Apologies for the complete silence on here. I was aware that I hadn’t written or published anything for a while, but I was amazed when I realised that my last post was published back in February. I must admit that being injured seems to have had a negative impact on my blogging mojo. I’m hoping to restart the Couch to 5k soon, if I do, I’ll be sure to post regular updates.

I’d like to begin by saying good morning, good afternoon, good evening, etc, and happy Wednesday. I hope that everyone who reads this collection of mini book reviews is having a great week. I can’t believe that we are nearly at the end of May, the year seems to be flying by.

One of my 2022 New Year’s Resolutions was to continue to read more books. Not just running related books, but all of the books that I’ve purchased over the years and never found made the time to read. I’m aware that I’m repeating myself, but ever since COVID-19 made an unwelcome appearance at the start of 2020, books have provided me with a break from the real world. Books have also provided my eyes with a much-needed break from my laptop. If you haven’t already done so, please check the rest of my ‘Books I’ve read recently’ posts.

Books I’ve read recently #1 | Books I’ve read recently #2 | Books I’ve read recently #3 | Books I’ve read recently #4 | Books I’ve read recently #5

Below are short(ish!) reviews of the running related books I read between December and March. I say March because it has taken me a couple of months to finish writing this post. Although I’ve been reading a lot of books this year, I’m not a book blogger so I decided to stick to reviews of running(ish) related books on this blog. I’ve also included the books I’m currently reading. Wherever possible, I’ve included links to either the publisher or to the author of each book rather than to Amazon.

Books I read between December and March

Who Taught You How to Run?: Discover How to Run Better, Run Faster and Prevent Injuries by Mike Antoniades

I’m going to start with only my second ever – the first was ‘Running in the Midpack’ – what I’ve previously described as ‘Book I tried to read several times but gave up reading’ book.

I feel incredibly negative writing this because as an injured runner, I really wanted to enjoy and learn a lot from this book. The reviews I read on Amazon and Goodreads before I purchased ‘Who Taught You How to Run?’ were overwhelmingly positive, I just found it impossible to what I call ‘get into’ the book. After trying and failing to get past the first section three times, I realised that I was making myself feel anxious and decided to call it a day and to move on to a different book.

Enough negativity! If anyone who reads this would like my pretty much unread copy of ‘Who Taught You How to Run’ please send me a message and I’ll post it to you.

The Running Drug: How a running addiction helped one man overcome cancer, conquer a marathon and rediscover life by Tim Beynon

‘The Running Drug’ tells the personal story from cancer diagnosis to marathon medal of how Tim Beynon’s running addiction helped him to overcome cancer, complete his first marathon, and to discover a healthier future.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a running book that has a serious illness, prostate cancer, as its central theme. I’m going to sound incredibly selfish, but I was concerned that having lost two close friends to prostate cancer, that ‘The Running Drug’ would trigger all sorts of emotions, and the book wouldn’t provide the escape from reality I usually look for in a book.

I’m not sure enjoy is the right word to use, but I enjoyed reading ‘The Running Drug’. ‘The Running Drug’ is an incredibly well-written, honest, and at times thought-provoking account of the author’s experiences of his prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment and also of his London Marathon experience.

I smiled a lot, laughed out loud a few times, cried a couple of times, and felt like I was living each moment, including the highs and the lows with the author. ‘The Running Drug’ made me feel very grateful for my own good health to date and put the knee niggles I’ve complained so much about into perspective.

I would recommend ‘The Running Drug’ to everyone and would describe it as a must-read, especially for males over the age of 40. And finally, if you receive a letter from the NHS inviting you to an NHS health check, please don’t ignore it. Writing this has made me realise I should have been invited to my first NHS health check three years ago.

*1001 Running Tips by Robbie Britton

The author of ‘1001 Running Tips’ Robbie Britton is known for being one of Great Britain’s best running coaches and ultra-runners. I’m going to start this short review with the recommendation that if you aren’t already following Robbie on Twitter, his Twitter handle is ultrabritton.

‘1001 Running Tips’ is written in a format that makes it very easy to pick up and then put down again. The book is broken down into nine obvious category sections; Basics, Training, Skills and Techniques, Environment, Runners Body, Racing, Kit and Equipment, Travelling, and Stuff (all the stuff you need to know as a runner and are probably too shy to ask about) and contains loads of great photos.

As the reader ‘1001 Running Tips’ takes you on a journey that starts with you learning the basics, to developing as a runner as you progress through the book. The tips Robbie has shared are written in a way that they are easy to understand and remember.

I’m not going to quote any of Robbie’s tips in this review as I really want you to consider buying ‘1001 Running Tips’ but I can guarantee that the advice and running tips Robbie has shared are suitable for runners of all levels from those thinking about completing their first 5k to those who have already successfully completed multiple ultra-marathons.

