When celebrated runner Jurek, assisted by journalist Steve Friedman, begins his road to wellness and triumph in his book, he speaks candidly about the tortuous toll put on the human body by ultra-runners, namely cramps, black toenails, chaffing, and dehydration. Following a sickly Midwestern childhood and a mother diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Jurek eventually transitions from skiing to long-distance running, entering his first marathon at age 20, weaning himself off of hypertension meds by switching from a protein diet to a vegan one. “What we eat is a matter of life and death,” the athlete writes; “food is who we are.” His achievements prove Jurek is doing something right, winning the 100-mile Western States Endurance run seven times, the 135-mile Badwater Ultra, the 153-mile Spartathlon in Greece, and setting an American record for running the most number of miles in a day. Blended with the pro running tips and marathons, Jurek serves up some of his original food recipes to power up the novice or the professional athlete on his way to the finish line in this life-changing track primer. Accessible and riveting, Jurek’s book makes the task of self-transformation look effortless, from illness to wellness, from reluctance to triumph, yet this hard-fought journey to consciousness is not a small feat. (June)
