Caballo Blanco, or “White Horse” in Spanish, is somewhat of an iconic figure in circles of minimalist and ultra runners. Micah True (his real name), was the outside world’s only connection into a unique tribe of ultrarunners called the Tarahumara who have been practicing the art of running minimally over hundreds of miles of rough terrain. True put all his effort into keeping this tribe’s tradition of “running free” alive by organizing the annual Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon where some of the best ultrarunners in the world would travel to a remote spot in Mexico to compete against the tribesmen. He is famed through Christopher McDougall’s book Born To Run which I highly recommend everyone read if they get chance. True was a man of principal who preached the art of running free and embracing the happiness of life. This passage from the book captures True’s philosophy:
“Don’t fight the trail. Take what it gives you … Think easy, light, smooth and fast. You start with easy because if that’s all you get, that’s not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless, like you don’t give a sh*t how high the hill is or how far you’ve got to go. When you’ve practiced that so long that you forget you’re practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won’t have to worry about the last one — you get those three, and you’ll be fast.”
Caballo went for his last run this past Friday when he left for a routine 12-miler and never returned. Reporters say that he was found Saturday on the trail beneath the trees as if he was merely taking a nap. He died doing what he loved most. True left an imprint on the world through his philosophies and teachings that will be felt by many.
