anything about the sport, Eat & Run can be an entertaining and thought-provoking read. It's more than just a story about a man who has been one of the most dominant ultrarunners in the world for the last decade, it's about a man who seeks to transform himself through dedication to his sport, a conscientious way of living (especially through diet) and searching always for greater insight into himself. Jurek began making a name for himself in the ultrarunning scene in the late 90s, when he first began winning big ultrarunning events. He was featured in Christopher McDougall's bestseller, Born to Run, as he was one of the gringo runners who went up against the now-famous Tarahumara Indian runners in their native land. The book is entertaining as it details all the tribulations individuals go through who engage in extreme sports, who push themselves beyond limits most of us can't cross -- and do it time and again as a way of life. The book, though, is also compelling as biography, and Jurek comes across as an unpretentious guy who comes from simple, working-class roots who had to deal with many challenges early in life (an overbearing father, relative poverty, a mother who was sick from MS) and because of those challenges, became a fierce competitor with a drive that is admirable to say the least. The format is a bit quirky, with chapters about running mixed with recollections about youthful experiences and then random vegan recipes sprinkled throughout. There's also a lot of reflection/introspection, as Jurek melds existentialism with the runner's and vegan's way of life (without being preachy). The fact that Jurek is vegan is initially amazing for what he puts his body through, but it makes sense once you understand that Jurek's whole approach to living is about simplicity and purity. The book was a great read and inspired me to re-think some of my own limitations. I think it could do the same for you.

Biography. I liked this book more than I liked other sports biography books. I felt that this book was very well-written, well referenced, educational, and told some interesting stories about the field and history of ultramarathons. In particular, I felt the book did a really nice job of consistently presenting the author's inner thoughts, goals, feelings, and life story without coming across as being too egotistical, or too self-centered. This made the book much more accessible and enjoyable to read (at least for me). The detailed index with hyperlinks was a very nice touch in the Kindle e-book. There were separate indexes for the recipes and for the general index. The only letdown in the book for me – And I admit it is a minor one – is that given the depth of thoughtfulness in the book, I found the ending to be a bit abrupt. One minute the author finishes a big race, and three paragraphs later the book is over. I was expecting a longer section or closing chapter with a summary of the author's retrospective thoughts on his life and career, what major lessons he learned, what (if anything) he might do differently if he had it to do over again, and what recommendations from his fairly unique life perspective that he might make to the general population of readers. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good biographies. I think the authors did a really nice job.

This is currently $3.99 for the kindle version. I don't know if it's always that price, but if not, then get it while it is! I thought this would be a book I'd want to read (I don't think I've read a sports biography type book before), and when I saw it at $3.99, I was bored, so got it and started reading. I couldn't put it down... I got to bed later last night than I wanted.. I recently rekindled an interest in endurance sports after doing practically nothing for the last 15 years. From his dates in the book, I think Scott Jurek is either my age or one year older. I sure wish I was reading this book 15 years ago, I wonder if it would have inspired me to keep doing what I was doing then (and restarting now). I connect with his sarcastic yet intellectual story telling; oddly, I would compare (slightly) his writing style to that seen by Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye ; some may disagree, but I thought this right from the start and maybe that's why I enjoy the writing as well as I do (this is just my thing). Some of the characters in the book just have fantastic stories; I'm sure some are true, some less so (i.e. some of the 'rumors' on Dusty as a kid), but all are fascinating. The other really nice part of this book are the running and vegan cooking tips. Both are just great. The running tips connect to something I'm studying right now anyway (reading Chi Marathon ) and I really think I'm going to at least cook up this vegan chili he writes about. Regarding the vegan recipes. It should be obvious from the title, but it didn't really hit me until a few chapters in. A major theme in this book seems to be one of connecting a vegan diet with improving one's endurance potential. I would leave that to each individual reader's opinion, but for me it is motivating me to (again) go back to something I was doing 15 years ago. Well, I'm still only partly through the book, it's raining and 40 degrees outside. Something tells me that if I were Scott Jurek I'd be out there running, but I really want to see what else happens in this book!

I enjoyed it from the first sentence until the last, and it got me inspired to try and become a better human being. Many thanks to the author for sharing his story with the world.

Fantastic book, loved every page of it and inspired me to think about my first ultramarathon.

Este libro es muy bueno para aquellos a quienes les interese el tema de ultramaratones y carreras de resistencia. Lo mejor es que está enfocado en una dieta saludable, vegana y sin alimentos procesados. Lo había escuchado como libro en audio pero decidí comprarlo porque quería tener las recetas impresas. Hay muchas recetas, muy fáciles de hacer y súper saludables. Sin embargo, si no te interesa leer sobre las dificultades de ese tipo de dietas/deportes, podrá ser un poco aburrido.

I really enjoyed this book. Although focused on his amazing ‘ultra’ achievements it also gives an insight into his childhood, family and how he became one of the world’s greatest ultra runners. Its an easy read and unlike many running books Scott doesn’t bang on about how wonderful he is, his times and PB’s etc. There are so many running books that come across as being written purely for bragging rights – although a marathon runner myself I don’t want to read about an individual’s PB in this race or that race. Scott really conveys how difficult ’ultras’ can be and is modest in his writing, none of it is easy and you get the sense of how much effort, resilience and mental strength is required to complete these races (any distance runner will tell you it really is mind over matter). The end of chapter recipes are interesting and have also provided some inspiration (as a vegetarian trying to cut out diary). I’m currently reading ‘North’ which is an equally good read about his running the 2000+ mile Appalachian Trail documenting not just his struggles with the terrain, weather etc. but his mental health and motivational struggles. Have found both books to be very inspirational.

Curieux de comprendre comment mélanger entrainement lourd en course à pied et régime végétalien, j'ai découvert un livre passionnant, sur un champion d'exception, un homme touchant que l'on accompagne tout le long de ses succès, mais aussi de ses échecs dans le dernier tiers du livre. J'ai préféré la lecture de ce livre à Born to Run, car il ne s'éparpille pas dans les digressions scientifiques, médicales, techniques, et reste focalisé sur l’entrainement, les courses et la diététique. L'anglais est aussi plus accessible à lire. Enfin, il se dégage de belles émotions de ce livre, que je conseille à tous, coureurs ou non, pour les leçons de vie qu'il contient. A lire absolument (et je précise que j'ai également adoré "Born to Run). Je pense que je le relirais à nouveau quand l'envie de courir s'émoussera......