Thanks again to the publishers for sending me a copy of ‘1001 Running Tips’ to review. Before I restart the Couch to 5k, I’ll be sure to re-read the relevant sections of ‘1001 Running Tips’.

Coasting by Elise Downing

I’ve followed Elise on Twitter for several years, so I got to follow her journey around the coast of Great Britain self-supported pretty much as it happened.

I’m going to make myself sound like a terrible person, but in the past, I haven’t always enjoyed reading adventure books. Reading about other people planning and then achieving feats of endurance I would never be brave enough to even attempt, has unfortunately dented my already limited self-belief. I’ve also found myself questioning how people can afford to not work for prolonged periods. It’s become clear that I’m not the adventurous type.

Having said that, I loved ‘Coasting’ and I devoured the book on one wet day in January. I appreciated Elise’s insight and honesty, the slightly embarrassing moments, how hard she found some days, the lessons learned, and the inspiring passages not only about running but also about relationships and the people she met during her journey around the coast. The kindness of strangers is evident throughout ‘Coasting’ a timely reminder of the innate goodness of people and a refreshing break from what’s currently happening in the ‘real world’.

And what about the not so positive aspects of ‘Coasting’? I’m going to be completely honest, I enjoyed ‘Coasting’ so much that I honestly can’t think of any parts of the book I didn’t enjoy. I found reading about ‘shoe man’ slightly stressful and it left me wanting to give Elise a big hug, but this was completely down to Elise’s engaging writing style.

So, thanks Elise for sharing the story of your epic run around the coast of Great Britain with us. Elise has such an engaging writing style; I would recommend this book to both runners and non-runners.

How parkrun changed our lives by Eileen Jones

In Books I’ve read recently #5, I shared a short(ish) review of Debra Bourne’s book ‘parkrun: much more than just a run in the park’. I described myself as a parkrun volunteering addict who also loves reading about parkrun. Although I’ve reduced the amount I volunteer, I still love parkrun, so I was very happy when I unwrapped a copy of ‘How parkrun changed our lives’ on Christmas Day.

The author, Eileen Jones, set out to see why parkrun is so widely loved by millions of people around the world. ‘How parkrun changed our lives’ provides an insight into several aspects of parkrun including how it started, how parkrun has helped people, parkrun practices, parkrun tourism, parkrun volunteering, parkrun statistics, and even parkrun cake!

I’ve seen ‘How parkrun changed our lives’ described in book reviews as a “celebration of all things parkrun” and as “the what and why of parkruns” after reading the book I’d say that both are accurate descriptions.

I loved all of ‘How parkrun changed our lives’, but my favourite sections were the collection of personal stories from ordinary parkrunners I found that I could relate to, the interviews with volunteers, and given that the book was published last March when parkrun was on hold, the insight into how parkrun responded during the pandemic

I would recommend that anyone who loves parkrun reads this book. If you don’t love parkrun or if you are a runner who actively avoids anything to do with parkrun, look for an alternative running book.

Books I’m currently reading  

The Runner’s Code: The Unwritten Rules of Everyday Running by Chas Newkey-Burden

I’m not saying that I’m unobservant, but it took me quite a long time to realise that I’d purchased myself and was reading – yes, I like to read more than one book at a time – two books written by Chas Newkey-Burden. I realised that I’d even made the mistake of starting to read the author’s most recent book first. Fortunately, I noticed my mistake before I’d passed the point of no return. I’m probably going to make myself sound a little quirky, but I have to read books in the order they were written and published.

Running: Cheaper than therapy by Chas Newkey-Burden

I wish that running really was cheaper than therapy! Anyway, I’m about halfway through ‘Running: Cheaper than therapy’ and I’m really enjoying working my way through what is described as a compendium of wisdom and humour. I’ve always had a somewhat childish sense of humour so I’m particularly enjoying the funny spectator signs, the things people shout at runners, and the description of what makes a runner a social media bore.

Books I’m aiming to read next 

As I’ve now almost reached the end of my pile of running books, I’m planning on checking out some local charity shops to see if they have any interesting looking books. I’ve said it before, but I quite like the idea of not knowing what I’ll find when I go into a shop.

Would you like to read any of the books I’ve reviewed here? If you’d like to read any of the books I’ve reviewed here, please let me know and I’ll let you have my copy.

Have you read any running-related books recently you’ve enjoyed? With apologies for the repeat question but I’m always on the lookout for book recommendations.

**Full disclosure: I was gifted the book marked* all other books I either purchased either by myself or my family. As always, all opinions and typos are my own** 

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