Download or read book Confessions of an Unlikely Runner written by Dana L. Ayers and published by Difference Press. This book was released on 2015-11-15 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Witty, observant, and full of cringe-worthy confessions and heartwarming encouragement, Confessions celebrates both running and life. Part Bridget Jones, part Forrest Gump, Dana Ayers chronicles her awkward mishaps and adventures in transitioning from childhood bookworm to accidental accomplished athlete. Over the last ten years, Ayers has completed a vast array of races. She runs them all while admittedly not getting much faster, much thinner, or much more disciplined-though she has managed to be on national television, split open her pants, and get electrocuted. Ayers intersperses her hilarious yet relatable struggles with insights about how and why she keeps running. A self-proclaimed ambassador of slow runners, Ayers has completed dozens of endurance challenges, including Tough Mudder, the Ragnar Relay, Muddy Buddy, Warrior Dash, Run Amuck, the Army Ten-Miler, the Country Music Marathon, and many more mud runs, obstacles courses, and races. Her race descriptions will entertain seasoned runners and non-runners alike. Woven into the chaos of her running adventures is compassionate reassurance for anyone who feels like they aren't fast enough, athletic enough, or strong enough to finish a tough race. Though told with humor, Confessions' stories share an underlying theme of Ayers' serious reverence for the sport of running and the running community. Ayers describes experiences such as participating in a 1,000-mile relay for Boston Marathon bombing victims, and being overcome by emotion while observing wounded veterans struggling to finish a race. Her stories prove how life-enriching it can be to physically fight for something and to cheer on others who are doing the same. For anyone who has considered trying a marathon, an obstacle race, or simply taking up running for the first time, Ayers is your ambassador. If she can do it, you can too.
Download or read book Confessions of an Unlikely Runner written by Dana Ayers and published by . This book was released on 2017-08-26 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Witty, observant, and full of cringe-worthy confessions and heartwarming encouragement, Confessions celebrates both running and life. Part Bridget Jones, part Forrest Gump, Dana Ayers chronicles her awkward mishaps and adventures in transitioning from childhood bookworm to accidental accomplished athlete. Over the last ten years, Ayers has completed a vast array of races. She runs them all while admittedly not getting much faster, much thinner, or much more disciplined--though she has managed to be on national television, split open her pants, and get electrocuted. Ayers intersperses her hilarious yet relatable struggles with insights about how and why she keeps running. A self-proclaimed ambassador of slow runners, Ayers has completed dozens of endurance challenges, including Tough Mudder, the Ragnar Relay, Muddy Buddy, Warrior Dash, Run Amuck, the Army Ten-Miler, the Country Music Marathon, and many more mud runs, obstacles courses, and races. Her race descriptions will entertain seasoned runners and non-runners alike. Woven into the chaos of her running adventures is compassionate reassurance for anyone who feels like they aren't fast enough, athletic enough, or strong enough to finish a tough race. Though told with humor, Confessions' stories share an underlying theme of Ayers' serious reverence for the sport of running and the running community. Ayers describes experiences such as participating in a 1,000-mile relay for Boston Marathon bombing victims, and being overcome by emotion while observing wounded veterans struggling to finish a race. Her stories prove how life-enriching it can be to physically fight for something and to cheer on others who are doing the same. For anyone who has considered trying a marathon, an obstacle race, or simply taking up running for the first time, Ayers is your ambassador. If she can do it, you can too.
Download or read book Ultramarathon Man written by Dean Karnazes and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-03-02 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In one of his most ambitious physical efforts to date, Dean Karnazes attempted to run 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days to raise awareness of youth obesity and urge Americans of all fitness levels to "take that next step." "UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons - 50 States - 50 Days", a Journeyfilm documentary, follows Dean’s incredible step-by-step journey across the country. Ultrarunning legend Dean Karnazes has run 262 miles-the equivalent of ten marathons-without rest. He has run over mountains, across Death Valley, and to the South Pole-and is probably the first person to eat an entire pizza while running. With an insight, candor, and humor rarely seen in sports memoirs (and written without the aid of a ghostwriter or cowriter), Ultramarathon Man has inspired tens of thousands of people-nonrunners and runners alike-to push themselves beyond their comfort zones and be reminded of "what it feels like to be truly alive," says Sam Fussell, author of Muscle. Ultramarathon Man answers the questions Karnazes is continually asked: - Why do you do it? - How do you do it? - Are you insane? And in the new paperback edition, Karnazes answers the two questions he was most asked on his book tour: - What, exactly, do you eat? - How do you train to stay in such good shape?
