author: dawn davis

publisher: seal press, january 3, 2007

amazon’s summary:

dawn dais hated running. and it didn’t like her much, either. her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? it was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon.

the nonrunner’s marathon guide for women is a fun training manual for women who don’t believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless. it opens with a realistic training schedule and is chock-full of how-to’s, quizzes, and funny observations, which Dais felt were lacking in the guides she had consulted.

the nonrunner’s marathon guide for women also integrates entries from dias’ journal, sharing everything would-be marathoners need to know about the gear, the blisters, the early morning workouts, the late-night carb binges, and — most important of all — the amazing rewards.

anyone can do a marathon. this book just makes the experience a little more bearable and a lot more fun.

my review: great read for any runner. basic tips – not too detailed or complicated. hilarious, hilarious descriptions of what we go through, fear and experience. definitely not a runner’s training guide but more of a sort of “you rah rah”, support group book.

helped me think of things to get through my current training and stay motivated. now i know what i’m running for – so when i feel like giving up i will remember the 3 things – even if they are just my secret (chapter 2, page 38).

a few aspects about nutrition that could be misleading for those who do not understand caloric intake vs. out put. plus, everyone metabolizes food differently. she does have a disclaimer up front.

super quick read – under 2 hours.

some of my notes when i was reading:

- loving this book. can’t put it down. great ideas for motivating my training
- pages 186 and 187 made me laugh so hard i cried. her journal entries are the best. so real and relatable.
- pages 44-46 in her journal about week 5 was priceless. way to go LDS missionaries on their bikes (chapter 2, page 45). rock it.

book marks:

training schedule – page 13
the end of the honeymoon – page 100
your before, and after chart – page 134
chapter 10, the mentality – page 162
my marathon fears – page 166

a few higlights:

page 10 – “i have a checkered history of starting things and not finishing them (college, my great American novel, that broccolis on my dinner plate). i grew tired of being the kind of person who talked about doing things instead of actually doing them. i really didn’t want a marathon to be just one more of those things.”

page 29 – “when i was deciding whether to train, i had an overwhelming doubt that blanketed all my decision-making. all the ‘you can do it’s’ and the ‘go girl’s’ were drowned out by ‘uh, no you can’ts’ and the ‘girl, you crazy’s’ running through my head…tell every person you know )even people you don’t know) that you’re training for a marathon. not for the accolades or the smpathy or the awe. do it for the accountability.”

page 119 – “i made up a song about this [being lapped]. well, i didn’t make it up, lionel richie made it up, i just changed his words a little. it goes like this: ‘once…twice…three tiiiimes you’ve passed meee…and i wannna triiiiiip yoooouuu.”

my rating: 5/5

why my rating? i could relate. i loved, just loved the journal entries. i’ve read a lot of how to run books, books giving tips on running but this book was real, basic, and hilarious.

other reviews:
run infinity
reading refections

**rating scale – stars: out of 5

1 star: not a fan – at all. i couldn’t finish the book.
1.5 stars: not worth my time. definitely, thought about putting it down and moving on to something else.
2 stars: fine. nothing to write home about.
2.5 stars: was ok, but if i hadn’t read it i’d live.
3 stars: enjoyed the book but was bothered by a particular aspect.
3.5 stars: glad i read it. would recommend it but isn’t one that stays in my permanent collection (i won’t be moving it with me to my next apartment).
4 stars: i really enjoyed this book. had no problem getting through it and would recommend it to my friends and family.
4.5 stars: loved it. lingers on my mind – actively promoting for others to read.
5 stars: fabulous! can’t stop thinking about it. worth re-reading – highlighted passages and made an impact.