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Running Like a Girl
In her twenties, Alexandra Heminsley spent more time at the bar than she did in pursuit of athletic excellence. When she decided to take up running in her thirties, she had grand hopes for a blissful runner’s high and immediate physical transformation. After eating three slices of toast with honey and spending ninety minutes on iTunes creating the perfect playlist, she hit the streets—and failed miserably. The stories of her first runs turn the common notion that we are all “born to run” on its head—and expose the truth about starting to run: it can be brutal.
Running Like a Girl tells the story of how Alexandra gets beyond the brutal part, makes running a part of her life, and reaps the rewards: not just the obvious things, like weight loss, health, and glowing skin, but self-confidence and immeasurable daily pleasure, along with a new closeness to her father—a marathon runner—and her brother, with whom she ultimately runs her first marathon.
But before that, she has to figure out the logistics of running: the intimidating questions from a young and arrogant sales assistant when she goes to buy her first running shoes, where to get decent bras for the larger bust, how not to freeze or get sunstroke, and what (and when) to eat before a run. She’s figured out what’s important (pockets) and what isn’t (appearance), and more.
For any woman who has ever run, wanted to run, tried to run, or failed to run (even if just around the block), Heminsley’s funny, warm, and motivational personal journey from nonathlete extraordinaire to someone who has completed five marathons is inspiring, entertaining, practical, and fun.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 990 reviews
April 17, 2013
When I picked up RUN, FAT BITCH, RUN, *this* was the book I was hoping was inside the covers. Instead there was a pamphlet's worth of useless information stretched out to book-length, sprinkled with encouragement to start self-hating and, at the end of all, I discovered that it was "written" by someone who was never overweight or unfit, but just PREGNANT. Yes, it's probably the only time I've wanted to track down the author of a book so I could punch them square in the face...
But anyway, *this* book, RUNNING LIKE A GIRL is wonderful. Just wonderful. A few years ago INTO THIN AIR finally made me realize why people would do something so crazy as to attempt to climb Everest—because far from being reckless with their lives, they consider that really living and think we're the ones wasting the precious opportunity of getting to live on earth—and RUNNING LIKE A GIRL has finally made me understand why someone would want to put themselves through the pain and torture of running a marathon, or running anything or anywhere at all. I've always said I only run if it's away, but after this I actually feel like lacing up my (pristine) Nike Airs and seeing what happens.
The majority of this book is Alexandra's own story of going from being unable to run a block to running marathons. She's instantly likable, she's funny and she made me cry on a few occasions. Then at the end there's a few practical tips, and they are actually useful (unlike the aforementioned awful book, which basically consisted of: leave your house, start running). I will definitely be re-reading this at some point in the future, and even if you're no interest in running, I'd still urge you to pick it up, because this isn't just about running: it's about achieving more than you ever thought was possible. It's really inspirational.
My favourite line: when people asked her how she managed to start running, she answered: "I decided to be able to." Couldn't we apply that to everything in our lives?
Highly recommended.
But anyway, *this* book, RUNNING LIKE A GIRL is wonderful. Just wonderful. A few years ago INTO THIN AIR finally made me realize why people would do something so crazy as to attempt to climb Everest—because far from being reckless with their lives, they consider that really living and think we're the ones wasting the precious opportunity of getting to live on earth—and RUNNING LIKE A GIRL has finally made me understand why someone would want to put themselves through the pain and torture of running a marathon, or running anything or anywhere at all. I've always said I only run if it's away, but after this I actually feel like lacing up my (pristine) Nike Airs and seeing what happens.
The majority of this book is Alexandra's own story of going from being unable to run a block to running marathons. She's instantly likable, she's funny and she made me cry on a few occasions. Then at the end there's a few practical tips, and they are actually useful (unlike the aforementioned awful book, which basically consisted of: leave your house, start running). I will definitely be re-reading this at some point in the future, and even if you're no interest in running, I'd still urge you to pick it up, because this isn't just about running: it's about achieving more than you ever thought was possible. It's really inspirational.
My favourite line: when people asked her how she managed to start running, she answered: "I decided to be able to." Couldn't we apply that to everything in our lives?
Highly recommended.
March 27, 2018
3.5 stars
I am not someone who will ever be mistaken as athletic, but I do remember doing long-distance running in high school (for a very short time) and really enjoying it. It didn’t last long because as soon as I discovered boys any illusions of of running went out the window.
Now at 42 I have decided to sign up for a 5km fun run. Reading this book was great entertainment while I prepared for my runs. And her advice on sports bras were invaluable.
Don’t think of this book on running but rather a memoir of a woman that just happens learn how to run and prepare for a marathon. The tone is light, conversational and humorous with Alexandra showing all the worries and fears you would expect of a woman in her 30s preparing to run a marathon for the first time.
There were also some brilliant titbits about the history of women in athletics. As late as the 1960s women were still forbidden from running marathons with the organizers claiming that it will affect their femininity, reproductive health and even make their uteruses fall out.
WOW my uterus almost fell out just reading that!
So, if you are new to running and do not want something heavy or technical about the process of preparing for a race, then this is for you. If you are already a runner this may not be as interesting as it was for me.
I am not someone who will ever be mistaken as athletic, but I do remember doing long-distance running in high school (for a very short time) and really enjoying it. It didn’t last long because as soon as I discovered boys any illusions of of running went out the window.
Now at 42 I have decided to sign up for a 5km fun run. Reading this book was great entertainment while I prepared for my runs. And her advice on sports bras were invaluable.
Don’t think of this book on running but rather a memoir of a woman that just happens learn how to run and prepare for a marathon. The tone is light, conversational and humorous with Alexandra showing all the worries and fears you would expect of a woman in her 30s preparing to run a marathon for the first time.
There were also some brilliant titbits about the history of women in athletics. As late as the 1960s women were still forbidden from running marathons with the organizers claiming that it will affect their femininity, reproductive health and even make their uteruses fall out.
WOW my uterus almost fell out just reading that!
So, if you are new to running and do not want something heavy or technical about the process of preparing for a race, then this is for you. If you are already a runner this may not be as interesting as it was for me.
August 18, 2014
Warning some 'SPOILERS'.
I didn't find 'Running like a girl' to be enjoyable in the slightest. There aren't many books on running specifically for female runners or potential runners so in my opinion access to this market means a serious responsibility. This book isn't about female runners or the history of female running. The parts about injuries or the science of running aren't backed up by any rigorous research or an appendix or footnotes. This is a memoir which is written in the style of a gushy email. There isn't an ounce of modesty between these pages. Even when it's not about her she manages to make it about her. Alexandra is sanctimonious, showy, pompous and over dramatic. She has a sad overarching need to have witnesses to her achievements.
Here are a few parts that annoyed me the most.
Her encounter with the running shop assistant that sent her into a rage was baffling. She decides to go to a running shop in London to buy trainers. Maybe the shop assistant wasn't overly helpful but he didn't seem to be unhelpful. What we do know is that she was nervous about entering the shop and had worked herself into a state. When she walked into the shop she looked at the store clerks and before they even spoke she made a snap judgement, she was determined that it wouldn't be a good experience. "I awaited the gasps of admiration". She wanted effusive praise because she was running a marathon, hmmmm I bet they never get customers who are running a marathon in the door.