Download or read book A Most Unlikely Runner written by Mary McManus Msw and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2024-04-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The runner within Mary McManus was born in her imagination. When Mary received the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December, 2006, she knew she was at a crossroads in her life. She was told to prepare to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair and to leave her award-winning social work career if there were any hope of staving off the progressive nature of the disease. In February of 2007, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The answer to her prayer? A poem called "Running the Race" that foreshadowed her 2009 Boston Marathon run. In "A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior", Mary takes you through her magnificent journey of transformation with poetry and narrative that will uplift and inspire you. After a setback in 2021/2022 and, after a six year hiatus from participating in events, Mary set her sights on tackling the Bermuda Hills in the 2024 10K celebrating 17 years of healing, and her 70th birthday intent on sharing her powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities!
Download or read book Not Your Average Runner written by Jill Angie and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2017-12-29 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Run for fun—no matter your size, shape, or speed! Do you think running sucks? Do you think you’re too fat to run? With humor, compassion, and lots of love, Jill Angie explains how you can overcome the challenges of running with an overweight body, experience the exhilaration of hitting new milestones, and give your self-esteem an enormous boost in the process. This isn’t a guide to running for weight loss, or a simple running plan. It shows how a woman carrying a few (or many) extra pounds can successfully become a runner in the body she has right now. Jill Angie is a certified running coach and personal trainer who wants to live in a world where everyone is free to feel fit and fabulous at any size. She started the Not Your Average Runner movement in 2013 to show that runners come in all shapes, sizes, and speeds, and, since then, has assembled a global community of revolutionaries who are taking the running world by storm. If you would like to be part of the revolution, this is the book for you!
Download or read book Footnotes written by Vybarr Cregan-Reid and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2017-07-03 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vybarr Cregan-Reid's Footnotes: How Running Makes Us Human presents a meditation on running, nature, and the pursuit of freedom in the modern world. Running is not just a sport. It reconnects us to our bodies and the places in which we live, breaking down our increasingly structured and demanding lives. It allows us to feel the world beneath our feet, lifts the spirit, lets our minds out to play, and helps us to slip away from the demands of the modern world. When Vybarr Cregan-Reid set out to discover why running means so much to so many, he began a journey which would take him out to tread London’s cobbled streets, the boulevards of Paris, and down the crumbling alleyways of Ruskin’s Venice. Footnotes transports you to the deserted shorelines of Seattle, the giant redwood forests of California, and to the world’s most advanced running laboratories and research centers. Using debates in literature, philosophy, neuroscience, and biology, this book explores that simple human desire to run. Liberating and inspiring, Footnotes reminds us why feeling the earth beneath our feet is a necessary and healing part of our lives.
Download or read book 50 Marathons 50 Days written by Dean Karnazes and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultrarunning legend takes on the ultimate test of endurance: running 50 marathons in 50 days.
Download or read book Power Walk written by Patricia Vicary and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Power walking, also known as fitness or speed walking, is gaining popularity as an aging population looks for workout options that are good for their bodies and good for their wallets. This book includes expert tips and techniques for starting or expanding a power walking practice. Covering the author's journey from non-athlete to dedicated power walker, it is entertaining, motivational and jam-packed with information. Here, power walking practice is contextualized through the author's goal to complete a half marathon in each of the United States as she approaches 60 years old. The journey includes encounters with sketchy porta-potties and terrifying mini-planes, confessions of dubious road-trip food choices and tales of finish lines reached through sheer determination--all told with wit and wisdom. Part travelogue, part power walking guidebook, this engaging text will entertain, motivate and enlighten readers who are looking to start a fitness program or change up their workout routine.
