Books about running

[Stephen_UK]

Sorry for starting two threads today but thought this newspaper article (Guardian, 03/07/19) might be of interest.

Do you recommend any of these?

Have they missed your favourite? If so, what is it?

(Can’t find an online version, hence the photo.)

[Hidden]

Born to Run is a great book! Someone bought me Feet in the clouds, I was really enjoying it, but because I had my head in the clouds, I left it on a train... I'm currently reading The Ghost Runner... it's good. amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Runner-T...

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, Clubber. Hope you’re well. I’m going to try to track down and read some of these.

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate in reply to Hidden]

Born to Run is amazing ...it makes me want to head off to the hills, and run and run and run

[backintime Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

This has been mentioned so many times that I just bought it to read on holiday

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Looking forward to reading your book about running for over 65's Floss, any idea when it will be published.?

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Is this really happening? Would love to hear more about this.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Stephen_UK]

Oldfloss mentioned a few weeks ago that she was or considering writing a book about her own running experiences and generally running 🏃 for over 65's, ha, not sure if that was true or just joking. 😊.

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Thanks, Al. I would certainly snap up any book of poetic reflections on running by Oldfloss.

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate in reply to AlMorr]

No... it is written ...journey so far!

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate in reply to AlMorr]

End of the year I hope !

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Fabulous. Will you tell is when it’s ready?

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate in reply to Stephen_UK]

I will

[Debston Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

You know we're all going to be wanting signed copies!

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to Debston]

Exactly!

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate in reply to Debston]

Ha ha

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Could be a nice Christmas 🤶 🎄 present for some runners.

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate in reply to AlMorr]

For folk you don't like??? Xxx

[Hidden in reply to Oldfloss]

😲 I want one! I NEED one! Absolutely outstanding! 💗

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Well said!

[SlowLoris]

I enjoyed Born to Run. The author does a Ted Talk as well if anyone wants the gist of it.

[Macmac Graduate10]

Born to Run was good. Eat and Run by Scott Jurek was also a good read. Ultra marathonman by Dean Karnazes is also highly regarded although I have not read it yet.

[misswobble Graduate10 in reply to Macmac]

I love Scott Jurek one! Eat and run. Sums me up 😁. Dean K one is good too. I’ve read a few of his. He used to get pizzas delivered to street corners but I think he modified his eating habits later

Born to Run was ok. There are loads of boring ones though so I read the reviews first 😃

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate]

Born to run...it is fantastic

[Debston Graduate10]

Just finished Born to Run, it's amazing. Currently reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. I love Murakami and I had no idea he's a runner as well as a writer! It's well worth a read but I wish it was longer, I don't want it to end! I haven't read any of the others yet but I have got Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner ready to take on holiday with me. I also really enjoyed reading Running Like a Girl, funny and entertaining but also very informative and useful.

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to Debston]

There have been so many good comments about Born to Run and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running that I am going to have to buy them both.

Edit: just ordered the latter on eBay.

[Hidden in reply to Stephen_UK]

You can have my Born to Run book... It's got a lot of coffee stains on it, jam, wine, beans, maybe just buy a new one.

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

That’s a very kind offer. Sounds like you’ve been using it as a plate!

[Hidden in reply to Stephen_UK]

😂

[Hidden in reply to Stephen_UK]

Lovely book by murakami

[Franglaise Graduate10 in reply to Debston]

I really enjoyed running like a girl...going to look at born to run now on these recommendations....thanks vrbs.

[Sadie-runs Graduate10 in reply to Debston]

I loved it too. He is such a beautiful writer and this one was so quietly reflective. 😍

[TailChaser Graduate10]

I’m currently about a third of the way through Born to Run. It has inspired me to put Chia seeds on my shopping list and make Iskiate for my next long run 😁 I’ve also investigated the undulating canyons of the Sierra del Madre and the mountains of Colorado on Google Earth. I’ve also read the Wikipedia bios of most of the runners so far and I want to be Ann Trason! If I wasn’t on holiday I’d still be reading it in a year’s time as it keeps distracting me to investigate other things.

This book is the main reason why I haven’t written a Parkrun report today yet!!

So yes, I recommend it but don’t expect to do much else whilst your reading it!

[JaoJao Graduate10]

Great post Stephen UK, I’ve heard of a couple from that list but I’ve brought a couple books not on that list.

Running: Cheaper than Therapy

Parkrun: not just a run in the park

Paula Radcliffe - how to run

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to JaoJao]

Thanks, JaoJao. I never knew there was a Parkrun book. What’s it like?

[JaoJao Graduate10 in reply to Stephen_UK]

I haven’t started reading it in earnest, i just finished the first book which was hilarious! You can download a sample of the Parkrun book on kindle and get a feel for it. The first couple sections talks about the history of it, which is fine but I am more interested in later sections that are relevant to my Parkrun experience. It’s priced at £10.00. I think some of the proceeds must go to Parkrun so I don’t mind.

[Stephen_UK Graduate10 in reply to JaoJao]

Thanks. I have added it to my list, which is getting quite long.

[Sadie-runs Graduate10]

I loved the Murakami (What I talk About When I Talk About Running)! Other favourites include the two books by Alexander Vassos, and Just a Little Run Around the World by Rosie Swale Pope - an amazing tale! Born to Run was very interesting. 😁👍

[JaoJao Graduate10 in reply to Sadie-runs]

Do you listen to the Parkrun podcast, Alexander Vassos hosts that xx

[Sadie-runs Graduate10 in reply to JaoJao]

Oh no, not heard of that, but will look it up, thanks! He seems like such a nice guy. 👍

[Gwenllian1 Graduate10]

I also like Running Kind by Christine Stovell. The writer is about sixty now and a regular half marathon runner. It's the story of how she took up running in her thirties when her first marriage broke up and how she continued. Really interesting and quite inspiring.

[Rowers Graduate10]

I have got Feet in the Clouds on Kindle following recommendations wlsewherr but not read it yet. I've read Running with the Kenyans though, Scott Jurek's book on running the Appalachian trail (North) and There is no map in hell by Steve Birkinshaw (on running the Wainwrights). My choice has been influenced by my interest in mountain exploits!

[Xylem]

I love Murakami’s what I talk about when I talk about running. I read it years and years ago when it first came out and I was first inspired to run and then for various reasons... didn’t. Re-read it recently and understand it much better now that I do run!

I am currently reading the historian Ian Mortimer’s Why Running Matters and enjoying it so far.

I’d like to read more by women so will be looking up some of the suggestions above, thanks!

I also just read Bryony Gordon’s Eat, Drink , Run. It is much more about mental health and meeting prince harry than about running (although she does do the London marathon at the end) and is very much in her style. If you like her columns/other books then go for it, if not then it might take some getting used to!

[misswobble Graduate10]

There’s a tiny kindle read for 99p “No Run Intendedl. It’s a women’s book i’d Say but it’s funny 😁. Hannah Phillips

It’s about the author’s very first steps into running 😁

[Oldgal68]

I loved Askwith’s Feet in the Clouds, especially when he talks about running downhill. Some of the really fast fell runners are so good at it that they are described as practically flying! Aaaand if running up or down mountains is your thing then Robert Macfarlane’s Mountains of the Mind is a fascinating account of mountaineering history, with Simon Ingram’s Between the Sunset and the Sea giving a very readable account of sixteen British mountains. Sorrry got carried away from the topic a bit, lol! Case of those who can’t do, read!!

[pennyowen2019 Graduate10]

Jog On: How Running Saved My Life by Bella Mackie was brilliant. Great book about the benefits of running on mental health.