Book Reviews
The Perfect Mile
If you are a student of history, you know all about the
quest to be the first runner to break the 4 minute mile.
Author Neal Bascomb weave three stories of the three men
chasing the goal in 1952; English medical student Roger Bannister, American
track star and Kansas
college student Wes Santee and Australian college student John Landy.
Even though I knew the outcome I picked a favorite because
Bascomb composes a compelling story highlighting the differences not only of
each of the men, but of their approach to the goal.
Bannister was the classic English amateur. He was the well rounded Renaissance Man. He
balanced rounds in the hospital, medical school classes, research and
training. His research into exercise
physiology helped him to understand how to get the most from his training. He
was surprised when he studied climber Edmund Hilary. He was not the physical
specimen he expected, so he knew that the mental training for meeting the goal
was as important as the physical training.
The American Wes Santee used running early to escape an
abusive childhood wining a scholarship. His personal goals often were sacrifice
to make team goals. His dream to be the first to break the 4 min mark was
sometimes thwarted by the politics of amateur athletics.
Aussie John Landy also balanced college coursework with
training. The difference was Landy’s philosophy was to train harder than anyone
else. He was legendary for his grueling training regime. He saw the quest to be the first to break
the task as a spiritual journey. He was mastering his body with his tough
training. The hopes of the entire nation were with him. He was in every respect
a national hero as he got closer and closer to his goal.
The author takes you to the track the day the record was
broken. The race of the century was the
show down at the Commonwealth games in Canada that featured Landy and
Bannister as the two 4 minute milers in a head to head race. The race captivated the world at the time and
made the men front page news.
Bascomb will have you on the edge of your seat as he
describes the battle lap by lap.
This is an absolutely splendid read for anyone that runs or
loves to watch a great running race.
Neal Bascomb is a native of St. Louis . He is an editor and journalist for
the New York Times. He is the author of Higher: A Historical Race to the Sky, Red
Mutiny: Eleven Fateful Days on the Battleship Potemin.
********************
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Chris
Wodke
Founder
& Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com
Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.
She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.
In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent TeamUSA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.
In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team
In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas , Texas
She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.
She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.
Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 163 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia , Scotland ,
Canada , Vietnam , Turkey ,
Finland and Iran . If you
wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org
CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.
Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.
Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.
Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.
Additional
symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing
loss.
Additional Link
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Marathon Bombing
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