RUNNING FOR MORTALS by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield

A few weeks ago on Twitter, a friend recommended the book RUNNING FOR MORTALS by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield. A few years ago--when I was thinking about running, I had read John Bingham's THE COURAGE TO START: A GUIDE TO RUNNING FOR YOUR LIFE and had learned a lot. If you have not read any of Bingham's writing and you are a newer runner, it is some of the most helpful stuff I've read. John Bingham started running late in life (at 43, so not quite as late as I did:-) Up until that time, he says that he was unhealthy and out of shape. When he first ran, he could hardly run to the end of the mailbox. But over time, he's run marathons, lost lots of weight and has become an a person who shares his story with other new runners. Now he is an experienced runner, a writer who runs about his experience. You can read more about him and follow his blog here.


 I am about halfway through the book and I think it is the book that pushed me to ask Tonia to create a new plan for me, to commit to moving forward again. I tend to read running books slowly, a few pages at a time. They are great for me- to keep me motivated, to learn tips, to see what other people have experienced.


This book has helped by helping me remember that this running is about me. It is not a race. It doesn't matter how fast I am or how far I run. The key is slow and steady consistency. There was lots of new information in this book and it has been the perfect book for me--to remind me of the big goals I have, why I even started to run. Both John Bingham and his coauthor share information, stories and tips that are all useful for beginning runners.


The book talks about the importance of the larger community--how supportive and wonderful it is. Some quotes I highlighted around this idea were:


 "If it's early in your running career-and we were all beginners once-just getting out the door three times a week may be a life-altering achievement. Today's running community will celebrate that with you."


"But the most amazing part of becoming a runner and becoming part of this running world is that someday you too will look back on this beginning and remember. Someday you too will reach back to help someone else who is struggling with what you're struggling with today." 


"If you are running, you are a runner. If you are running, you have a right to imagine yourself running the way you want. If you are running, you have the privilege of thinking like a runner."


It also gave me lots of important information that was new to me and reinforced some things I kind of knew such as:


"Runners in their twenties can get away with a lot more mileage and less rest. The body is more resilient and bounces back quickly."


"The sidewalk keeps you safe from traffic and is predictable, but it is the hardest of all running terrains because it puts tremendous stress on the body"


"Progressing as a runner is a frustratingly slow process of small gains. It is a matter of inching your mileage up and your pace down. The only magic in your life as a runner is the magic of consistency."


"If you want to sock the person next to you for being happy and not struggling at all, you are running too hard."


"This process should be challenging but not so hard that you hate it."


I have already learned to much from this book and I am only about 1/2 way through. I love that I decided on the Kindle version of this book because I am able to revisit my highlights on my Kindle page--all in one place. That will be helpful to me after I finish the book, when I need to revisit the important messages.


Really, what this book taught me is something I've known. It taught me that running is really about consistency and you can't speed up the process of change really.  I was starting to get impatient, wanting to run twice a day to improve faster, etc. But that is my old diet mentality kicking in. This is about committing to keep moving several days a week for a very long time.  If we do that, running pretty much guarantees positive change.


The other thing I took away from this is that it doesn't help to push too hard. If I slow down, give myself more rest time, destress about getting faster, my body will get the right workout. I should not be running so hard that I hate it every time.  I need to find a place that makes it a little less miserable for me so that I don't get hurt or get frustrated and quit. The payoff is that, with consistency, I'll improve. Slowy, but I'll improve.


I would highly recommend this book. I thought at first that it was just another beginning running book. It is but it is a really good one. The fact that the author started running in his 40s and has struggled just like I have has been a huge help. And since he has been running and writing for so long, he shares really important knowledge that I needed.  The information he shares really helped me see why it is just about deciding, 3-4 times a week, to run.  I've known that from my running friends and from my own experiences but he shares some of the actual information about how the body changes that helped me see why this mattered.


I am definitely someone who has to read about running. I am thinking I might have to read about it forever.  It is the combination of running, reading and writing that help me keep going.  Any new tip of motivation helps me to understand a little bit more, what it is I am trying to do.  This book is one that I know I will revisit for a very long time after I finish it. A great book whether, especially if you are new or semi-new to running:-)