Download or read book Running on Empty written by Marshall Ulrich and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-04-14 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 117 marathons, 52 days, 32 pairs of shoes, 57 years old: A fascinating glimpse inside the mind of an ultramarathon runner and the inspirational saga of his phenomenal journey running across America. The ultimate endurance athlete, Marshall Ulrich has run more than 100 foot races averaging over 100 miles each, completed 12 expedition-length adventure races, and ascended the Seven Summits - including Mount Everest - all on his first attempt. Yet his run from California to New York- the equivalent of running two marathons and a 10K every day for nearly two months straight - proved to be his most challenging effort yet. Featured in the recent documentary film, Running America, Ulrich clocked the 3rd fastest transcontinental crossing to date and set new records in multiple divisions. In Running on Empty, he shares the gritty backstory, including brushes with death, run-ins with the police, and the excruciating punishments he endured at the mercy of his maxed-out body. Ulrich also reached back nearly 30 years to when the death of the woman he loved drove him to begin running - and his dawning realization that he felt truly alive only when pushed to the limits. Filled with mind-blowing stories from the road and his sensational career, Ulrich's memoir imbues an incredible read with a universal message for athletes and nonathletes alike: face the toughest challenges, overcome debilitating setbacks, and find deep fulfillment in something greater than achievement Watch a Video
Download or read book A Farewell to Arms Legs Jockstraps written by Diane K. Shah and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2020-04-28 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Diane Shah was a boots-on-the-ground female sports reporter in the Cro-Magnon 1970s and brings it all back in this hilarious, well-crafted book.” —Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe sports columnist and New York Times bestselling author Strike fast, strike hard—whether it’s scoring a homerun or front-page news, Diane K. Shah, former sports columnist, knows how to grab the best story. In her memoir A Farewell to Arms, Legs, and Jockstraps, follow Diane’s escapades, from interviews with a tipsy Mickey Mantle, to sneaking into off-limits Republican galas, dining with Frank Sinatra, flying a plane with Dennis Quaid, and countless other adventures where she wields her tape recorder and a tireless drive for more. From skirting KGB agents while covering the Cold War Olympics to hunting down the three mechanical sharks starring in Jaws, Diane’s experiences are filled with real heart and a tongue-in-cheek attitude. An insightful look into the difficulties of navigating a male-dominated profession, A Farewell to Arms, Legs, and Jockstraps offers rich retellings and behind-the-scenes details of stories of a trailblazing career and the prejudices facing female sportswriters during the sixties and seventies. “Impossibly elegant, and the most fun ever. The only thing better than reading Diane K. Shah’s memoir was, I suppose, living it.” —Sally Jenkins, columnist and feature writer, Washington Post “Diane’s memoir is just like her columns—smart, funny, enlightening—just like her. Until reading it, I never really knew all the challenges she dealt with. She broke ground but never acted like it. I was lucky to work with the first female sports columnist in the country.” —Ken Gurnick, LA Dodgers correspondent for MLB.com
Download or read book A Runner s High written by Dean Karnazes and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2021-04-20 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A Runner’s High wakes up the appetite to run long distances. Dean takes us on a lifelong journey of ultramarathons, through the ups and downs, the friendships and lonely moments, and the struggles and rewards of each race. Dean writes in a direct and intimate way that keeps us reading like he runs—without stopping.”—Kilian Jornet, author of Above the Clouds and world champion ultramarathoner “A Runner's High is a powerful narrative on life, running and finding meaning through perseverance. Every runner should read this book.”— Jason Koop, Coach and bestselling author New York Times bestselling author and ultramarathoning legend Dean Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits, from running in the shoe melting heat of Death Valley to the lung freezing cold of the South Pole. He’s raced and competed across the globe and once ran 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 consecutive days. In A Runner’s High, Karnazes chronicles his extraordinary adventures leading up to his return to the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in his mid-fifties after first completing the race decades ago. The Western States, infamous for its rugged terrain and extreme temperatures, becomes the most demanding competition of Karnazes’s life, a physical and emotional reckoning and a battle to stay true to one’s purpose. Confronting his age, his career path, and his life choices, we see Karnazes as we never have before. For Karnazes, the running experience is about the runner and the trail. It is not the sum of achievements but a story that continues to be told each day, with each step. A Runner’s High is at once an endorphin-fueled adventure and a love letter to the sport from one of its most celebrated ambassadors that will leave both casual and serious runners cheering.
