Happy Friday!! I hope that whoever reads my latest selection of mini book reviews is keeping well and staying safe etc. I must admit that these last few weeks I’ve been seriously lacking in blogging mojo. After spending most of my weekdays staring at a computer screen, the last thing I’ve felt like doing is spending more time staring at my laptop.

Since the start of the first lockdown, I’ve been making an effort to read more books. Some of these books have been related to my job as a hydrologist, I haven’t attempted to review them here! I’ve always enjoyed reading, and books have provided an invaluable break from reality during the various lockdowns. Anything to avoid the doom and gloom and the conspiracy theorists on social media! If you haven’t already done so, please check out my two other ‘Books I’ve read recently’ posts.

Books I’ve read recently #1 | Books I’ve read recently #2.

Below are short(ish) reviews of the books I’ve read recently. Thanks for all the running-related book recommendations on my previous post and over on @UKRunChat. Like last time, 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. I’ve also listed the four books I’m planning on reading next. If you’ve read any of these books, I’d really appreciate your feedback.

Books I read between December and February

Broken* by Ally Beaven

In ‘Broken’, Ally Beaven explores why 2020 was so unusual for long-distance running. The FKT (Fastest Known Time) has long been the pursuit of what I’d describe as the more hardcore, talented and determined members of the long-distance running community. ‘Broken’ discusses the rise of the FKT and how the lack of racing in 2020 resulted in perhaps more runners than ever chasing down FKTs.

‘Broken’ is described as “the story of the summer of 2020, a historic time for running in the UK”.

Through the stories of John Kelly’s Grand Round, Beth Pascall’s record-breaking Bob Graham round, Jo Meek’s new overall record for the Nigel Jenkins Dartmoor Round, Donnie Campbell’s outstanding new mark for bagging all 282 Munros and many others, Ally Beaven provides an inside glimpse into the world of long-distance running.

I’m going to end this short review by being brutally honest. Much as I enjoyed reading ‘Broken’, I know that I’ll enjoy reading the book even more once life has returned to some sort of normality. I read to briefly escape from the real world. Call it a form of escapism. ‘Broken’ didn’t enable me to switch off and to temporality forget about the real world, however, I’m more than happy to recommend ‘Broken’ to everyone.

Why We Run by Robin Harvie

‘Why We Run’ wasn’t the easiest book to start reading, it took me a couple of chapters to get used to the style of writing, and after I found myself having to re-read one paragraph four times, I very nearly gave up. I’m pleased that I decided to persevere with ‘Why We Run’ as once I’d read the first couple of chapters and got used to the style of writing, I found the remainder of the book relatively easy to read and quite enjoyable.

At times it felt like Robin went off on a bit of a tangent when referencing other authors work and contrasting against his own experiences. I love history so I found the sections on the history of running incredibly informative. If you don’t enjoy history and are looking for a more technical running book, ‘Why We Run’ might not be the book for you.

My only slight disappointment was the lack of detail about the Spartathlon event Robin took part in. I was left wanting to know more about the event. Perhaps Robin couldn’t remember exactly what happened during the event. I’m not sure.

Although I found ‘Why We Run’ quite difficult to get into, it’s still a running book I am happy to recommend to other runners.

The Jungle Marathon by Mark Hines

As I’m a runner who has no intention of ever attempting to complete an endurance event, ‘The Jungle Marathon’ written by Mark Hines may seem like a strange book choice. Finding a copy of ‘The Jungle Marathon’ was difficult – Amazon currently has one copy on sale for over £200 – but I persevered and tracked down a copy.

The Jungle Marathon in the Brazilian Amazon jungle is widely considered one of the toughest multi-stage and multi-day footraces in the world. The terrain and combination of heat and humidity make this footrace far more gruelling than races held in desert environments such as the Marathon des Sables.

Mark Hines is an endurance athlete who is also a physiologist. Mark writes about his experience during the race both as a volunteer providing support during the race and as a participant in the event the following year. ‘The Jungle Marathon’ describes the training and preparation, the physiological consequences of racing in such a climate, and what it is like to race in one of the toughest footraces in the world.

I read ‘The Jungle Marathon’ in one sitting. Mark has an entertaining and informative style of writing and he somehow managed to bring everyday humour and pain into his personal recap of the Jungle Marathon without over-dramatising things.