She didn't listen to the clerk who tried to help her. He said she needed an appointment but she wouldn't accept that. It's his job to make sales for the company if he is refusing to sell you shoes there and then and wants you to make an appointment then there is a good reason for that. On the defensive she says 'This young chap wasn't going to get the better of me". She even pompously says on the way out, "Yes, thank you, I will call in once I have spoken to my assistant." I have never had an assistant '.
"Over time, my wretchedness turned to rage. How dare they patronize me?" He didn't he told you what the process was and that you needed an appointment you refused to accept that. She thought that "buying running shoes was a rite of passage, an almost mystical experience, an earned privilege", where did she get that idea from? Over dramatising everything once again. She then goes on to call the guy a 'dick'. Not content with identifying the store he worked in, which worker he was 'the younger' she then attacks him in print. Real nice. If she was so pissed off then why didn't she speak to a manager? How was he supposed to know that she didn't understand the terms 'gait' and 'pronation' she didn't say she was a beginner. She goes on to accuse them of an attempt at 'scamming' her, how did they scam you? She states earlier in the book that that she did loads of research online, shouldn't she know what 'gait' is, this woman is a journalist, right?
"Several months after I started running, I realized it was time to start listening to my dad". To me this spoke volumes, her father has run several marathons but she refuses to take his advice because well you guessed it! Alex knows best! She then says she embraces her 'masculine side', which encompasses 'a competitive streak'. Why can't competitiveness be 'feminine' why can't it be strength? "I saw that competitiveness and sweat needn't be unfeminine or aggressive qualities". Wait a minuteyou just said you were embracing your 'masculine side',, which is it?
At a marathon she moans because she has been put in a pen with elderly people and is considered to be 'one of this lot'. She shows such a lack of respect for her fellow runners. Even when she has to go to a medical tent briefly she is an ungrateful spoilt brat. ' "Oh dear, that's a nasty graze, isn't it?" Her tone was one of a kindly grandmother. I'm running a race! I wanted to shout. Help me, I need to get back there" '. She's always full of self importance even when another human being is trying to help her. The people who man the tents at these races are largely unpaid volunteers and they should be accorded some respect.
'People nodded thoughtfully as I blessed them with my knowledge'. My god the arrogance drips from every sentence. She can't run without all her acquaintances knowing and even puts automatic messages on her facebook to maximise the attention and approval she craves constantly. Even at a dinner party she can't help but go on about running. If I was an acquaintance of hers I would find her insufferable. When I think of the runners I know who are so unassuming and modest it makes me cringe as I read about her raising her champagne glass and begging for attention from the other guests.
Like a teenager she is obsessed with what others think, how her family and friends view her. On one occasion she sees a couple running in the park dressed in matching running gear and holding hands. Her reaction is , "My rage was as pure and brilliant as the snow sitting on the duck pond". Wow what an overreaction? Here is someone who is constantly worried about what others think and the irony is she dishes out scorn in spades to other people. After her brother in law has a health scare she relays to the reader about how distraught she was afterwards and says "It was almost as if it hadn't happened to me" I felt like screaming, It didn't happen to you, not everything is about you!
Since she works as a broadcaster on books and arts shows I was surprised that she didn't think much of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival one of the biggest international festivals in the world.
She seems to largely miss the point of running entirely, "I don't know why I have been trying so hard- I'm never going to win".
There are an interesting couple of pages on the first female runners to compete in races and take part illegitimately and legitimately in marathons but Alexandra decides not to explore this and it's back to the neurotic life of Alexandra Heminsley without much of a detour. This was a missed opportunity to bring female stories into the book and make it more rounded and academic.
Some beginners feel overwhelmed when they start running at first but I felt that the author over complicated the issues and made it seem to someone who has never run before that the whole experience is fraught and horrid. She doesn't alay the fears of any potential runners with her mixed up neurotic approach to running. Alexandra's chief problem is attitude. She has missed an opportunity to convey the wonderful joy and benefits that running brings. Running can be a meditative experience, stress dissipates, it can help you feel euphoric and strengthen your arms and legs. When she finally does get good at running does she gain some humility does she hell. She has a chip on her shoulder the size of a log.
One of her last pieces of advice is 'Try to remember it's for fun. You're doing it for you." Could have fooled me, the last thing I thought while reading this was that it was fun or that she was doing it for herself, she seemed to have been doing it largely for the approval and recognition of others and worked herself into a state several times. I'm sorry to have to say this but I found this book to be vacuous, fatuous, childish and a missed opportunity.
She's right running should be largely a positive experience that makes you feel better physically and mentally. If you're starting out running then the best advice is to download a couch to 5K program, join online running forums and talk to other beginners and experienced runners and read inspirational books like Haruki Murakami's 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' and Christopher McDougall's 'Born to run'.
I didn't find 'Running like a girl' to be enjoyable in the slightest. There aren't many books on running specifically for female runners or potential runners so in my opinion access to this market means a serious responsibility. This book isn't about female runners or the history of female running. The parts about injuries or the science of running aren't backed up by any rigorous research or an appendix or footnotes. This is a memoir which is written in the style of a gushy email. There isn't an ounce of modesty between these pages. Even when it's not about her she manages to make it about her. Alexandra is sanctimonious, showy, pompous and over dramatic. She has a sad overarching need to have witnesses to her achievements.
Here are a few parts that annoyed me the most.
Her encounter with the running shop assistant that sent her into a rage was baffling. She decides to go to a running shop in London to buy trainers. Maybe the shop assistant wasn't overly helpful but he didn't seem to be unhelpful. What we do know is that she was nervous about entering the shop and had worked herself into a state. When she walked into the shop she looked at the store clerks and before they even spoke she made a snap judgement, she was determined that it wouldn't be a good experience. "I awaited the gasps of admiration". She wanted effusive praise because she was running a marathon, hmmmm I bet they never get customers who are running a marathon in the door.
She didn't listen to the clerk who tried to help her. He said she needed an appointment but she wouldn't accept that. It's his job to make sales for the company if he is refusing to sell you shoes there and then and wants you to make an appointment then there is a good reason for that. On the defensive she says 'This young chap wasn't going to get the better of me". She even pompously says on the way out, "Yes, thank you, I will call in once I have spoken to my assistant." I have never had an assistant '.
"Over time, my wretchedness turned to rage. How dare they patronize me?" He didn't he told you what the process was and that you needed an appointment you refused to accept that. She thought that "buying running shoes was a rite of passage, an almost mystical experience, an earned privilege", where did she get that idea from? Over dramatising everything once again. She then goes on to call the guy a 'dick'. Not content with identifying the store he worked in, which worker he was 'the younger' she then attacks him in print. Real nice. If she was so pissed off then why didn't she speak to a manager? How was he supposed to know that she didn't understand the terms 'gait' and 'pronation' she didn't say she was a beginner. She goes on to accuse them of an attempt at 'scamming' her, how did they scam you? She states earlier in the book that that she did loads of research online, shouldn't she know what 'gait' is, this woman is a journalist, right?
"Several months after I started running, I realized it was time to start listening to my dad". To me this spoke volumes, her father has run several marathons but she refuses to take his advice because well you guessed it! Alex knows best! She then says she embraces her 'masculine side', which encompasses 'a competitive streak'. Why can't competitiveness be 'feminine' why can't it be strength? "I saw that competitiveness and sweat needn't be unfeminine or aggressive qualities". Wait a minuteyou just said you were embracing your 'masculine side',, which is it?
