Sacramento Running News

Micah True (AKA Caballo Blanco)

In the days immediately following the death of Micah True (AKA Caballo Blanco), there was much written about the man and the mystique.

In contrast to all the hype, reporter Barry Bearak has a beautifully written article in yesterday’s New York Times, that is well worth the read.

Since Born to Run was published, I don’t think I’ve read much of anything surrounding the legend of Micah True/Caballo Blanco that wasn’t groaning under the weight of a canyon-full of hyperbole.

It turns out, we learn from Bearak’s piece, that Micah True’s true name was Michael Randall Hickman and he was born and raised in Northern California. These details matter, because we owe True the respect of remembering him as a person–even if to most of us he was the legendary running phantom, Caballo Blanco, of the book Born to Run.

Bearak weaves together True’s biography with the story of his disappearance and the search for him by the many people he’d inspired and befriended in the ultrarunning scene.

In the biographical details, Bearak makes particular note of the difficulty True had with the fame resulting from his being the main character in a best selling book.

Becoming the central character in a best-selling book is a monumental life-changer, especially if it happens unwittingly to a man who made a sacrament of living simply. A thousand conflicting feelings eddied in his head.

The book was flattering, surely. But that itself was a source of unease. True did not see himself as anywhere near so eccentric and amazing. He oftentimes felt two forces were in a tug of war for his identity: Was he the person inside his own skin or the person inside the pages of “Born to Run”?

Read Bearak’s article. As I mentioned, it’s a beautiful piece.

And if you haven’t already, read Born to Run. It is a bit hyperbolic but still a terrific read. If Chris McDougall doesn’t exactly capture the reality of ultrarunning, he does a good job of capturing the thrilling aspect of the sport–and maybe the spirit of what we’d like it to be.

And then when you’re all done with the reading, find someplace nice where you can go for a long run and write your own adventure.