When I was reading Jonny’s book recommendations, he listed all of my favourite books, but I noticed that he forgot to add Running with the Buffaloes!
The author, Chris Lear, follows the University of Colorado XC team through the dramatic 1998 NCAA season. The star of the team is the 2000 Olympic Games hope Adam Goucher. This is Adam’s last shot at winning the coveted NCAA XC title that had somehow eluded him throughout his college career. But above all it captures the small personal moments between fanatical teammates that flow into a river of unstoppable passion. It’s a level of unashamed passion that marks the difference between the USA and UK mentality in team sports. With this motivation, the team will go to any length to be the best in the country. Under the guidance of Coach Wetmore, the book chronicles a blow-by-blow account of a formidable team being forged on the legendary Magnolia Road. The book also moves you as they struggle to hold together their sense of purpose and team spirit under the weight of a crushing tragedy. Wetmore’s coaching philosophy is heavily influenced by the late Arthur Lydiard and it is laid out in great detail for the running geeks. There are silver bullets, just true grit every day. It’s no coincidence that I ran my best races in 2014 while I was reading RWTB for the first time. Other notable cameos include the effervescent Bernard Lagat and Jay Johnson of Lunge Matrix fame. The timeline starts in August. So as the nights get shorter and our thoughts start moving towards the XC season, it’s a great time to pick up this book. It might even help you reach new heights on your own Magnolia Road.