At a marathon she moans because she has been put in a pen with elderly people and is considered to be 'one of this lot'. She shows such a lack of respect for her fellow runners. Even when she has to go to a medical tent briefly she is an ungrateful spoilt brat. ' "Oh dear, that's a nasty graze, isn't it?" Her tone was one of a kindly grandmother. I'm running a race! I wanted to shout. Help me, I need to get back there" '. She's always full of self importance even when another human being is trying to help her. The people who man the tents at these races are largely unpaid volunteers and they should be accorded some respect.
'People nodded thoughtfully as I blessed them with my knowledge'. My god the arrogance drips from every sentence. She can't run without all her acquaintances knowing and even puts automatic messages on her facebook to maximise the attention and approval she craves constantly. Even at a dinner party she can't help but go on about running. If I was an acquaintance of hers I would find her insufferable. When I think of the runners I know who are so unassuming and modest it makes me cringe as I read about her raising her champagne glass and begging for attention from the other guests.
Like a teenager she is obsessed with what others think, how her family and friends view her. On one occasion she sees a couple running in the park dressed in matching running gear and holding hands. Her reaction is , "My rage was as pure and brilliant as the snow sitting on the duck pond". Wow what an overreaction? Here is someone who is constantly worried about what others think and the irony is she dishes out scorn in spades to other people. After her brother in law has a health scare she relays to the reader about how distraught she was afterwards and says "It was almost as if it hadn't happened to me" I felt like screaming, It didn't happen to you, not everything is about you!
Since she works as a broadcaster on books and arts shows I was surprised that she didn't think much of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival one of the biggest international festivals in the world.
She seems to largely miss the point of running entirely, "I don't know why I have been trying so hard- I'm never going to win".
There are an interesting couple of pages on the first female runners to compete in races and take part illegitimately and legitimately in marathons but Alexandra decides not to explore this and it's back to the neurotic life of Alexandra Heminsley without much of a detour. This was a missed opportunity to bring female stories into the book and make it more rounded and academic.
Some beginners feel overwhelmed when they start running at first but I felt that the author over complicated the issues and made it seem to someone who has never run before that the whole experience is fraught and horrid. She doesn't alay the fears of any potential runners with her mixed up neurotic approach to running. Alexandra's chief problem is attitude. She has missed an opportunity to convey the wonderful joy and benefits that running brings. Running can be a meditative experience, stress dissipates, it can help you feel euphoric and strengthen your arms and legs. When she finally does get good at running does she gain some humility does she hell. She has a chip on her shoulder the size of a log.
One of her last pieces of advice is 'Try to remember it's for fun. You're doing it for you." Could have fooled me, the last thing I thought while reading this was that it was fun or that she was doing it for herself, she seemed to have been doing it largely for the approval and recognition of others and worked herself into a state several times. I'm sorry to have to say this but I found this book to be vacuous, fatuous, childish and a missed opportunity.
She's right running should be largely a positive experience that makes you feel better physically and mentally. If you're starting out running then the best advice is to download a couch to 5K program, join online running forums and talk to other beginners and experienced runners and read inspirational books like Haruki Murakami's 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' and Christopher McDougall's 'Born to run'.
August 8, 2016
Wow wow wow what an inspirational read. I've been reading this on and off for the past month in between arcs and general life's commitments. I've been been running, jogging, walking for the past 8/10 weeks and lost now 2 1/2 stone through healthy eating but mostly because I have been combining that with running.
It's honestly changed my life, how I think of myself and makes me have some time to myself. This book though is inspirational to any runner, or anyone who hasn't run yet. Honest to goodness it makes me want to put my trainers on now and go. And maybe just maybe one day in a few years time I'll do a marathon myself. For now though I'll aim to get to 10k and maybe a half by next summer.. I definitely recommend it to any woman who wants to go for it. She spoke to all my woman parts LOL my heart and made me believe that I can do this..
Read it xoxo
It's honestly changed my life, how I think of myself and makes me have some time to myself. This book though is inspirational to any runner, or anyone who hasn't run yet. Honest to goodness it makes me want to put my trainers on now and go. And maybe just maybe one day in a few years time I'll do a marathon myself. For now though I'll aim to get to 10k and maybe a half by next summer.. I definitely recommend it to any woman who wants to go for it. She spoke to all my woman parts LOL my heart and made me believe that I can do this..
Read it xoxo
April 21, 2019
A really fun read that made me want to find my running shoes again. I loved the authors chatty style. I would have liked to have known a few extra things like her marathon times, just how much she walked and why she got a personal trainer. I liked the top tips at the end of the book too. Would definitely recommend to those that have run and those that would like to run. And you don’t need to be a girl to enjoy it
December 31, 2013
I highly recommend this to anyone who has run or had thought about running. It reminded me of why I enjoy running and how awesome the running community is. It's also hilarious.
April 1, 2017
My first mistake was buying a book with a Caitlin Moran quote on the cover.
My second mistake was continuing to read this book after finishing the dreadful prologue - a pathetic attempt to imbue something as unadventurous as a half marathon with gravitas and emotion.
I wanted to read this book for motivation with my running, as I'm about to embark on a 20-week half marathon training plan. I was hoping for some helpful tips or insight, or perhaps a sense of a shared experience which might somehow inspire me.
What I got was a boring, badly written account which tried so hard to make the writer's landmark experiences with running somehow meaningful.
The similes were the worst. Lines like "I ran for a mile behind two shivering Goths, one of whom seemed to hover like a Dalek in a bin bag." Like describing Brighton's West Pier as "seeming to bob up and down... like a regal spider in the bath."
This book assured me that nail varnish and false eyelashes will help with "Looking good for marathon day." while at the same time describing a person with facial disfigurement by saying "But no, he really did have only half a face" - I mean, WTF?
The only good thing about this book was that it made me feel better about myself.
My second mistake was continuing to read this book after finishing the dreadful prologue - a pathetic attempt to imbue something as unadventurous as a half marathon with gravitas and emotion.
I wanted to read this book for motivation with my running, as I'm about to embark on a 20-week half marathon training plan. I was hoping for some helpful tips or insight, or perhaps a sense of a shared experience which might somehow inspire me.
What I got was a boring, badly written account which tried so hard to make the writer's landmark experiences with running somehow meaningful.
The similes were the worst. Lines like "I ran for a mile behind two shivering Goths, one of whom seemed to hover like a Dalek in a bin bag." Like describing Brighton's West Pier as "seeming to bob up and down... like a regal spider in the bath."
This book assured me that nail varnish and false eyelashes will help with "Looking good for marathon day." while at the same time describing a person with facial disfigurement by saying "But no, he really did have only half a face" - I mean, WTF?
The only good thing about this book was that it made me feel better about myself.
September 26, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. It was light, it was breezy and it was informative. It was great, as someone who has recently started running, to read about running.
But I am glad I didn't read it before I started my running journey.
For me, the toughest parts, the most memorable parts, were in training for my first 5K. The first time I ran a mile. The first time I ran for 20 minutes. These were the long, hard slogs of running. In Alexandra's story, it jumps from her first run (where she ran a mile! I couldn't run a mile for weeks!) to her running marathons. Now I'm sure she had this tough middle section but I wish we had heard about that. That middle section was where I almost quit, and where I had quit in the past, and it was only after pushing through that that I could get to where I am now.
