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Once a Runner: A Novel | 
I started my Fall running season this morning with a gorgeous 5 mile run through downtown Durham.
A tribute to Dad - Part 1
This was the TV room when I was a kid and now it is my dad's den. His shelves are organized thusly:
Left shelves - Canoeing, fishing, running
Right shelves - History, historical fiction, alternate history
And are you ready for this, Littens? Not a single one is TBR. He's read every single one. Many multiple times. And he's always happy to read whatever weirdness I have on hand. I am a reader because he's a reader.
You don't get it unless you're a runner, but if you get it, this may be the truest thing you know, too. Happy Global Running Day to all of my fellow runner readers!
This is my favorite quote about running in honor of 26.2 tomorrow! I'm super excited and just a tad nervous. #phillymarathon #runnerbliss
"He grooved his mind upon the thin platinum rail of his task, a line that stretched out in front of him and disappeared into the gloom, further than he could contemplate all at once." I think "the thin platinum rail" is the best imagery I have ever read about running. Gold medal for that one, Parker.
"Running to him was real; the way he did it the realest thing he knew. It was all joy and woe, hard as a diamond; it made him weary beyond comprehension. But it also made him free." A classic line from this novel about a college athlete whose dream is to break the 4-minute mile. I must have placed this ephemera in the book--these are the pro results of a race I ran during the period I was reading this book. (I was back in the pack).
pickI read this years ago. I found that while it is a poor novel (in general), it might in fact be the best novel about running (which isn't saying much about the sub genre). However, the passages bout running, training, and breaking through personal limits are truly gorgeous, and written by someone who has firsthand experience. Here's the review I wrote years ago: http://thesecondpass.com/?p=1360 Also worth noting, this book is a cult classic.
pickMy husband and I met at Rogue Brewery, he was reading Once A Runner and I was reading Howl. After a rocky start (he told me he vehemently hates the state I'm from😬), he wooed me with his enthusiasm for this book about running. Once a Runner captures what it's like to be dedicated to your sport and in general never give up on your goals. I'm not a #sportsbook fan but this one can inspire even the laziest of us!
pickNot my favorite running book but it was fun nonetheless. There's a sparseness to it that made the story that much more believable.