Download or read book Running Like a Girl written by Alexandra Heminsley and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-10-08 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The inspiring, hilarious memoir of a “Bridget Jones-like writer” (The Washington Post) who transforms her life by learning to run, with stories of miserable defeat, complete victory, and learning to choose the right shoes. When Alexandra Heminsley decided to take up running, she had hopes for a blissful runner’s high and immediate physical transformation. After eating three slices of toast with honey and spending ninety minutes creating the perfect playlist, she hit the streets—and failed spectacularly. The stories of her first runs turn on its head the common notion that we are all “born to run”—and exposes the truth about starting to run: it can be brutal. Running Like a Girl tells the story of getting beyond the brutal part, how Alexandra makes running a part of her life, and reaps the rewards: not just the obvious things, like weight loss, health, and glowing skin; but self-confidence and immeasurable daily pleasure, along with a new closeness to her father—a marathon runner—and her brother, with whom she ultimately runs her first marathon. But before her first marathon, she has to figure out the logistics of running: the intimidating questions from a young and arrogant sales assistant when she goes to buy her first running shoes, where to get decent bras for the larger bust, how not to freeze or get sunstroke, and what (and when) to eat before a run. She’s figured out what’s important (pockets) and what isn’t (appearance), and more. For any woman who has ever run, wanted to run, tried to run, or failed to run (even if just around the block), Heminsley’s funny, warm, and motivational personal journey from nonathlete extraordinaire to someone who has completed five marathons is inspiring, entertaining, practical, and fun.
Download or read book The Road to Sparta written by Dean Karnazes and published by Rodale. This book was released on 2016-10-25 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Road to Sparta is the story of the 153-mile run from Athens to Sparta that inspired the marathon and saved democracy, as told--and experienced--by ultramarathoner and New York Times bestselling author Dean Karnazes. In 490 BCE, Pheidippides ran for 36 hours straight from Athens to Sparta to seek help in defending Athens from a Persian invasion in the Battle of Marathon. In doing so, he saved the development of Western civilization and inspired the birth of the marathon as we know it. Even now, some 2,500 years later, that run stands enduringly as one of greatest physical accomplishments in the history of mankind. Karnazes personally honors Pheidippides and his own Greek heritage by recreating this ancient journey in modern times. Karnazes even abstains from contemporary endurance nutrition like sports drinks and energy gels and only eats what was available in 490 BCE, such as figs, olives, and cured meats. Through vivid details and internal dialogs, The Road to Sparta offers a rare glimpse into the mindset and motivation of an extreme athlete during his most difficult and personal challenge to date. This story is sure to captivate and inspire--whether you run great distances or not at all.
Download or read book Eat and Run written by Scott Jurek and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inspirational memoir by Scott Jurek, one of the finest ultrarunners in the world.
Download or read book Dream Runner written by Gail McFarland and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2008-05 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After an Olympic contender is injured in an automobile accident, a former NFL running back-turned-physical therapist works to heal not only her body, but her spirit as well. Original.
Download or read book North Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail written by Scott Jurek and published by Random House. This book was released on 2018-04-12 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2,200 miles. 47 days. One remarkable journey. In July 2015, ultramarathon legend Scott Jurek smashed the world record for running the Appalachian Trail, the sprawling mountain path that runs nearly the entire length of the United States. For nearly seven weeks straight, Jurek battled the elements to run, hike and stumble 50 miles every single day. A tale of mind-boggling physical exertion, pressure and endurance, North reveals the extraordinary lengths to which we can push our bodies and our minds. Instant New York Times Bestseller _____________ ‘Pure suspense, adventure, and inspiration . . . His story of plunging into the wilderness in pursuit of a dream is both heartwrenching and spellbinding.’ Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run ‘Probably America’s greatest ever ultrarunner.’ Guardian ‘Scott Jurek’s record-setting journey on the Appalachian Trail was the most punishing, most demanding, most gruelling feat I’ve ever personally witnessed . . . An immersive and engaging book.’ Aron Ralston, author of 127 Hours ‘I’m a huge fan . . . North is tremendous.’ Vassos Alexander, BBC Radio 2 ‘Undoubtedly the greatest ultrarunner of his generation.’ Independent
Download or read book Chicken Soup for the Soul Running for Good written by Amy Newmark and published by Chicken Soup for the Soul. This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether you want to get moving, or keep moving, you need inspiration. Novice walkers and seasoned runners alike will find that inspiration, and so much more, in these stories written by those who know that the toughest step to take in any walk or run is the first. Beginning an athletic pursuit like running or walking for fitness takes a good deal of motivation, determination, and inspiration, all of which can be found in these 101 real-life stories. Written by people who took that all-important, and elusive, first step, these stories will not only help readers get off the couch and get moving, but they’ll inspire even the most seasoned of athletes to keep moving. Coauthored by the famous ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes, who brings his own advice to readers, as well as stories from some of the best-known runners in the world.