If you've already started running, give this a go, if you're after something to push you into running, I don't know if this is the right book for you. But once you've started running, it's definitely a great read.
And I know a lot more about socks now!
But I am glad I didn't read it before I started my running journey.
For me, the toughest parts, the most memorable parts, were in training for my first 5K. The first time I ran a mile. The first time I ran for 20 minutes. These were the long, hard slogs of running. In Alexandra's story, it jumps from her first run (where she ran a mile! I couldn't run a mile for weeks!) to her running marathons. Now I'm sure she had this tough middle section but I wish we had heard about that. That middle section was where I almost quit, and where I had quit in the past, and it was only after pushing through that that I could get to where I am now.
If you've already started running, give this a go, if you're after something to push you into running, I don't know if this is the right book for you. But once you've started running, it's definitely a great read.
And I know a lot more about socks now!
February 4, 2015
Amazing, this book is nothing short of amazing.
I don't think runners can understand the mystique that the sport is shrouded in to the rest of us. What is this "runner's high" you speak of? Is that what you call the burning sensation in your lungs?
The infuriating advice runners give to non-runners is: just go out and run. Hemingsley, who learned to run through sheer dogged stubbornness and not because she could just "go out and run," put together all her hard-earned lessons here so that other women don't have to go through that.
I read this on a whim to fulfill the audiobook category of the Read Harder challenge (super audio narration by the way, I highly recommend this version), never intending to actually run, but Hemingsley convinced me to give it yet another try.
She's like your best girlfriend with answers to your most embarrassing questions. As a woman with "cartoonish size" breasts in need of "hard-core scaffolding," Hemingsley reassures you that it IS possible to run and to like it, even for the bigger-busted woman. If you, like me, sometimes find yourself supporting the girls as you hustle up and down stairs, that might have been your single biggest barrier to running. Hemingsley says that as much as she loves her breasts, "they are willful and curious, always seeking a new direction to bounce around in, and ever-keen to seek attention on the Brighton seafront when I can least deal with the stares," but assures you that "even the most unruly breasts can be contained. Yes they can!"
She covers bra shopping, shoe shopping, thigh chafing, training, hydration, what-if-you-need-a-bathroom woes, marathons, runner's slump and runner's high, all while sharing the story of her own running journey and mistakes. She holds nothing back, including some of her darker moments and some mortifying ones. I laughed through this book.
This is how much this book has earned its five star rating from me: inspired by Hemingsley and some recent small runs I've done with the dog, I decided to forgo the gym this morning and downloaded a couch to 5k app on my phone instead. The weather was beautiful, I knew I had the stamina from my time at the gym, and Hemingsley reassured me I could do the actual running.
So out I went. I missed the first cue to run because the dog chose that moment to evacuate his bowels. Feces dealt with, I was ready for the second cue and I started off. Within 5 strides I caught my toe on a tree root and supermanned towards the dirt path. The dog was ecstatic and I was stunned to be on the ground. I found myself reacting like I do when my 4-year-old wipes out: "you're ok, it's ok, you're ok...wait SHUT UP you're doing that out loud!"
I shut up, got up, turned around and limped the two blocks home. I skinned both palms, both knees, one thigh, one forearm, one underboob and I consumed a lot of dirt nasally.
BUT! Thanks to Hemingsley's description of her wipeout in her first marathon, I didn't feel like the total asshat you would expect, and thanks to the rest of the book I'm still willing to give this a try. Just probably not until my knee stops throbbing. Five stars!
I don't think runners can understand the mystique that the sport is shrouded in to the rest of us. What is this "runner's high" you speak of? Is that what you call the burning sensation in your lungs?
The infuriating advice runners give to non-runners is: just go out and run. Hemingsley, who learned to run through sheer dogged stubbornness and not because she could just "go out and run," put together all her hard-earned lessons here so that other women don't have to go through that.
I read this on a whim to fulfill the audiobook category of the Read Harder challenge (super audio narration by the way, I highly recommend this version), never intending to actually run, but Hemingsley convinced me to give it yet another try.
She's like your best girlfriend with answers to your most embarrassing questions. As a woman with "cartoonish size" breasts in need of "hard-core scaffolding," Hemingsley reassures you that it IS possible to run and to like it, even for the bigger-busted woman. If you, like me, sometimes find yourself supporting the girls as you hustle up and down stairs, that might have been your single biggest barrier to running. Hemingsley says that as much as she loves her breasts, "they are willful and curious, always seeking a new direction to bounce around in, and ever-keen to seek attention on the Brighton seafront when I can least deal with the stares," but assures you that "even the most unruly breasts can be contained. Yes they can!"
She covers bra shopping, shoe shopping, thigh chafing, training, hydration, what-if-you-need-a-bathroom woes, marathons, runner's slump and runner's high, all while sharing the story of her own running journey and mistakes. She holds nothing back, including some of her darker moments and some mortifying ones. I laughed through this book.
This is how much this book has earned its five star rating from me: inspired by Hemingsley and some recent small runs I've done with the dog, I decided to forgo the gym this morning and downloaded a couch to 5k app on my phone instead. The weather was beautiful, I knew I had the stamina from my time at the gym, and Hemingsley reassured me I could do the actual running.
So out I went. I missed the first cue to run because the dog chose that moment to evacuate his bowels. Feces dealt with, I was ready for the second cue and I started off. Within 5 strides I caught my toe on a tree root and supermanned towards the dirt path. The dog was ecstatic and I was stunned to be on the ground. I found myself reacting like I do when my 4-year-old wipes out: "you're ok, it's ok, you're ok...wait SHUT UP you're doing that out loud!"
I shut up, got up, turned around and limped the two blocks home. I skinned both palms, both knees, one thigh, one forearm, one underboob and I consumed a lot of dirt nasally.
BUT! Thanks to Hemingsley's description of her wipeout in her first marathon, I didn't feel like the total asshat you would expect, and thanks to the rest of the book I'm still willing to give this a try. Just probably not until my knee stops throbbing. Five stars!
July 22, 2013
I was excited when I noticed this Advance Reader's Copy on Edelweiss--just the inspiration I need when I'm starting the Couch to 5K program (again). Last year, I never made it past Week 4, so I need all the inspiration I can get. I admire runners--especially when I visit big cities. All that lycra and bouncing ponytails and iPods in use. But I feel like a lumbering idiot when I attempt it and then I give up too easily when it hurts. So I thought I'd tackle this adult memoir.
Alexandra was always the curvy class clown--she didn't exercise much, but didn't like how she looked in pictures. She started walking for hours around London, and attempted a run around the block, but was disappointed by the pain, red face, and overall soreness. However, she had familial support. Her dad ran marathons, as did her brother. They kept telling her that she was perfectly capable. And so she tackled a 5K jog. This is the part I didn't like--really? a 5K practice run right off the bat? No building up to it? And so begins her journey to run the London Marathon. I loved all the details of her preparation--planning the runs, the playlists, buying the right clothes, and just running in general. Who knew about Vaseline? I'm going to start lubing up my feet before my runs, too. No blisters and soft feet? I'm in! Her struggle with finding the right sports bra was rather funny, as well as her fear of unexpected potty breaks along the longer runs. She even covers what happens in her mid-marathons slump. It was nice to hear that even marathon runners stop practicing now and then. She didn't understand the purpose, but found her away again.