‘The Jungle Marathon’ is an amazing book, one that I’m more than happy to recommend to both runners and non-runners.

Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton

I can’t remember who very kindly took the time to recommend that I purchased ‘Let Your Mind Run’ but I’m pleased that you did.

‘Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory’ was written by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton. I’ve followed athletics for a long time and I’ve always been a huge fan of Deena. My memories of Deena include her amazing bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics Marathon and her winning the 2006 London Marathon. I think Deena still holds the U.S. record for the Marathon.

Anyway, back to the book. ‘Let Your Mind Run’ is a brilliant, well-written honest read. Deena has such an amazing attitude to life and to her training. In the time it took me to read ‘Let Your Mind Run’ I learned a lot from Deena’s use of positive thinking. As an injury-prone runner, a lot of what Deena said resonated with me. Deena left me with a lot to think about, not only as a runner but as a person.

So, I’d describe ‘Let Your Mind Run’ as a must-read book, if you haven’t already read it, I’d recommend that you do. I know that as I return to running, I’ll be thinking about ‘Let Your Mind Run’ on a regular basis.

My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso and Kathleen Parrish

‘My Life on the Run’ is divided into two parts; the first part is Bart’s autobiography, and the second part contains Bart’s advice, training plans, and a list of must-do races.

I loved reading this book and found it both informative and light-hearted. Bart Yasso is a great writer and has dozens of amazing stories to share which provided a welcome break from the real world and reality. Bart credits running for saving his life, who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t discovered running.

Running has taken Bart around the world and he shares his experiences during some of his most memorable races. These include the world’s toughest footrace, the Badwater Ultramarathon, and an entertaining event where runners are partnered with a burro. Running also introduced Bart to thousands of people and he shares some of their inspirational stories in his book.

Bart doesn’t just share his running-related memories; the book starts with Bart two-thirds of the way up Mount Kilimanjaro and the second chapter describes Bart’s battles with Lyme Disease. Another chapter describes the first time Bart cycled across America.

In the second part of the book, Bart introduces the Perfect 10 program which sees runners following a 10-day rather than the usual 7-day training cycle. According to Bart following a 10-day cycle means that you’ll run faster, and the chances are you’ll stay injury-free. I’m not too fussed about running faster but I’d love to be able to run consistently!

I’m aware that I’m repeating myself, but I’d describe ‘My Life on the Run’ as a must-read book. Next time I need a 10k or a half marathon training plan, I’ll be sure to follow one of Bart’s Perfect 10 training plans.

Books I’m currently reading

Feet in the Clouds by Richard Askwith

I’ve seen ‘Feet in the Clouds’ described as a must-read book, one that all runners should read. When I asked for book recommendations, ‘Feet in the Clouds’ featured highly and few people were surprised I hadn’t already read the book.

Other work and life commitments mean that I’ve only managed to read the first chapter, but I can already see why ‘Feet in the Clouds’ is such a popular book. I don’t think I’ll be donating this book to the local charity bookshop when I’ve finished reading it.

Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall

I picked up my copy of ‘Natural Born Heroes’ when I was spending a lot of time in London. From what I can recall – my memory is terrible – I read the first two chapters during a train journey between London and Birmingham but didn’t finish the book as completing an academic paper and job hunting took priority.

After reading through a selection of the overwhelmingly positive reviews of ‘Natural Born Heroes, I can’t wait to finish what I started back in 2016.

Books I’m aiming to read next

And finally, I’ve listed four running-related books I was lucky enough to receive as Christmas presents. There’s most definitely a bit of a theme and I’m impressed my family knew exactly which books to buy me.

I’m not sure how long it will take me to read these books but I’m not in a rush to finish them. I’m trying not to think about what will happen when I reach the bottom of my ‘books to read’ pile as I’m trying to reduce my spending in 2021. I just have to hope that I find another stash of books somewhere.

Have you read any running-related books recently you’ve enjoyed? If you have, please share your recommendations with me.

Are there any running-related books I should avoid? Please let me know!

**Full disclosure: I was gifted the book marked* all other books I either purchased myself or received as Christmas presents. As always, all opinions are my own**

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