Running with Sherman

In relating the stories of Barb and Lynzi in Chapter 21, McDougall is taking aim at gendered assumptions toward burro racing, particularly given the size and physicality of the animals involved. Lynzi’s story initially positions her as exceptionally weak and fragile in order to underscore her later victory and emphasize her triumph. It also serves to build Mika’s character more, promoting her beyond mere external support and positioning her as being as capable of winning the race as the others are. McDougall’s doubts in Chapter 24 about the ability of Karin and Linda to wrangle the donkeys on their own reinforces the point: The women are more than capable and control the situation with ease.

Lynzi’s story is particularly familiar in terms of its arc, as several digressionary stories in Running with Sherman follow the same pattern: an outwardly weak and wounded character is reinvigorated through sport, usually burro racing or running, and goes on to achieve lasting victory. The reason for the prevalence of this story throughout the work is to create a thematic echo of Sherman’s story, and to reinforce the “movement-as-medicine” (58) theory and The Therapeutic Aspect of Sport that McDougall favors.

Chapter 22 highlights a central motif in the memoir: the importance of mentorship (See: Symbols & Motifs). Once Sherman arrives at his farm, McDougall is constantly searching for the right mentorship to help Sherman advance on his path to health and marathon running. This acquisition of knowledge leads to successes with Sherman and propels the narrative forward, but it also has a personal effect on McDougall, who grows increasingly able to communicate with Sherman and the other donkeys. Once McDougall has his revelation about needing to step up and lead and begin working on himself, a similar thing happens to Zeke and Mika. Each of them acquires philosophy and training methods that best fit them, and in doing so, they tighten up the overall strength and abilities of their team. Mika’s use of Krissy Moehl’s notion of having fun at the race, rather than trying to competitively win, is quite similar to McDougal’s notion of discarding the ego as well.

Chapter 23 features two more incidents of adversity, one at the beginning and one at the end, to mark the end of the training narrative and to initiate the build-up to the race. McDougall’s injury does not seem to prevent too much training and, in the end, even empowers him: In altering his method with Flower, McDougall experiences a profound revelation—he learns to share the experience with Flower, removing his directing intelligence and embracing a state without desire. This is the return of the Tao, once again, the letting go of ego, and it allows McDougall to become part of a unit, rather than experience the run as a selfish being.

Chapter 24 is the first time McDougall addresses the political divide in America, and he does so in order to illustrate how care for a common cause—in this case, the welfare of animals—can bridge such a divide, adding another dimension to The Restorative Power of Connecting with Animals. He explores how a common ground of compassion can form between two ideological groups, particularly those that exist in contemporary America. During his trip with Karin and Linda, McDougall is offered a final piece of advice by Karin, who assures him that Sherman is not being stubborn, but is instead afraid (288). Her suggestion of viewing Sherman’s behavior through what is psychologically motivating that behavior is not entirely new, as it is the same method Temple Grandin proposes and McDougall practices. Nevertheless, having had his moment of communion with Flower in the previous chapter, this message appears to resonate even more deeply with McDougall.