Alexandra was always the curvy class clown--she didn't exercise much, but didn't like how she looked in pictures. She started walking for hours around London, and attempted a run around the block, but was disappointed by the pain, red face, and overall soreness. However, she had familial support. Her dad ran marathons, as did her brother. They kept telling her that she was perfectly capable. And so she tackled a 5K jog. This is the part I didn't like--really? a 5K practice run right off the bat? No building up to it? And so begins her journey to run the London Marathon. I loved all the details of her preparation--planning the runs, the playlists, buying the right clothes, and just running in general. Who knew about Vaseline? I'm going to start lubing up my feet before my runs, too. No blisters and soft feet? I'm in! Her struggle with finding the right sports bra was rather funny, as well as her fear of unexpected potty breaks along the longer runs. She even covers what happens in her mid-marathons slump. It was nice to hear that even marathon runners stop practicing now and then. She didn't understand the purpose, but found her away again.
March 19, 2014
I absolutely expected to love this book. I mean, I am a girl and I love running! And I did enjoy portions of the book, particularly the parts when she described what it's like to run a marathon. She said so many things that were spot on regarding my love for running, my occasional ambivalence towards it, and even how much I dislike it at times. It's nice to know that others don't always love every second of training. Truly, I'm certain that I would very much like Alex in person and would love to go for a run with her.
Unfortunately the whole of the book just wasn't very good. I feel like I read the first draft of this book, minus any editing. There were so many sudden thoughts thrown in out of the blue and would go nowhere. There's one random sentence about her bag before the marathon with no explanation, a person who has never run a long race may not understand that I believe she was referring to the bag drop at the beginning of a race. Another time she randomly mentions a man she's seeing. One sentence thrown in suddenly and then...that was it.
This book had potential to be great, but the poor editing really made it somewhat of a disappointment.
Unfortunately the whole of the book just wasn't very good. I feel like I read the first draft of this book, minus any editing. There were so many sudden thoughts thrown in out of the blue and would go nowhere. There's one random sentence about her bag before the marathon with no explanation, a person who has never run a long race may not understand that I believe she was referring to the bag drop at the beginning of a race. Another time she randomly mentions a man she's seeing. One sentence thrown in suddenly and then...that was it.
This book had potential to be great, but the poor editing really made it somewhat of a disappointment.
April 27, 2013
I read this book two days before a 10k race when I'd become completely disenchanted with running. While I'm not going to say that it made me immediately want to put on my trainers & get out there, it did help me to realise that all those people out there whom I think of as "real runners" also fall in and out of love with the sport.
Written in a really chatty, approachable style the book was easy to read, inspiring and encouraging.
The tales of the women who broke into distance running so very recently were humbling & inspiring in equal measure and the book as a whole will be one I return to again & again.
Written in a really chatty, approachable style the book was easy to read, inspiring and encouraging.
The tales of the women who broke into distance running so very recently were humbling & inspiring in equal measure and the book as a whole will be one I return to again & again.
January 31, 2017
[4 stars]
Running Like A Girl is exactly the book I wanted when picking it up. With a great blend of humour, actual guidelines and narrative, Running Like A Girl proved to be a very enjoyable read that was just the right length and paced well. Women who are runners or are in the initiation phase, Hemingsley gives a lot of practical advice as well as empathy for the physical, mental and emotional hardships that so frequently occur when running. A nice, light easy read which is what the subject calls for.
"What is a new hobby if not a shopping opportunity."
Running Like A Girl is exactly the book I wanted when picking it up. With a great blend of humour, actual guidelines and narrative, Running Like A Girl proved to be a very enjoyable read that was just the right length and paced well. Women who are runners or are in the initiation phase, Hemingsley gives a lot of practical advice as well as empathy for the physical, mental and emotional hardships that so frequently occur when running. A nice, light easy read which is what the subject calls for.
April 21, 2015
Exactly what i needed to hear/read after signing myself up for what at the moment seems like a monumental and unreachable goal.
It could have done (in my opinion) with a bit more about early runs and the lead up to the first marathon but it was still a great read and has assured me that i can be ready for my half marathon when it comes. I just have to want to run it and be ready for it.
It could have done (in my opinion) with a bit more about early runs and the lead up to the first marathon but it was still a great read and has assured me that i can be ready for my half marathon when it comes. I just have to want to run it and be ready for it.
May 1, 2013
When I heard about Running Like A Girl by Alexandra Heminsley, I wanted to read it immediately. You see I’ve been on a bit of a diet recently, and I’ve lost 9 kilos, which is not a bad effort. It’s since gone a bit sideways, though, and I’ve stabilised at my current weight, and I’ve decided that the best way to carry on losing weight is to do exercise. But, exercise terrifies me. I’m quite terrified that if I went walking or running (or a bit of both), people would see and judge and say I’m not a runner. I can’t run! I’m not athletic. I used to cheat when we did cross-country at school! I HATE running. But I know that if I want to lose weight and I want to get my legs to be less chunky I will have to do exercise, so I bought some running shoes when I was in England… I just need to actually start running.
So, Running Like A Girl. I wanted to read it because I wanted it to inspire me! I wanted Alex’s tale to inspire me into running, and it has. For the first time ever, in my life, tomorrow I will go outside and I will run! It may be JUST as terrible as Alex’s first run, and I don’t aspire to do marathons as Alex does (I don’t think Tenerife has any marathons, to be fair) but I do want to get fitter and running is something everyone can do, despite my can’t-do attitude. It’s so easy to say you can’t do something – I can’t speak any other language than English for example, but I can’t claim to not run because as Alex herself says, after hearing it from her dad, everyone can run. It’s just a matter of doing it. That is what will be ringing in my ears as I attempt to become a runner. I can do it, I just have to get over the fear of doing it and that is why I loved Running Like A Girl.
I thought Running Like A Girl was excellent. Anyone who has ever thought about running, who has ever said it wouldn’t be possible needs to read this book and read about how Alex overcame that and has run 5 marathons. Yes, it’s hard, and yes, she struggled during most of her marathons at one stage or another but I didn’t finish the book feeling put off by the bad things about running. No, I took away the message Alex was telling us that running is therapeutic. If you get past the bad things, if you keep going and keep your legs moving, the payoff is more than worth it. And I find myself inspired. I liked how the novel was split into two parts, chronologically Alex’s journey to becoming a runner and then a second section that helped would-be runners. Giving the history on famous female runners, telling us what you’d need with you if you were to run a marathon, injuries you might incur. It’s filled with information and I am totally inspired. I’ll soon be a runner, and I can’t wait for tomorrow to come so I can go running, or at least attempt it, because if you never try, you can’t succeed.
So, Running Like A Girl. I wanted to read it because I wanted it to inspire me! I wanted Alex’s tale to inspire me into running, and it has. For the first time ever, in my life, tomorrow I will go outside and I will run! It may be JUST as terrible as Alex’s first run, and I don’t aspire to do marathons as Alex does (I don’t think Tenerife has any marathons, to be fair) but I do want to get fitter and running is something everyone can do, despite my can’t-do attitude. It’s so easy to say you can’t do something – I can’t speak any other language than English for example, but I can’t claim to not run because as Alex herself says, after hearing it from her dad, everyone can run. It’s just a matter of doing it. That is what will be ringing in my ears as I attempt to become a runner. I can do it, I just have to get over the fear of doing it and that is why I loved Running Like A Girl.
