Sports
I’m not a runner. At least not currently one so how a book about running could hook me in was pleasantly surprising. Our author, Mark Atkinson, takes us on his running journey from his first short run to joining the 100 Marathon Club. With tongue in cheek humour he is upfront about his not quite perfect health in the beginning and the humour stays with…
…us throughout the book as we experience the training, runs, and races that he goes through, learning tips and new experiences along the way so that we in effect learn with him.
By the end we see Mark’s races get longer and more arduous and with better times, a testament to the dedication involved and yet even for the less athletically inclined the book never at any point feels alienating. It’s all very approachable and the up-front and honest advice helps to keep that down to earth feeling, whether it’s talking about the sweaty mess you might become while crossing the finish line or the urge to go to the toilet while running. With all of that realistic talk though we are boosted along with feelings of achievement and it all goes a long way to make the average person feel that we really could go running and enjoy it.
The book doesn’t create a fictional hard-to-reach ideal, everything feels within reach of the average person, and that’s it’s greatest strength. The humour helps carry it and the interactions with friends and loved ones along with hard fought-for achievements lend a touch of genuine emotion at times. It’s an uplifting book and for those that have had even a slight interest in running (and perhaps for many that haven’t even yet thought about it) it is well recommended.
Score: 4 / 5
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