My little brother got me this book for Christmas, which was very sweet and thoughtful of him. Despite my distaste for the word "nonrunner," because I believe anyone who runs is a runner, I was excited to read it. From the way it's written, it seems as though Dais went from no running to marathoner, which is pretty impressive.
She writes with loads of wit and levity, which I so appreciate and need as I get further into my training. It's easy to take training too seriously and to get bogged down by pace and mileage, but that really takes the fun out of it. Competition with yourself can be good, but not when it's extreme.
Another thing I appreciated about Dais' writing was the frequent acknowledgment that running a marathon is a huge accomplishment. Moreover, she emphasized that training itself is a huge accomplishment. It may be that the training itself is a greater accomplishment than the actual running of the race. You dedicate four months to training for something, which basically takes over your life - that's a pretty big commitment and lesson in discipline. I appreciated that encouragement from her.
I'd recommend this book for new and old runners, alike. It's good for new runners because it doesn't use all of the big words and terms that experienced runners use. Dais is very good about explaining terms she uses. As for experienced runners, it's good for them as a reminder to not take themselves so seriously. We can all use that lesson.
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