Book Review | Run Walk Crawl: Getting Fit In My Forties by Tim Lebbon

Run Walk Crawl: Getting Fit In My Forties is a nonfiction book by Tim Lebbon.

At forty-one I was overweight and unfit. As I turned 50 I was thirty pounds lighter, having spent my fifth decade training for, and racing multiple Ironmans, marathons, and other crazy adventures. This account of that fitness journey through my forties includes broken bones, severe chafing, regular cursing, rubber and lycra, an element of masochism ... and cake.

From New York Times-bestselling writer Tim Lebbon comes his first non-fiction book, charting his fitness journey through his forties––funny, hopefully inspiring, brutally honest, this is a book for anyone trying to get and stay fit, at whatever age!

Run Walk Crawl: Getting Fit In My Forties is written by horror author Tim Lebbon. Interestingly, Run Walk Crawl isn't the first running memoir I've read by an author in the horror community. Back in 2014 I read (and enjoyed) Chasing the Dragon: Running to Get High by Mark Matthews. I love reading running books - especially memoir style - so I was excited to curl up and read about Tim Lebbon's fitness journey.

Run Walk Crawl is about more than just running. Since Tim Lebbon is an Ironman - the focus is on swimming, running, and biking. I loved that. I'm not very familiar with triathlon swimming, and I'm certain now I want to keep it that way! The washing machine of kicks and punches sounds pretty terrible to me.

This isn't a training book or a diet book so it's not one to pick up if you are looking for guidance or training plans on how to get fit in your forties (although you may get inspired). It's much more of a memoir style book with Lebbon walking the reader through his journey to get fit through his forties. If you love reading this style of book from athletes (like I do!), this is a great one to pick up. Lebbon is down to earth and perfectly touches on the best way to get fit - finding the thing you love that makes you move.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★
4/5 stars

Book Review | Run to the Finish by Amanda Brooks

Run to the Finish: The Everyday Runner's Guide to Avoiding Injury, Ignoring the Clock, and Loving the Run by Amanda Brooks is a nonfiction book about running. I'm telling you guys - books about running have the longest titles ever.

Inspiration and practical tips for runners who prioritize enjoyment over pace and embrace their place as an "average" runner

In her first book, popular runner blogger Amanda Brooks lays out the path to finding greater fulfillment in running for those who consider themselves "middle of the pack runners" -- they're not trying to win Boston (or even qualify for Boston); they just want to get strong and stay injury-free so they can continue to enjoy running.

Run to the Finish is not your typical running book. While it is filled with useful strategic training advice throughout, at its core, it is about embracing your place in the middle of the pack with humor and learning to love the run you've got without comparing yourself to other runners. Mixing practical advice like understanding the discomfort vs. pain, the mental side of running, and movements to treat the most common injuries with more playful elements such as "Favorite hilarious marathon signs" and "Weird Thoughts We all Have at the Start Line," Brooks is the down-to-earth, inspiring guide for everyone who wants to be happier with their run.

Last month I dnf'ed a judgmental running book within the first few pages, and I'm so happy to have picked up Run to the Finish instead. If you run, you are a runner. Full stop. In Run to the Finish, Amanda Brooks acknowledges that on the bell curve of running capabilities, most of us are going to fall somewhere in the middle.

What I absolutely love about this book is it shows the mindset of a runner. Runners are such great people, and I think she nails the passion and the lack of judgment that you will find with the majority of runners.

It took me a while to figure out who this book was intended for. At first I thought it was for someone who was considering becoming a runner. I felt like the first 10% was spent convincing me to become a runner even though I already was one. But then the next 20% made running sound so painful I felt like the people she convinced to run in the first chapter would already be ready to quit!

Thankfully she mentioned running isn't actually supposed to hurt before she dove into injuries and prevention.

In the second half of the book, she took a look at training plans and gave advice on nutrition, clothing, etiquette, and more for race day.

I love that the author is passionate about running and is sharing her experience and knowledge with anyone interested in being a runner. I think the best audience for this book is probably the beginning runner who is looking for insight into what it means and what it takes to be a runner or the runner who would like some insight into entering road races.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review | Inside a Marathon: An All-Access Pass to a Top-10 Finish at NYC by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario

Inside a Marathon: An All-Access Pass to a Top-10 Finish at NYC is a nonfiction book by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario.

Inside a Marathon gives readers an all-access pass into the mind of a coach and an athlete as they work together to prepare for one of the world's most prestigious races, the New York City Marathon. Follow along from two different perspectives as Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario share all of the highs and lows over the course of the 18 weeks leading into NYC. Fauble and Rosario take an unprecedented dive into what exactly goes into professional marathon training, and they tell a compelling story along the way.

I know this feels like a pretty random review for my blog, but I have two reasons for wanting to post it. 1) I'm trying to get in a habit of reviewing every book that I read. 2) I really loved it so I want to put some thoughts out into the world.

I think the best way to explain what this book is about is to pull this paragraph from the chapter 1:

"That brings us to what this book is—in the simplest terms, this book is a training log. It’s a record of the training that is going to happen between this moment, as I sit in a coffee shop after absolutely inhaling a burrito, to November 4, when I cross the finish line of the New York City Marathon. While “training log” may be an accurate description of this book, my hope is that it is not sufficient to describe what follows. My hope is that the word, “journal,” better describes the contents of the following pages. So with the goal of sharing the most complete record of this season possible, I have decided to partner with my coach/friend/designer of the semi-regular suffering that informs my life, Ben Rosario. We’re going to be sharing this journey with you as authentically, completely, and accurately as possible."

Each chapter of the book is broken in half with one half being a journal from coach Ben Rosario and the other half being a journal from runner Scott Fauble. I have to admit to completely geeking out over both the idea of this book and the execution. I imagine this book was a ton of work (at over 450 pages), but I would kill for them to do it again through the Olympic Trials this year (and dare we say Olympic Games).

I'm not sure how wide of an audience this book is meant for, but if you are interested or geeking out in any way, I highly recommend it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/5 stars

And since I have a strong habit of not reviewing any of the nonfiction books that I have read, some other running books I have loved include:

• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
• 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- And How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance! by Dean Karnazes with Matt Fitzgerald
• Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman

One thing I know for sure: running books have long titles!