49 pages • 1 hour read
Running with Sherman
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Chapters 9-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 9 Summary: “Donkey Tao”
Reflecting on Sherman’s fear of the puddle, McDougall realizes that the race will require Sherman to cross two different creeks in potentially wild conditions. He develops his own approach to Sherman’s training, which is based off the Tao-like approach he took when meeting Mika.
McDougall realizes he must remove his desire for a rapid training schedule with Sherman, instead working with Sherman on the donkey’s terms. Taking Tanya’s advice to “make Sherman believe everything is his idea” (89), McDougall makes use of his exuberant goat, Chili Dog, and the assistance of Mika to induce Sherman to cross a creek in order to keep up with Chili Dog. Happy for Sherman and pleased with the success of his method, McDougall names his new philosophy “Donkey Tao” (99).
Chapter 10 Summary: “Bag Man”
Tanya shows up, giving McDougall further insights on the scope of his training. Since Sherman was neglected, she explains, he does not “know how to be a donkey” (104) Tanya brings another donkey, Flower, to teach him natural behaviors, as donkeys are herd animals.
While jogging, Sherman tests McDougall, drifting ever closer to the far side of the road to cut McDougall off and make an escape, but McDougall does not realize what is happening. Tanya firmly instructs McDougall that he must be a better leader and inspire trust in Sherman. When Flower disappears down the road, Sherman makes to turn back for home, but McDougall applies himself and coaxes Sherman further down the road. Flower is put off by the creeks around them, but Sherman is relaxed and McDougall is ecstatic that Sherman ran a full mile. Tanya suspects Sherman has much more to reveal.
Chapter 11 Summary: “Wild Thing”
A month later, McDougall, Sherman, Tanya, and Flower have a set routine of three runs a week, but they have fallen into a rut, as Flower is afraid of a certain waterfall, truncating their route. Sherman’s personality is beginning to show in his exuberant sprints on dirt roads and his play while training. While watching Sherman nipping at a farm cat, McDougall recognizes a sense of “play” (118) in Sherman’s behavior and realizes that an important part of motivating Sherman on the runs is to inspire his sense of play. To do that, McDougall needs the help of Vella Shpringa, the sole Amish running club in existence.
Chapter 12 Summary: “The Zipperless Guide to Better Living”
McDougall introduces Amos King, an Amish roofer who tried a 5K run and was hooked. When he meets with two Mennonites to continue to train, they are doubtful King will follow through. McDougall describes the cultural sundering of the Amish from the Mennonites.
The Mennonites were once a single maverick Christian denomination led by Menno Simons in the Netherlands, but an ideological split saw the decidedly orthodox Amish community, led by John Ammon, spurn the Mennonites and all others. The Amish began relying solely on themselves, while the Mennonites kept their agricultural roots and their deep faith, but sought to interact with the wider laity.
McDougall relates how he reevaluated his assumptions about the community after his Amish neighbor, Sam, requested some World War II espionage novels as guilty-pleasure reading. The Amish purportedly live healthier, longer lives, and are fundamentally happier societies than the rest of America. McDougall recognizes that Amish culture is oppressive, but Sam encourages him to think of what it allows, in the sense that its rules and restrained way of living craft a healthier and happier life. McDougall here sees “the difference between rules that hold you back and rules that help you grow” (128).
Chapters 9-12 Analysis
The ninth chapter sees McDougall developing his own approach to forming a connection with Sherman and The Restorative Power of Connecting with Animals. McDougall uses Tanya’s insights as a foundation while tying them to the personal philosophy he adopted from a movie, which essentially relies on principles of Taoism: detachment, compassion, patience, removal of ego. This is the second time McDougall has had to check his own desires for those of Sherman, illustrating the first step of the process—the removal of ego—and depicting McDougall’s dedication to following the process in helping Sherman heal.
Chapter 10 reveals the expansion of Sherman’s herd with the addition of Flower, who will later prove pivotal to Sherman’s success. The chapter also considers a wider consideration of what composes a herd. Tanya helps McDougall recognize that he is also part of Sherman’s herd, and has a vital role to play—that of a trusted leader. Tanya again emphasizes Sherman’s emotional and psychological perspective, asking McDougall to return his thoughts to this all-important point. The sheer physicality of donkeys becomes apparent as Sherman casually uses his body to lead McDougall off the road, but it also introduces another need: the need to learn from one another physically as well as emotionally.
Sherman’s discovery of play in Chapter 11 is a big step forward, with the natural play that animals have being another facet of proper healing. McDougall’s recognition of the play in Sherman’s eye is another progressive step for McDougall, as he is learning to read even subtle aspects of Sherman’s demeanor with increasing sophistication. Sherman’s redefining of his position within the training scheme is another big step, as Sherman is gaining agency and a sense of self, moving away from the neglected and abused being that he was. This agency is important for Sherman, as it gives him confidence to continue his training and a depth of will which he can draw from in times of stress and despair. Sherman’s gradual adaptation to his training and its positive effects upon him reflect The Therapeutic Aspect of Sport.
The twelfth chapter illustrates the wider cultural community around the farm. The story introduces a union across two ideological boundaries, the Amish and the Mennonites, presenting a portrait of a community working together despite differences. McDougall attempts to normalize the Amish way of living, but argues with himself throughout the chapter about the tangible benefits and negative realities of Amish culture. Calling the Amish “goal-oriented” (128), McDougall recharacterizes his understanding of the cultural community around him.
McDougall touches upon The Role of Animals in Modern Society by reflecting on how the Amish’s interrelationship with animals has continued uninterrupted to the present day. This continuing emphasis on the traditional human-animal bond enables the Amish to maintain skills they treasure. McDougall reflects upon the difference between “[r]ules that hold you back and rules that help you grow” (128), wondering if some of the Amish “rules” are actually liberating for some of the adherents. McDougall is looking at discipline in a different way, one which will help him focus on training much in the same way that Sherman’s new agency allows him to do his own part.
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