Sidy Diallo

Running Human Sidy Diallo

Humans are born to run barefoot to be happy and healthy, and strengthen our immune systems, which are our best defense against COVID-19 and future pandemics. Running is therefore a vital activity for our species. Luckily, contrary to popular belief, all humans are excellent long-distance runners, thanks to our hunter-gatherer heritage. Only the form has evolved: our ancestors practiced persistence hunting for about three million years to catch animals for food, while we must run marathons not only to prevent the chronic diseases which are yearly killing over 41 million people and destroying our immune systems, namely obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, dementia, depression, insomnia, stress, etc., but also to discard unnecessary or harmful needs, protect the environment, save natural resources and thus guarantee the survival of our species. It's also fortunate that running barefoot prevents pain, injury and fatigue, which makes running a very enjoyable experience, regardless of the distance of the run (10 km, 21 km, 42 km, 90 km, etc.), whereas when people run with sneakers, the longer the distance, the greater the risk of pain and injury will be, which explains why marathons and ultramarathons are less comfortable events for many runners. Sadly, too many humans have become irrational and physically inactive consumers who seek happiness and the meaning of life in risks factors for chronic diseases (alcohol, tobacco, medicines, illegal drugs, excess of food, etc.), which also fuel permanent frustration, air pollution and global warming. Moreover, our hunter-gatherer body is designed to store fat for later use when there's no food. This explains why the combination of humans' propensity to laziness and overeating with unrestricted access to food inevitably results in long-lasting overweight or obesity, so much so that even many doctors, culinary chefs, wealthy or powerful people are among the fat and obese. Furthermore, the chronic diseases gradually destroy the brain, the heart, the blood vessels, the lungs, the kidneys, the penis, the testicles, the joints, the immune system, etc. The damage increases with age and eventually trigger death, with or without COVID-19. "The microbe is nothing. The terrain is everything!" pointed out French scientist Claude Bernard. COVID-19 proves him right, because fit and healthy people who get infected by the coronavirus, regardless of their age, experience either very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. So, patients are dying from their chronic diseases, which keep killing nearly 3.5 million people every month. It's therefore about time to get rid rationally and for free of the risk factors for these chronic diseases, so that we prevent them from annihilating our immune systems, on which also depends the effectiveness of vaccines, since, contrary to popular belief, vaccines do not themselves confer any immunity. They just trigger an immune response, as microbes do, provided that the individual's immune system is not too weakened or destroyed, which happens to people with chronic diseases. You will find in this book detailed explanation on why and how we can efficiently take back control of our health and lives. It's based on my experience of 297 marathons and ultramarathons, in 88 countries over the seven continents-including 72 marathons in 2020-, and on my transformation from a gullible sedentary consumer into a rational barefoot runner for human survival. May it help you achieve the same positive transformation, so that you enjoy a healthier life, while saving a lot of money and significantly reducing air pollution, the depletion of natural resources and the global warming trend. Such a collective accomplishment will make us more social and blissful humans, improve our life quality and expectancy, and, at the same, enhance the survival chances of one of the most endangered animal species: Homo sapiens.