Though we all run at different paces, I think it is fair to say we all have at least some level of curiosity regarding the fastest among us, those who complete at an Olympic level. Depending on the races you attend, there is often even a chance to see one at a race, or even line up at the same starting line. Being able to read a book, such as ‘Abdi’s World, by Abdi Abdirahman,…
If you’re already reading Run Oregon, chances are you already have some interest in running or walking, but how would you rate your fitness? Are you out of service after your long run or feel incredibly sore after attempting hill repeats? And let’s not even get into how we handle stress! Feel-Good Fitness by Alysia Montaño is a friendly, approachable guide to raise your fitness foundation. The book starts out with a short, honest and…
The following has been submitted by Run Oregon reader, Brian James Siddons – Runner, Writer, Poet. We’ve all been there on race day. Plans made, gun goes off and instantly our brain becomes a balloon let loose at the fair. Thoughts we had prepared for weeks, maybe months, to succeed on race day are dispersed to the wind, as is our only chance for success. Holding back at the start of a distance race is…
When a book on the shelf matches one of your sayings, well obviously it needs to be bought, read, and written about. And this quick, informative read did not disappoint that decision. In Running is my Therapy, the author Scott Douglas uses a balanced mix of personal story, conversations with friends, interviews with professional athletes, and data from studies to explore the psychological benefits of running. Throughout the book, he includes caveats that running…
https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/sites/watchungbooksellers.com/files/runninghomekatiearnold.jpg Although I cannot say that I wasn’t warned going into this book about the emotions involved, I still had to set it aside a few times to give myself some space to process what the author was going through. Katie Arnold’s running memoir Running Home is broken up into three main sections: Leavings, Shadows, and Upward. On the front cover of the book, you’re warned that the story is going to involve the death…
I’m a self-proclaimed nerd and runner, so when a book about running the Boston Marathon comes out, it practically clicks itself into my cart on Amazon. Becoming Boston Strong is about Amy Noelle Roe’s experience as an unemployed journalist looking for some purpose in life. And deciding that training for a marathon could be that purpose. She goes through many of the traditional running experiences along the way: Joining a training group where other runners…
In February 2010, after a “come to Jesus” moment with the scale late one night, I joined a gym and a few months later participated in my first 5K: the Starlight Run. Along the way of becoming a runner, I knew I needed information. And I knew that I didn’t want to follow any diet plans or guidebooks since they all seemed to contradict one another (just this week I saw an article about how…
If you enjoy checking out Run Oregon’s bookshelf, surely you remember our review of the book Running Out, a novel set in the Canadian wilderness where an experienced ultrarunner is literally running to save his family. (If not, check it out here.) Well: big news … the author, Dave Essinger, will be in town next week and on Thursday, March 28, he will be at the Foot Traffic Downtown Group Run, and then doing a…
If you run marathons–especially if you’re new to the distance–you should definitely read the book 26 Marathons: What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career. I’m sure you’ve heard of Meb Keflezighi, who more often just goes by “Meb.” He’s won the Boston Marathon, the New York Marathon, and earned a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Marathon. Yes, his racing weight is a mere 121 pounds, sub-5:00 miles are…
This is a book about a runner, or rather, a runner’s wife. This is also a book about mental health and mental illness, relationships, and love. Life is a Marathon: A Memoir of Love and Endurance is by Matt Fitzgerald, an author whose name has become synonymous with triathlon and running nutrition and training. (We’ve reviewed many of his books right here on the blog, including Racing Weight.) And while those sports play a major…
