Book Review: The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience

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"Endurance isn't the ability to overcome pain, it is the ability to embrace it with no end in sight."

"Endurance is about trusting the invisible voice you believe in, even if nobody else does. Because there's just as good a chance as not that something's really there." 

"But endurance is the ability to continue despite past results and with disregard for future outcomes." 

Jennifer Pharr Davis, author, National Geographic Adventurer of the year, and record holder of the fastest-known time on the Appalachian Trail for four years --her record was broken by Scott Jurek, whose book North details his Appalachian Trail run-- shares stories of feats of endurance as well as her own story in the very engaging The Pursuit of Endurance. Like Jurek's book, I expected The Pursuit of Endurance to be Pharr Davis' story, but instead, she shares her story along with the stories of many others who have inspired her. Interspersed throughout the book are tips and advice to guide the reader to developing endurance as well as mental toughness. She believes and espouses that anyone who really wants to do can push themselves farther than they think.

"What was my capacity for endurance? Was it good enough to set a fastest known time? And could I outperform all the men who had come before me?"

Timing is everything and as I finished this book, I learned of Maggie Guterl's first place win at Big's Backyard Ultra. Guterl won the looped event after running 230 miles. Endurance events are one arena where the playing field is level and women can compete alongside men and even beat them. While men have the advantage of lean muscle mass, heart size, and VO2 max, women have improved movement economy and central drive, which levels the playing field in long-distance races. Female endurance athletes use body fat for fuel, which also gives them an advantage over their lower fat male counterparts. I found this information fascinating!

Yet Pharr Davis is mentored by mostly male endurance athletes and her book reads like a who's who of ultradistance athletes. Warren Doyle, David Horton, Scott Jurek, and Andrew Thompson are some of the ultradistance athletes that she mentions in The Pursuit of Endurance. Some of these men mentored her--others were influential in her journey. I've heard how tight-knit the ultra community is and by all accounts, these runners support each other and celebrate victories, even when records of their own are broken.

I found The Pursuit of Endurance to be immensely readable and interesting. Pharr Davis is a prolific writer and at times I lost myself in the adventures shared on the pages. I'm not an ultrarunner nor do I desire to be one, but I do find inspiration in the stories of runners, particularly women, who push themselves to attempt endeavors that the average person wouldn't dream of. As an aside, Pharr Davis was pregnant when she finished her FKT attempt. It seems the sky is the limit for women and it will be exciting to see what the next generation of young women do in the world of endurance events.

Pharr Davis ends the book with thoughts on the future of endurance and the pursuit of the FKT in the era of more athletes pursuing records, the use of GPS, and the honesty of athletes. She shares what she's learned from her fellow trail runners. She reminds her readers to continue to move forward.

"Don't be afraid of failure. Endurance is failure, after failure, after failure."

Can women outlast men? On the trails, that is... /via @oldrunningmom @JenPharrDavis @penguinrandom #running #runchat #endurance #FKT

Have you read "The Pursuit of Endurance"? It's a bargain for the Kindle on Amazon right now! Would you ever try to run or hike an ultradistance? Do you draw inspiration from stories like Pharr Davis'?

I'm linking up with Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness.