The Incomplete Book of RunningPeter Sagal, the host of NPR’s Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! and a popular columnist for Runner’s World, shares “commentary and reflection about running with a deeply felt personal story, this book is winning, smart, honest, and affecting. Whether you are a runner or not, it will move you” (Susan Orlean). On the verge of turning forty, Peter Sagal—brainiac Harvard grad, short bald Jew with a disposition towards heft, and a sedentary star of public radio—started running seriously. And much to his own surprise, he kept going, faster and further, running fourteen marathons and logging tens of thousands of miles on roads, sidewalks, paths, and trails all over the United States and the world, including the 2013 Boston Marathon, where he crossed the finish line moments before the bombings. In The Incomplete Book of Running, Sagal reflects on the trails, tracks, and routes he’s traveled, from the humorous absurdity of running charity races in his underwear—in St. Louis, in February—or attempting to “quiet his colon” on runs around his neighborhood—to the experience of running as a guide to visually impaired runners, and the triumphant post-bombing running of the Boston Marathon in 2014. With humor and humanity, Sagal also writes about the emotional experience of running, body image, the similarities between endurance sports and sadomasochism, the legacy of running as passed down from parent to child, and the odd but extraordinary bonds created between strangers and friends. The result is “a brilliant book about running…What Peter runs toward is strength, understanding, endurance, acceptance, faith, hope, and charity” (P.J. O’Rourke). |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - Yardape - LibraryThingPeter Sagal’s The Incomplete Book of Running is the radio host’s memoir of his running career, which essentially started in middle age as his marriage was falling apart. He relates various segments of ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - Gittel - LibraryThingI'm not a runner (yet?) but still loved this book. Heartwarming, personal, intimate, inspiring. A close-up look at the life of a midlife runner. Made me want to grab my sneakers. I listened to this ... Read full review
Contents
Section 1 | 1 |
Section 2 | 19 |
Section 3 | 23 |
Section 4 | 48 |
Section 5 | 49 |
Section 6 | 63 |
Section 7 | 81 |
Section 8 | 95 |
Section 11 | 119 |
Section 12 | 129 |
Section 13 | 145 |
Section 14 | 172 |
Section 15 | 173 |
Section 16 | 183 |
Section 17 | 187 |
Section 18 | 192 |
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Common terms and phrases
actually ahead asked become believe better blind body Boston Marathon called Chicago completely course crowd decided didn’t don’t Erich event exercise fact father feel feet felt finally finish finish line fitness five four friends front give going half hand happened head hill hope hundred it’s Jacob keep kids kind knew later learned least legs less live looked managed miles minutes months morning move never night once pace pain passed perhaps person play race road runners Sagal seemed side sometimes started step stop story street talk tell thing thought thousand told took tried trying turned Wait walk watch wave week weight
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Incomplete Book of Running |
| Author | Peter Sagal |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster, 2019 |
| ISBN | 1451696256, 9781451696257 |
| Length | 224 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / Sports Sports & Recreation / Coaching / General Sports & Recreation / General Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging Sports & Recreation / Training |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |