These "persistence hunts"--which started thousands of years ago and continue to this day--last for 8-12 hours or more and involve humans essentially chasing animals until they drop. The runners (relatively slowly) follow them, track their movements, and finally come across their collapsed-due-to-exhaustion bodies. These hunts are the ancient ancestors to marathons, ultramarathons, and distance running in general.
Before I get into the specifics a bit, please watch this entire 8 minute video, which is a very brief documentary of a persistence hunt in the Kalahari desert. You have to watch it. I loved it. Very captivating and emotional.
The central thesis in the majority of this research is that humans evolved from quadrupeds to bipeds basically to open up their lungs to allow for better breathing, because the only "weapon" they had at that time (this was before things like spears or bows and arrows were invented) was their ability to run long for very long distances ... something the majority of animals we hunted were unable to do. If you want some scientific breakdown of this, check out this journal article.
Humans are the only species equipped with sweat glands all over the entire body--so that we can cool ourselves as opposed to the majority of animals we hunted. We also have certain neck muscles to stabilize our head during running, the muscle structure and certain ligaments to give us the ability to run for long distances, and other benefits specific to humans. All of these create a natural link between evolution of the species and our desire to be distance runners. ESPN used all of this information as a way to tie the burgeoning trend of people adopting distance running to the evolution of the human species as runners and a desire to return to that primal state. Super cool.
Obviously, this is a crude explanation, but hopefully enough to pique your interest. Enjoy reading some more about it here. If you're an endurance runner, this will change your view on running in a great way. For me, it helped me understand a bit more one of the reasons why when I run I feel at peace, connected, focused and internally motivated.
Are you a runner? Why do you run? What types of things motivate you to do it?
Jess, I found that video so inspiring. Thank you for sharing! With all that's been made of barefoot running lately, I was interested to note that the runner in this hunt was wearing shoes and socks.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I run? It's hard to explain. I love challenging myself, pushing limits and succeeding - but when I'm actually running, that's not why I enjoy it. When I get into the groove... it feels good. It feels empowering. And it feels kind of primal. Maybe I know instinctively what you've written about here - it's part of what gives me an advantage as a human. Maybe I'm just addicted to my runner's highs. :)
But I did enjoy reading about this because it bothers me when people try to tell me our bodies aren't meant for running and distance running is bad for you. Now I have information to back up what I feel! Thanks.
Wow, thanks for such kind words, Rachel! I know exactly what you mean about runner's highs and things being empowering. It's the single biggest reason I get out there and do it.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that argument about distance running being bad, too, and always thought it was ridiculous just intuitively; you're right, it's nice to have some data/studies to start to paint the picture.