The Running Life

Writers like Donald and Mike work at the grassroots level to promote and support our sport. Their love of running shines through every page of what they write. They have a unique perspective on The Running Life and make us smile and gain insight at the same time. Whether you are an experienced runner, a novice, or even a non-runner this compilation of articles will inspire. --Amby Burfoot, Editor at Large, Runners World Magazine and 1968 Boston Marathon winner As a resident of Pacific Grove, Im just like all the other runners on the Central Coast. We eagerly await the Thursday edition of the Monterey Herald so we can see what Donald and Mike are thinking and saying about The Running Life. Its great that this book will allow a wider audience the opportunity of reading these great columns.--Blake Russell, 2008 Womens Olympic Marathon Im out in Buraglio and Dove territory every year for the Big Sur Marathon. Its great to swap stories with Donald and Mike, run, and enjoy the magnificent Central Coast. They are both very knowledgeable and their articles cover every aspect of our sport. A fun read for sure.--Bart Yasso, Chief Runner, Runners World Magazine Ive always been an instinctive runner. I love to run and feel the flow. Donald and Mike capture all I love about running in their articles. They know the spirit as well as the technical side of running. I recommend this series of articles for anyone. You will really capture and understand why we love The Running Life. --Nelly Wright, Pacific Grove, California, 1984 Womens Olympic Marathon

A straightforward, easy-to-follow look at the anatomy, biomechanics, and nutrition of running. Dr. Cucuzzella "aims to improve the fitness and well-being of all, from the uninitiated to beginners to veterans who still have new tricks to learn" (Amby Burfoot, Boston Marathon winner, writer at large for Runner’s World magazine, and author of The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life). Despite our natural ability and our human need to run, each year more than half of all runners suffer injuries. Pain and discouragement inevitably follow. Cucuzzella's book outlines the proven, practical techniques to avoid injury and reach the goal of personal fitness and overall health. With clear drawings and black-and-white photographs, the book provides illustrated exercises designed to teach healthy running, along with simple progressions and a running schedule that shows the reader how to tailor their training regimen to their individual needs and abilities.

A comprehensive plan for runners of every age that offers an overview of the health benefits of running and provides step-by-step instructions to avoid common running problems and making the most of a running workout.

Offers the true story of a Sudanese boy who, through unyielding faith, overcame a wartorn nation to become an American citizen and an Olympic contender.

With My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso--an icon of one of the most enduringly popular recreational sports in the United States--offers a touching and humorous memoir about the rewards and challenges of running. Recounting his adventures in locales like Antarctica, Africa, and Chitwan National Park in Nepal (where he was chased by an angry rhino), Yasso recommends the best marathons on foreign terrain and tells runners what they need to know to navigate the logistics of running in an unfamiliar country. He also offers practical guidance for beginning, intermediate, and advanced runners, such as 5-K, half marathon, and marathon training schedules, as well as advice on how to become a runner for life, ever-ready to draw joy from the sport and embrace the adventure that each race may offer

This is the extraordinary true story of how a former British soldier turned extreme adventurer set out to run marathons in the world's most dangerous countries. In 2018, Jordan Wylie trained and ran in Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan to raise awareness of the plight of children suffering in war zones as well as the funds to help provide education. Risking his life in some of the most hostile places in the world, Wylie defies suicide bombers, official advice, dehydration and exhaustion, as well as his own mental and physical health issues in an incredible tale of endurance and tenacity against the odds. His first race, in Somalia, is moved to Somaliland after a suicide bomber kills 600 people. Running the Baghdad half-marathon brings back painful memories of friends and colleagues he lost when he served there. Finally, at the Afghanistan marathon, he provides a high-profile target for the Taliban, who murder seventeen people the day before he arrives. What makes these three runs even more challenging is the fact that Jordan is affected not just by mental health issues from his own experiences, but also with epilepsy. Alongside the more extreme obstacles, Jordan has to overcome self-doubt – and the doubt of others – to show what can be achieved with belief and fortitude.

For readers who enjoyed Alexandra Heminsley's Running like a Girl and Bryony Gordon's Mad Girl, Running for my Life is a hilarious, heartfelt and inspirational story of one woman's marathon journey through mental illness. Throughout her life, Rachel Cullen followed a simple yet effective route straight to mental health misery. Suffering from bipolar disorder, and hungry for approval at any price, she settled for flunked relationships, an ill-fitting career, and poor health to match. Whilst mindlessly seeking a utopian vision of 'normality' that she was mis-sold and so desperate to achieve, the solution seemed increasingly illusive. Stuck in this endless cycle of disappointment with her life, and not knowing how to handle the strain of her mental illness, she put on a pair of old trainers. She'd never been able to think of herself as a 'runner', and the first time she forced herself out the door, she knew it would hurt. Everywhere. She just didn't realise how much it would heal her, too. Interspersed with Rachel's real diary entries, from tortuous teen years to eventually running the London Marathon,Running for my Life will make you laugh, cry, and question whether you really can outrun your demons.