Running Wild: An Extraordinary Adventure from the Spiritual World of Running

by John Annerino

In this story of rare triumph, John Annerino chronicles his progress from injury to recovery to victory. Badly hurt in a climbing accident and told he would never run again, the author defied his doctors and his own overwhelming pain to run the length of the Grand Canyon three times, rediscovering Native American trade routes lost to modern knowledge. An incredible journey and spiritual quest to the limits of physical and mental endurance, Running Wild takes you there and leaves you breathless.

Genres: Adventure, Sports, Nonfiction

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Author and photographer John Annerino has been working in the American West and the frontier of Old México for 20 years, documenting its natural beauty, indigenous people, and political upheaval. A veteran contract photographer for the Liaison International and TimePix photo agencies in New York and Paris, and Marka Graphic Photo in Milano, John's photography is archived in the Time-Life Picture Collection and has appeared in scores of prestigious publications worldwide, including Time, LIFE, People, Newsweek, Scientific American, Travel & Leisure, The New York Times, and National Geographic Adventure. His acclaimed collection of distinguished books feature diverse interests, geographies, and cultures, and range from his most cherished photographic essay, Indian Country: Sacred Ground, Native People, to his most heart wrenching book, Dead in Their Tracks. His celebrated single-artist calendars include Desert Light, Inspiration, La Virgen de Guadalupe, and Mayan Long Count Calendar. John's lifetime commitment to publishing illuminates his "passion to document endangered places, peoples, cultures, and traditions."

Reviews

[Karel Baloun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome stories of running in nature.

[Guy McArthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insane runs featuring near-death experiences! The writing is a bit choppy, but the dramatic events and insightful background research make up for it.

[Ariel Rittenhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply couldn't finish. May try again later.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Stream-of-consciousness style book that starts with the author climbing a rotten rock face. He fell, suffering a foot injury that nearly got his foot amputated by the physician. He isn't interested in never walking again, the outdoors is his whole life. He chronicles several other near tragic running and climbing events before starting a run of the length of the Grand Canyon. Alone, of course.

From paragraph to paragraph it might be reality, illusion, or historical reminiscences. Illusion and reality often run together in this book. The runner is repeatedly finding himself early in a running day without enough food and water. Those times are interspersed with running without enough sleep, or safe footing. He lives on the edge of danger, traversing rotten rock faces alone on muscles too tired for safety; at times simultaneously fighting off drowsiness. Sometimes he is unable to make the rendezvous point and spends a cold night with insufficient clothing or shelter.

A map inside the front of the book shows 4 runs between 1978 and 1982It is all engagingly written, but to my relief, in the last few chapters, illusion and reality were separate.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book. I couldn't stand Annerino. I realize he in theory is espousing a mindfulness perspective in running, but it came across egotistical and over the top dramatic to me. I also thought the writing was very poor. I am clearly missing something as good friends love this book, but it is not for me.

[Ron Christiansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no memory of reading this book but a little 4x6 card says I did and that I made connections with his description of running on the Tonto platform in the Grand Canyon where I once did a 30 mile jaunt. Still, no memory. My guess is that book was only good because it was about running.