Today I finished reading my latest book titled “26.2 Marathon Stories” by Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson.  At a point in my marathon training that I was breaking 30 miles per week my motivation needed a bit of a lift, so I looked for a good book to read during my lunch breaks.  (The place I work at has a really nice sit-down area with fountains and vegetation that is relaxing and excellent for reading during a lunch break.)

When the book was delivered I looked it over, and at first was a little disappointed.  Sure the hard cover was colorful and beautiful, and the binding was well done.  But the print seemed very large, and there were bunches of pictures.  It seemed to be more of a coffee table book than a good reading book.  However, since I had already purchased it I decided to give it a chance any way.  I am glad that I did.

Now that I have finished it I can tell you without reserve that it was a very good book.  Because there are many images, and the text is large, the book is a very fast read.  I forced myself to only read a chapter or two a day during my lunch break instead of breezing through it.  I could have read the whole thing in a day or two, but instead I found that it was much better to read a chapter and let it sink in.  Instead of merely glancing at the images I studied them to see every fine point. (Yes, they were that good.)

The majority of the book serves as a history lesson about the marathon and its origin and those that came before me.  I found that it was done in such a way that it really kept my interest, and I welcomed the knowledge that was gained from the lesson.  There were even a few chapters that were nothing more than pictures and facts about some of the notable people/runners in the sport. (They were titled “Heroes from/to”.)  It was kinda like baseball cards with marathon runner stats.  Very well done.

The rest of the book covered some really nice facts about the race experience itself.  What happens when you hit “the wall”, basic tips on training, how the courses are mapped out and measured, what to look for in “the pack”, what you will experience psychologically at mid-point and the end. There was much more but I cannot really do it justice without giving too many details and ruining the book for you.

To get to the point I highly recommend this book for anyone.  It is interesting, engaging, inspirational, motivational, and just plain entertaining.  Your gonna love it too, I am sure.