I thought Running Like A Girl was excellent. Anyone who has ever thought about running, who has ever said it wouldn’t be possible needs to read this book and read about how Alex overcame that and has run 5 marathons. Yes, it’s hard, and yes, she struggled during most of her marathons at one stage or another but I didn’t finish the book feeling put off by the bad things about running. No, I took away the message Alex was telling us that running is therapeutic. If you get past the bad things, if you keep going and keep your legs moving, the payoff is more than worth it. And I find myself inspired. I liked how the novel was split into two parts, chronologically Alex’s journey to becoming a runner and then a second section that helped would-be runners. Giving the history on famous female runners, telling us what you’d need with you if you were to run a marathon, injuries you might incur. It’s filled with information and I am totally inspired. I’ll soon be a runner, and I can’t wait for tomorrow to come so I can go running, or at least attempt it, because if you never try, you can’t succeed.
January 30, 2015
This was great. Loved it from the forward to the end. It's a quick read, and a wonderfully honest, candid journal of the live & learn of starting - and continuing - to run.
One thing that this kept coming back to, and I have found it is so true: running is emotional. I've been all over the spectrum from defeated teary rage to glee to depression to peace to anxiety and everywhere in between in the process of starting and continuing with it. It is amazing to me, too, how strongly those emotions hit. So much so, that while reading this, I found myself getting choked up at times.
I loved the running tips at the end. I wanted more. :)
Definitely suggest it for any woman who runs or wants to run. It'd make a great gift, as well.
Her book is the squeeze around the shoulders for any woman who's feeling discouraged or unsure where/how to start or feeling like they just "can't" run.
September 21, 2017
I *really* wish that I had read this book prior to running the half-marathon race in which I partook earlier this year. Having finished it, I am filled with a motivational burst to give a full marathon a go - despite having proclaimed with full confidence that a full one would be too hardcore for me.
What I liked most about Heminsley's book is that she's brutally honest about running; it is painful, it is excruciatingly hard and may on occasion make you want to cry. Yet it also has so many benefits that make running truly worthwhile.
It was also interesting to learn about the history of women marathon runners, the blockades they faced in order to be allowed to run (because apparently if females run long distances, their uteruses will fall out) and quite surprising to discover that women were only allowed to compete in the Olympic marathon event as recent as 1984!
I was expecting this to be a feminist read, but in actual fact, it just proved to be a book about running - as a woman. Ultimately, it tells you that the only obstacle you face in becoming a runner is your self-resolve. All you have to do, quite literally, is put on a pair of trainers and run!
What I liked most about Heminsley's book is that she's brutally honest about running; it is painful, it is excruciatingly hard and may on occasion make you want to cry. Yet it also has so many benefits that make running truly worthwhile.
It was also interesting to learn about the history of women marathon runners, the blockades they faced in order to be allowed to run (because apparently if females run long distances, their uteruses will fall out) and quite surprising to discover that women were only allowed to compete in the Olympic marathon event as recent as 1984!
I was expecting this to be a feminist read, but in actual fact, it just proved to be a book about running - as a woman. Ultimately, it tells you that the only obstacle you face in becoming a runner is your self-resolve. All you have to do, quite literally, is put on a pair of trainers and run!
May 31, 2016
After taking several months off to rest an injury (dang shin splints), I've started training to run a 5K again. I love reading books that help me feel like I am not alone in my highs and lows of running. And this one did just that.
This is a memoir about a woman who decides to start running in her thirties. I could so relate to some of her early stuff: After eating three slices of toast with honey and spending ninety minutes on iTunes creating the perfect playlist, she hit the streets—and failed miserably. However as a person working towards a 5K, reading a story that goes from couch to marathon in one chapter makes me want to whack the author on the head.
This is a fun, fast read for beginner runners that explores the high and lows of the sport.
This is a memoir about a woman who decides to start running in her thirties. I could so relate to some of her early stuff: After eating three slices of toast with honey and spending ninety minutes on iTunes creating the perfect playlist, she hit the streets—and failed miserably. However as a person working towards a 5K, reading a story that goes from couch to marathon in one chapter makes me want to whack the author on the head.
This is a fun, fast read for beginner runners that explores the high and lows of the sport.
August 28, 2015
This book struggled to keep my attention. It was worse than an actual run.
April 30, 2018
Overall I really enjoyed the book and found a lot of what the author is saying interesting.
I liked her tone most of the way and it was fluent and entertainingly written. I especially liked that she would never dream of telling people what "the right" running form is, as everything me is different. If you just started running, or want to start running this might be a great motivation.
I'll have to have a little rant too though:
Some parts had me rolling my eyes.
While I find it extremely helpful to read how to tame your boobs while running and how intimidating going shopping for sporting gear can be for a newby for example, I really don't need tips on how to look good at the end of a marathon. No false lashes or special nail polish here.. So some of the "like a girl" parts really resonated well with me, some others not so well.
I also found her frequent mood swings about running a bit strenuous to follow after a while. From "I love running! I'll run forever" to not really caring anymore to "I'll always be a runner!" to "Why did I ever think this was great, I am so fed up with it!" and so on. While I'm sure everyone goes through phases where it's great and phases when it's bloody hard work her swings were a bit extreme and moody for me. Same for a little sentence like "I'm not sure that any woman would see that through." after the advice to just keep walking the same distance over and over and then start to run it later.
That made me actually a by angry. As if women would be so much softer that they'd give up where men would keep going? Also without that advice it is also exactly how I came to running. And I DID see it through even without being told to... She did later say that the advice she'd gotten might have been right after all, but that still left a bad aftertaste for me.
I liked her tone most of the way and it was fluent and entertainingly written. I especially liked that she would never dream of telling people what "the right" running form is, as everything me is different. If you just started running, or want to start running this might be a great motivation.
I'll have to have a little rant too though:
Some parts had me rolling my eyes.
While I find it extremely helpful to read how to tame your boobs while running and how intimidating going shopping for sporting gear can be for a newby for example, I really don't need tips on how to look good at the end of a marathon. No false lashes or special nail polish here.. So some of the "like a girl" parts really resonated well with me, some others not so well.
I also found her frequent mood swings about running a bit strenuous to follow after a while. From "I love running! I'll run forever" to not really caring anymore to "I'll always be a runner!" to "Why did I ever think this was great, I am so fed up with it!" and so on. While I'm sure everyone goes through phases where it's great and phases when it's bloody hard work her swings were a bit extreme and moody for me. Same for a little sentence like "I'm not sure that any woman would see that through." after the advice to just keep walking the same distance over and over and then start to run it later.
That made me actually a by angry. As if women would be so much softer that they'd give up where men would keep going? Also without that advice it is also exactly how I came to running. And I DID see it through even without being told to... She did later say that the advice she'd gotten might have been right after all, but that still left a bad aftertaste for me.
June 29, 2015
I enjoyed reading it: it's easy to read, informative and funny. Some parts were a bit redundant, but overall I liked it.
