The Worst Hard Time

No, that's not a description of a race; it's the title of the amazing book I just finished by Timothy Egan. It's a story of the great American dust bowl of the 1930s, the ecological disaster of plowing up the native prairie, and the people who lived through it all. While there is absolutely nothing in the book pertaining to running, there is a lot about human endurance, suffering, and faith. While driving through this area en route to climbing the high points of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas last summer/autumn, I wondered in amazement how people could live in places such as Guymon, Oklahoma; Liberal, Kansas; and Lamar, Colorado, dust bowl towns all. The author does a good job of answering that question. If you think you're having a bad day/week/race, read this book and your perspective will change--I guarantee it!