Reading Rainbow

I love buying books, and I blame LeVar Burton.

On several occasions over the last month, I have wandered into Page One and thrown down my credit card for a couple of great Gobi (and running related) reads. I am strong believer in preparing for vacation by buying books about the place and people that I will be visiting. Normally, it's the buying that is important; the reading tends to be secondary, often happening on the plane ride back from the exotic spot I've just visited. See Kathryn's trips to Cambodia, Japan, and India for reference.

This time though, in light of my significantly reduced social life, I'm actually going to be well read BEFORE I get to my destination. Plus who can afford to carry a book's extra weight on their back for seven days?

So far my recommendations are:

1) Foreign Devils on the Silk Road

Great history of the British, French, Russian and Japanese adventurers who rediscovered and pillaged the lost Buddhist cities of the Taklamakhan desert.

2) Fixing your Feet

How to book for managing all the aches and pains associated with your feet.

3) Night Train to Turkistan

New recommendation from one of my clients- just got this one.

4) What I Talk About When I Talk About Running- My latest purchase

Murakami's personal memoir about the impact of running on his life

5) Walking the Gobi- On my wish list

Helen Thayer's memoir of her three month trip across the Gobi- makes me glad I'm only going for 7 days!

After reading all these guides, I'm finally beginning to realize just how treacherous this trip is going to be (or at least how bad it was in the 19th century)... Too Bad LeVar didn't have an episode about how to prep for a multiday ultramarathon- maybe I'd be in better shape if he had. Time to head back to Protrek and Chamonix to finish getting my gear.

More on this later...