Alexandra goes from her very first run (a mile!) to her first marathon quite quickly in the book. Therefore, I would say that this book isn't addressed to the woman who has started to run and is struggling to complete her first 5K. It is more suited, in my opinion, to those who have never run and want to read about the fact that it is indeed possible, or those who already can run a while and are looking for the motivation to take their commitment to a new level.
Alexandra goes from her very first run (a mile!) to her first marathon quite quickly in the book. Therefore, I would say that this book isn't addressed to the woman who has started to run and is struggling to complete her first 5K. It is more suited, in my opinion, to those who have never run and want to read about the fact that it is indeed possible, or those who already can run a while and are looking for the motivation to take their commitment to a new level.
May 25, 2016
Eerst en vooral. Ik plan niet om marathons (of zelfs maar halve) marathons te gaan lopen. Maar ik loop drie maal per week een toertje en ik geniet steeds meer van die (halve) uurtjes met alleen maar muziek en de cadans van mijn voeten.
Ik vond voornamelijk het eerste deel vermakelijk en herkenbaar. De schrijfster beslist om te starten met hardlopen en loopt tegen alle issues aan die ik herkende. Niet meer weten hoe je moet ademen na een eerste stukje van drie minuten, lopen op verkeerde schoenen, ...
Ze brengt het met een zekere luchtigheid die dit tot een amusant boek maakte.
Ik vond voornamelijk het eerste deel vermakelijk en herkenbaar. De schrijfster beslist om te starten met hardlopen en loopt tegen alle issues aan die ik herkende. Niet meer weten hoe je moet ademen na een eerste stukje van drie minuten, lopen op verkeerde schoenen, ...
Ze brengt het met een zekere luchtigheid die dit tot een amusant boek maakte.
January 20, 2014
A brilliant runner's book that promotes enjoying running just because! The story almost mirrors my running experience; training to do a marathon, having long gaps in between runs and the ups and downs of training. Loved every page!
July 8, 2017
I don't run but I am trying to be more active and this book was so good to listen to whilst doing that. Alex is a bit nuts, she is very emotional about everything but that's also very likeable and relatable to. I enjoyed this a lot.
Read
January 4, 2020Finally a book about running written by someone who is not a natural runner.
Made me laugh & made me want to get up off the couch.
Made me laugh & made me want to get up off the couch.
March 17, 2018
Running and I don’t get along very well. Although you can call me somewhat an active person, running is one activity that doesn’t excite me too much, I mean it doesn’t give me the kind of that high swimming or climbing or biking does. Having said that, I have run four or five 10K races, I ran nonstop but didn’t really end feeling satisfied with myself, but at least happy to finish the race nonstop. I have always preferred running on a treadmill (usually a 30 to 40 min warm-up run at the gym) rather than running out in the sun (except few morning runs in my hometown with younger brother where people haven’t seen a girl running for no reason on country roads, it’s kind of exciting). Again something my running friends would not approve. Overall all these factors made me feel strongly that running is not my cup of tea.
I have had many runner friends, talking to them doesn’t help much, for it seems they don’t have the kind of issues I have. I find it pretty boring and tiring, sun kills me, half way through my race I get irritated by all the clothes I am wearing. My brother just ran 21k on new year’s day, while he wasn’t not practicing at all for the last few months. Isn’t it kind of a skill or power only born runners have and I don’t?
Recently I have developed love for swimming. Looking for open water swimming events in Colorado, I was diverted to triathlon competitions. Needless to say, it sounds pretty thrilling and exciting. What an adventure to swim, bike and run in a single event with so many other people. Of course I want to experience it. Since I have just started lap swimming, I think I can do a sprint triathlon, that is half of an Olympic distance. All I need to practice is biking and specially running since I am totally out of practice for more than six months.
Last week I finished reading ‘Leap In’ by Alexandra Heminsley, a book about her journey to learn open water swimming and absolutely found myself in love with her writing style. At the back of the it, I read about another book of hers, ‘Running Like a Girl’. Isn’t that a catchy title? So it was my next read.
Alex is a successful, strong, witty, smart, sensitive and funny writer. I like her honesty- not hesitating or feeling embarrassed to talk about her dark past or her weaknesses. The book starts with introduction of her not so sporty life. She was a kind of girl who felt no interest or excitement in any kind of sport since school life. She was a social animal, loved to party, drink, eat, struggled to quit smoking etc. She had a very strong boding with her family- brother, sister, mother and father. One day when her brother talked about signing up for the London Marathon and father (who was a marathon runner as well) said to her that she could do it as well, she just signed up for it. A girt who hadn’t run a kilometer signed up for a full marathon. The part of her I feel inspires me the most is that she is a challenge accepter. She is always up for a new adventure and ready to commit her for it. She trusts herself; she believes in her power, she knows nothing is impossible for her.
Training was very hard of course. It took her more than 6 months, starting from long walks to run the marathon. She didn’t give up. Throughout the race she cursed herself for doing it, she fell, cried, almost decided to stop and turn back, but in the end she didn’t give up and finished the race. That was not her last race, she had run many more. Fighting every time with her brain that wanted to sit in the couch and watch TV, and the body that wasn’t ready to practice for the next race. Like the swimming book, the last one third of the book covers her advice to beginner runners. From how to practice, finding running groups, charity runs, right body form, what to expect on your race day to what makeup to wear!!
I absolutely loved reading this book. More than reading a book of an elite runner who has been a runner all his/her life. It is a story of an ordinary and not so fit woman who decided to run a marathon and kicked asses. The book is a good reminder that you can do anything; all it needs is believing in yourself and keep on the right track. It surely takes long, but gets better every single time.
Day before yesterday, inspired by the book, also keeping in mind that I need to practice running if I participate in a triathlon, I decided to run with my buddy. He is a hard core runner as I would say, but very kind and generous to run with me and still be nice and patient to keep with my pace. We decided to do a 5k road run around the block. As soon as we started, I experienced pain in my upper back. Stupid of me to wear my swimsuit under my t-shirt so that I can jump in the swimming pool right after we finish, another practice I need to get used to of the cold open water swimming. It is a must to wear a comfortable sports bra for running and I had made a big mistake. I was hot, it’s a mystery to me that how do women run in tights/leggings and I can’t do without shorts. Shortly after first mile he asked me if I wanted to run the whole distance or walk, I said if it gets better with time, I would like to run the 5k. And it got better, it was cloudy (thank goodness) and cool. I remembered the video my brother sent me about breathing strategy for runners, breathing in the stomach, not the chest. My buddy was talking to me, probably so that I keep going and don’t give up and all I did was feeling my breath in and breath out of the stomach, made it a little easier. It’s little different to run here in Colorado than running back in India. It may be the elevation, may be not, but it is different. So that way I finished my jog of 3.19 miles in 42 minutes. It was a very slow run/jog but I was happy just to finish it nonstop. And the best part was to play in the swimming pool after. The water felt so nice and soothing after my hard struggle.
As I am writing this review, I am thinking to go for another short run this evening, it is sunny and that will be real test of my capability. I hope I won’t let the writer down.
Nandini Chaturvedi
March 17th 2018
I have had many runner friends, talking to them doesn’t help much, for it seems they don’t have the kind of issues I have. I find it pretty boring and tiring, sun kills me, half way through my race I get irritated by all the clothes I am wearing. My brother just ran 21k on new year’s day, while he wasn’t not practicing at all for the last few months. Isn’t it kind of a skill or power only born runners have and I don’t?
