My (current) favorite books about running
If you love running and you love reading there's a good chance that eventually you'll end up reading books about running. There is so much to say about running - from the poetic to the scientific to the sometimes dry litany of training tips - and it's no surprise that running literature, while not a huge niche, at least has a deep bench. I started reading books about running by way of audiobooks. There's not much that will hype you up more about running on mile 8 of a long run than listening to all the benefits of running or all the love elite runners have for the sport. Check out my favorite running books I've read and the books I want to read!
Jeff Alt's memoir describes his thru-hike adventures and fundraising for Sunshine Communities
I've got to admit something to you all: as much as I love hiking and books I've actually read very few trail memoirs. Sure, I've read the basics like Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods and Cheryl Strayed's Wild, but that's about it (correction: that is it!), and even then those are hiking novels written by writers rather than memoirs written by hikers. So when Beaufort Books reached out to me to see if I'd be interested in reading Jeff Alt's A Walk for Sunshine I was eager to give it a chance.
Giving Tuesday is coming up next week and as part of that I'm hosting a book drive for the non-profit organization First Pages. I recently sat down with Kelly Partner, the founder of First Pages, to talk with her about the organization. First Pages focuses on providing books to children age 0 to 5 and promoting pre-literacy skills in Durham, North Carolina.
I don't know why but whenever I sit down to read a fiction book I feel like it has to be a book of substance and that means missing out on a bunch of books that I thought might be interesting but wouldn't make it to the top of my reading list. So in between podcast episodes and zombie stories I figured that I'd try out audiobooks on long runs, road trips, and while multi-tasking.
When Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky come to Carrboro the crowd comes running. Four time Olympian and Olympic medalist Shalane Flanagan and chef and nutrition coach Elyse Kopecky were in Carrboro on Wednesday to promote their new cook book Run Fast. Eat Slow. The Carrboro event kicked off with a run with Flanagan and Kopecky and drew a crowd of over 300 attendees.
"I think this may be the most unique beginning to a book reading, well, ever!" the woman at The Regulator Bookshop announced as she introduced Nicole Sarrocco for her book reading of Ill-Mannered Ghosts, the latest book in Sarrocco's Occasionally True series. Around the room the audience chuckled, from friends and family to former students to the "NCSSM Blast Band" that accompanied Sarrocco on her march down Ninth Street from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics where Sarrocco teaches.
Can you believe it's been two whole weeks with this whole running and writing streak?! Nope, I can't believe it. Nope nope nope. But sure enough - it's Day 14! Here are my stats for the week and a "Friday Favorites" recommendation!
