The Ultimate Runner Review

I don't know if you're like me...  

That you wish that you could read more than one book at a time, or even better, that you could read without falling asleep.  I definitely wish I could do these things.  

You see, I should have started The Ultimate Runner months ago (it has been sitting on my night-stand and even traveled to China and back with me...).  It's a great mix of short stories, written by everyday runners, expert runners and every type runner in between.  Some run to gain fitness.  Some run towards recovery.  Some, like me, run for charity.

I have to admit, at first, I wasn't hooked.  I didn't identify with the first few stories.  But then, I did.  And I was.  In fact, I was so hooked that I stole away.  I neglected.  I was in tears (and I'm no crier).  I laughed out loud.  I turned down pages, marked paragraphs and identified.  These are my favorite excerpts:

... that running transitioned from a lifestyle to a spiritual experience.

I felt connected to the world and at peace with it when I ran, as I did at no other time.

It was meditative, a time when I relaxed and drifted into an almost out-of-body, runner's-high state.

I learned to sort out the stresses of the day and leave problems behind...  

Why Do I Run?  by Joanne Hirase-Stacey, pg. 52

And

... And I run because I can.  

Why Do I Run?  by Joanne Hirase-Stacey, pg. 64

And

... Every one of us has our own finish-line tape.  In our minds, we have each formulated our own goal for this mission: to simply finish feeling strong, to cut time from our last marathon, a PR, or to quietly honor a cause or person who needs support.  Our tape is personal, woven from the fabric of our dreams, or reality, our own truth.  Breaking our symbolic tape can be an incredibly meaningful moment -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Breaking Your Own Tape  by Marcia Puryear, pg.35

If you or someone you know like to be inspired, then this book is for you.  Runners and non-runners alike can take away from this lifting and imaginative collection.  All can learn from the Must-Know Info section in the back:  Stretching, Distance/Race Training, Listening To Your Body/Training Theory, Nutrition, Resistance Training and Injury/Now What.  Find it at  Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders.

Or check out The Runners' Lounge Blog or The Ultimate Runner.

Cheers and it's a beautiful day for a run!  

Brooke

*I was asked to review this book.  The opinions are mine.