Dawn Dais hated running. And it didn't like her much, either. Her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? It was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon.
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women is a fun training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless. It opens with a realistic training schedule and is chock-full of how-to's, quizzes, and funny observations, which Dais felt were lacking in the guides she had consulted.
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women also integrates entries from Dias' journal, sharing everything would-be marathoners need to know about the gear, the blisters, the early morning workouts, the late-night carb binges, and — most important of all — the amazing rewards.
Anyone can do a marathon. This book just makes the experience a little more bearable and a lot more fun.
My thoughts:
I bought this book as part of my own Mother's Day gift. Even though I have been running for nine months, I still have a hard time seeing myself as a runner. I've done races, most recently a half marathon and registered for a full marathon for fall, but I felt like I needed something to motivate and encourage me. This book did. Dawn started running with the goal of running a marathon. She trained for four or five months and completed her marathon, albeit with some walking. Her writing is funny and encouraging at the same time. I do not think that I would aim for a marathon without having some running experience first, but many people do and a lot of it is in your head and in your preparation. If she could go from the couch to 26.2, there is no reason i can't get from my current long distance of 13.1 to 26.2 in five months.
I did get a little tired of her going on about losing her knee caps, what does that even mean? I understand aches and pains, I've had those, but I never described it as losing a body part. One thing that is going to stay in my head is her quote, that I should look up to make sure it is accurate, that Oprah finished a marathon in 4:30. That was my goal based on my half marathon time. I feel like if Oprah could do it, then I should too, and I know going into the my first time I should just focus on finishing and feel good. Any time with be a PR and I can focus on getting faster in the future, but the competitive part of me wants to finish it strong and with a good time for me.
This book was good at putting the journey in perspective in a humorous way and has, for now at least, motivated me to start journaling on my other blog about the experience. You can check out my latest thoughts on running here.
Product Details
- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Seal Press; 1 edition (January 3, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1580052053
- ISBN-13: 978-1580052054
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