Walk, Run, Race: A Runner's Guide to a New Life

You pass by a park where hundreds of colorful, sweaty people are milling around talking excitedly in a huge gathering of mass camaraderie. You learn that this is the end of a 15.5-mile race. You overhear a woman say this is her tune-up for a marathon. You are astonished. The woman must be in her mid-40s at least. But she has the figure of a 20-year old, and her legs are fabulous. The slim man she's talking to, although he is also in his 40s, has muscles that ripple across his torso. He has just run 15.5 miles at a pace faster than you could run across the street. 'Ridiculous!' you say. 'Who wants to put out all that effort?'

Later, a friend announces that he too is a runner. He describes how he went from a sedentary blob to a marathon man, how great he feels now, how endless his energy, how positive his mental outlook. Unconsciously, you sit up straighter to hide your incipient belly. You think of how many times you had to sit down and rest during a tennis doubles match, or a gardening chore. You remember how stressed you become at work or doing housework. Suddenly, you make a momentous decision. You will try it. What could it hurt?

If you are this person, or anything like him, this book is for you.