Recently I have developed love for swimming. Looking for open water swimming events in Colorado, I was diverted to triathlon competitions. Needless to say, it sounds pretty thrilling and exciting. What an adventure to swim, bike and run in a single event with so many other people. Of course I want to experience it. Since I have just started lap swimming, I think I can do a sprint triathlon, that is half of an Olympic distance. All I need to practice is biking and specially running since I am totally out of practice for more than six months.
Last week I finished reading ‘Leap In’ by Alexandra Heminsley, a book about her journey to learn open water swimming and absolutely found myself in love with her writing style. At the back of the it, I read about another book of hers, ‘Running Like a Girl’. Isn’t that a catchy title? So it was my next read.
Alex is a successful, strong, witty, smart, sensitive and funny writer. I like her honesty- not hesitating or feeling embarrassed to talk about her dark past or her weaknesses. The book starts with introduction of her not so sporty life. She was a kind of girl who felt no interest or excitement in any kind of sport since school life. She was a social animal, loved to party, drink, eat, struggled to quit smoking etc. She had a very strong boding with her family- brother, sister, mother and father. One day when her brother talked about signing up for the London Marathon and father (who was a marathon runner as well) said to her that she could do it as well, she just signed up for it. A girt who hadn’t run a kilometer signed up for a full marathon. The part of her I feel inspires me the most is that she is a challenge accepter. She is always up for a new adventure and ready to commit her for it. She trusts herself; she believes in her power, she knows nothing is impossible for her.
Training was very hard of course. It took her more than 6 months, starting from long walks to run the marathon. She didn’t give up. Throughout the race she cursed herself for doing it, she fell, cried, almost decided to stop and turn back, but in the end she didn’t give up and finished the race. That was not her last race, she had run many more. Fighting every time with her brain that wanted to sit in the couch and watch TV, and the body that wasn’t ready to practice for the next race. Like the swimming book, the last one third of the book covers her advice to beginner runners. From how to practice, finding running groups, charity runs, right body form, what to expect on your race day to what makeup to wear!!
I absolutely loved reading this book. More than reading a book of an elite runner who has been a runner all his/her life. It is a story of an ordinary and not so fit woman who decided to run a marathon and kicked asses. The book is a good reminder that you can do anything; all it needs is believing in yourself and keep on the right track. It surely takes long, but gets better every single time.
Day before yesterday, inspired by the book, also keeping in mind that I need to practice running if I participate in a triathlon, I decided to run with my buddy. He is a hard core runner as I would say, but very kind and generous to run with me and still be nice and patient to keep with my pace. We decided to do a 5k road run around the block. As soon as we started, I experienced pain in my upper back. Stupid of me to wear my swimsuit under my t-shirt so that I can jump in the swimming pool right after we finish, another practice I need to get used to of the cold open water swimming. It is a must to wear a comfortable sports bra for running and I had made a big mistake. I was hot, it’s a mystery to me that how do women run in tights/leggings and I can’t do without shorts. Shortly after first mile he asked me if I wanted to run the whole distance or walk, I said if it gets better with time, I would like to run the 5k. And it got better, it was cloudy (thank goodness) and cool. I remembered the video my brother sent me about breathing strategy for runners, breathing in the stomach, not the chest. My buddy was talking to me, probably so that I keep going and don’t give up and all I did was feeling my breath in and breath out of the stomach, made it a little easier. It’s little different to run here in Colorado than running back in India. It may be the elevation, may be not, but it is different. So that way I finished my jog of 3.19 miles in 42 minutes. It was a very slow run/jog but I was happy just to finish it nonstop. And the best part was to play in the swimming pool after. The water felt so nice and soothing after my hard struggle.
As I am writing this review, I am thinking to go for another short run this evening, it is sunny and that will be real test of my capability. I hope I won’t let the writer down.
Nandini Chaturvedi
March 17th 2018
April 13, 2023
3.5/5
Super boek om te lezen voor mijn eerste marathon. Alexandra deelt haar ervaringen met de Londen Marathon. Daarbij vond ik de tips over wat je mee moet nemen erg nuttig. De stukken over het 'rennen voor een goed doel' vond ik niet heel boeiend. Het was vooral gericht op first-time runners, daardoor vond ik niet alles even boeiend.
If you have legs and lungs you can run.
Super boek om te lezen voor mijn eerste marathon. Alexandra deelt haar ervaringen met de Londen Marathon. Daarbij vond ik de tips over wat je mee moet nemen erg nuttig. De stukken over het 'rennen voor een goed doel' vond ik niet heel boeiend. Het was vooral gericht op first-time runners, daardoor vond ik niet alles even boeiend.
If you have legs and lungs you can run.
March 25, 2022
This book gave me all the running feels and made me tear up a few times. So heartwarming to hear the tale of a woman who’d never run becoming an international marathoner with the encouragement and support of her dad. I didn’t care for all the “tips and advice” at the end, since that part felt geared toward brand new runners.
August 9, 2023
Loved it! Exactly what I wanted to read to motivate me to keep running. I kind of believe I can run an actual marathon now?!
Loved the humor and journey of the author, deeply inspiring bits too. Will keep this as a re-read if I ever lose my motivation or love for running!
Loved the humor and journey of the author, deeply inspiring bits too. Will keep this as a re-read if I ever lose my motivation or love for running!
December 26, 2015
This is a great book for runners and runner-curious alike. Heminsley is a very likeable narrator, honest, self-deprecating and often funny, and even though the writing style is in the category of non-literary memoir/blog-type, it is engaging and smart. As a fellow runner though, I was frustrated by a few aspects of the narrative- first, while the description of the harrowing first run is quite good, I was quite disappointed at the narrative leap to being able to run- it appears that she was able to run a 5k on her second run.. As someone who had to build up gradually to a 5k over several months, that was a bit annoying, and so was the strange absence of substantial descriptions of the difficulty of those first months of running- the leap between non-runner/marathon runner is way too swift and there is definitely a chapter or two missing about the lengthiness and hardship of that process. Maybe she didn't want to discourage readers or her editor thought it would be boring. Who knows? In any case- I missed it and was slightly pissed off at it. I was also pissed off by her account of her very first marathon. The experience was also described much too summarily- yes, she talks about mishaps and occasional loss of self-confidence, but she forgets to convey the experience of the race (Like Murakami does in What I talk about...) I'm not asking her to be literary like Murakami but I feel like after reading the two London marathon chapters, I still didn't know what it was like to race it. The Marathon Secrets chapter in part two is equally disappointing in that it talks about what to pack but not, i don't know.. how to pace oneself or how to get over mental hurdles, or how much it's supposed to hurt! So these things WERE disappointing definitely, but I ended up giving the book four stars because it has other undeniable qualities. The links between running and mental health are highlighted with great sensitivity and intelligence. The accounts of the Brighton and San Francisco marathon, though still a bit too expedited, are very moving. Heminsley has a decidedly feminist, body-positive, health-at-every-size outlook that makes you cheer as you read statements about how running makes women think of their bodies in terms of what they can do rather than what they should look like. I learned things about socks. And vaseline. For all that, I am fond of the book, its author, and feel quite proud about the ache in my calves after today's long run.
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