Guest Book Review by Michelle Spring

To Be a Runner: How racing up mountains, running with the bulls, or just taking on a 5-K makes you a better person (and the world a better place), by Martin Dugard, Rodale Press, 2011

This is the second book on running that I have read, and the second book on running that likens running to writing. I came around to this book by way of the author’s Into Africa: The dramatic retelling of the Stanley-Livingstone story, a compelling history and character study of two seminal men, but one that suffers from a disjointed style and a narrative that jumps back and forth too quickly in time and place. Same with this book on running. There is really no seamless flow to this book, which makes me wonder what kind of runner Dugard is.
Modern running, according to Dugard, began in 1967 with the publication of Aerobics, by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper. Both of Dugard’s parents were inspired to begin running, and Martin inspired by them to become a cross-country runner. In the book Dugard describes the ups and downs of his career, taking long breaks from running, gaining weight, losing weight, running with the bulls at Pamplona, tackling a muddy, python-ridden 10-miler off the coast of Borneo, a hilarious description of the Tough Guy run in the British Midlands, and ultimately becoming a running coach for high-schoolers.
 While I enjoyed tremendously Dugard’s descriptions of his ideal runs—all alone in the wild, going off the trail to explore (“going rogue,” he calls it), the transcendence of a pre-dawn run along a pristine golf course—I almost didn’t finish this book.  But I’m glad I did, for the final chapter, “Superheroes,” alone. Attending a concert with his children that features music from films about comic-book heroes, Dugard muses on the heroes in his own life: the great runner Steve Prefontaine, his writing heroes Hunter S. Thompson and Hemingway. He remembers, “Running saved my life. Without running I would be dead somewhere. ...It kept me sane when I was trying to find my way in life. It gave me a sense of self when the world didn’t seem to get me. It gave me peace on days when my mind was chaos. It gave me glory as I crossed the finish line first. It gave me contentment, gave me connection, gave me catharsis. It made me feel, on those days when the sun hit me just right, like a superhero.”

—Michelle Spring


Note: This review is based on the Kindle edition of the book.

Veterans, Birthdays and Campaigns …


Last week was an eventful one for me.  For one, it included my 44th birthday.  I will get back to that later.  I was also busy at work and I had a few non-work related activities I wanted to participate in.  On Tuesday, June 5th, the day before the 68th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, I participated in an event that is always a great joy.  For many years I have participated in welcoming Honor Flight to Washington, DC.  Honor Flight are ones that bring WWII veterans, at no cost to them, to Washington, DC to visit the memorial built in their honor.  Most of these men and women are in their 80s and 90s,.  Usually we welcome these charted flight of veterans at Reagan Airport.  A few times each year, however, there are flight that originate from my home state of Iowa.  For these flight we meet the veterans and at the memorial, welcome them and then walk around helping with any of their needs.  Last Tuesday’s flight was from eastern Iowa, my neck of the woods.  There were approximately 95 veterans and guardians in the group.  As always I greatly enjoyed helping and even met a father/son team from a tiny town close to where I grew up.
  

Wednesday, June 6th, D-Day, was my 44th birthday.  The day was full of meetings and little celebration.  All those that I love are half way across the country in Iowa and Wisconsin. I did start the day with a great run.  At 44 running my age was out of the question, especially considering I had other obligation that day.  Instead I decided to run the sum of my birthday 4+4=8 .. in all I ran 8.88 miles at an 8:16 pace.  The pace, and the multiple of 8 was pure coincidence.  The best part of the day was an evening call from my 3 favorite little people in the world … my 2 nieces aged 4 & 2 and my nephew aged 1.  Nothing makes me smile quite like hearing their voice, well other than seeing them.  Apparently my 2 year old niece kept trying to show me pictures she had drawn for me.  They talk to their uncle on the iPad via Facetime.  Unfortunately I don’t have an iPad.  All-in-all it was just a regular day.

In conjunction with my birthday I urged my friends, family and my FB/Twitter universe to consider making a donation to my Team USO – Marine Corps Marathon campaign equal to a multiple of the sum of my birthday.  While I only got 1 contribution, it did give me a way to get out word that,. Yes, for the 5th time I will be running the Marine Corps Marathon as part of Team USO.  This will be my 7th marathon and my 6th Marine Corps Marathon, my 5th running as part of Team USO.    If you have a minute, please take a look at my fundraising page and consider making a contribution!  My sites can be found at www.TeamUSO.org/2012/Marlene_English.