About this ebook
The hardest thing about running isn't the running. It's getting
yourself out the front door. This is particularly true for anyone who
is overweight, who doesn't "look" like a runner, but more like someone
who ran out of gas on the way to pick up a pizza. Someone who looks
like she needs a ride home.
Jennifer Graham's been there. She's still there, actually.
She started running to lose weight, and she did lose a little, but not
enough to ever fit in the size 12 silk dress that still hangs in her
closet, apparently doomed to be forever unworn. But no matter. Along
the way, Graham learned that running -- not weight loss -- is the fast track to joy.
It's also the best way to motor over the speed
bumps of life, whether they be excessive procreation, a difficult
divorce, or runaway donkeys headed for the school bus.
Graham, a
columnist for The Boston Globe, writes candidly about the indignities
of being a plus-sized runner in a sport dominated by long, lean
"shirtless wonders." But she believes that everyone who can run should
run (and if they can't, they should walk as long and as fast as they
can.) How?
It's this simple: Put on your most comfortable
clothes, and your most comfortable shoes, and walk somewhere, even if
it's just to the mailbox. Then run back to where you started, slowly.
The next day, do it again, only go a little bit farther. And farther
yet, the next day. Keep it up, listening carefully to your body about
when it needs to work and when it should rest. One day, you'll run a
5K, or a marathon, or at least will be able to retrieve your mail with
lightning speed.
But first, buy a copy of this book, and let Jennifer Graham entertain you every step of the way.
-------
Praise for Honey, Do You Need a Ride?"
"Jennifer
writes like an old friend speaks, in a voice you know and love. Her
descriptions of running heavy, whether with added weight or added
burdens, make her experience universal to runners and non-runners alike.
Her overcoming spirit makes you want to cheer for her, run with her, or
eat a pint of ice cream with her! Ultimately, it's not the size of the
body but the size of the heart that counts. And this runner's heart is
huge."
--Kristin Armstrong, mother of three, Contributing Editor for Runner's World,Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run
"Here's
to the mid-pack runners, the back-of-the-pack shufflers, the
start-slowly-and-taper-off champions. Just remember: there's a lot more
of us than there are of them (those tall skinny Shirtless Wonders). And
Jennifer Graham tells our story beautifully, with unflinching honesty
and laugh-out-loud humor."
--John "the Penguin" Bingham, author of The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, and An Accidental Athlete
"Jennifer
Graham might be surprised when the sinewy running tribe she longs to
conform to becomes readers of her book, because you don't have to be a 'fat runner' to enjoy this moving memoir. If you've ever fallen in love
with running; if running is a constant companion; if running has been a
lifeline through bad times, then you'll identify with Graham's story.
Okay, maybe not the donkeys or the paranormal coaching, but when you're
done reading you'll wish you could join Graham on a run, just so you can
hear more."
--Kara Douglass Thom, author of Becoming an Ironman and Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom
"Jennifer
Graham is the hilarious, pee-your-pants running partner you wish you
had. She'll make you want to move to Boston just to pound out a few
miles alongside her and slam down a ginormous hot-fudge sundae with her
post-run. If you love running, laughing, eating, and reading in equal
measure, you'll love this book."
--Eileen Button, author of The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays
yourself out the front door. This is particularly true for anyone who
is overweight, who doesn't "look" like a runner, but more like someone
who ran out of gas on the way to pick up a pizza. Someone who looks
like she needs a ride home.
Jennifer Graham's been there. She's still there, actually.
She started running to lose weight, and she did lose a little, but not
enough to ever fit in the size 12 silk dress that still hangs in her
closet, apparently doomed to be forever unworn. But no matter. Along
the way, Graham learned that running -- not weight loss -- is the fast track to joy.
It's also the best way to motor over the speed
bumps of life, whether they be excessive procreation, a difficult
divorce, or runaway donkeys headed for the school bus.
Graham, a
columnist for The Boston Globe, writes candidly about the indignities
of being a plus-sized runner in a sport dominated by long, lean
"shirtless wonders." But she believes that everyone who can run should
run (and if they can't, they should walk as long and as fast as they
can.) How?
It's this simple: Put on your most comfortable
clothes, and your most comfortable shoes, and walk somewhere, even if
it's just to the mailbox. Then run back to where you started, slowly.
The next day, do it again, only go a little bit farther. And farther
yet, the next day. Keep it up, listening carefully to your body about
when it needs to work and when it should rest. One day, you'll run a
5K, or a marathon, or at least will be able to retrieve your mail with
lightning speed.
But first, buy a copy of this book, and let Jennifer Graham entertain you every step of the way.
-------
Praise for Honey, Do You Need a Ride?"
"Jennifer
writes like an old friend speaks, in a voice you know and love. Her
descriptions of running heavy, whether with added weight or added
burdens, make her experience universal to runners and non-runners alike.
Her overcoming spirit makes you want to cheer for her, run with her, or
eat a pint of ice cream with her! Ultimately, it's not the size of the
body but the size of the heart that counts. And this runner's heart is
huge."
--Kristin Armstrong, mother of three, Contributing Editor for Runner's World,Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run
"Here's
to the mid-pack runners, the back-of-the-pack shufflers, the
start-slowly-and-taper-off champions. Just remember: there's a lot more
of us than there are of them (those tall skinny Shirtless Wonders). And
Jennifer Graham tells our story beautifully, with unflinching honesty
and laugh-out-loud humor."
--John "the Penguin" Bingham, author of The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, and An Accidental Athlete
"Jennifer
Graham might be surprised when the sinewy running tribe she longs to
conform to becomes readers of her book, because you don't have to be a 'fat runner' to enjoy this moving memoir. If you've ever fallen in love
with running; if running is a constant companion; if running has been a
lifeline through bad times, then you'll identify with Graham's story.
Okay, maybe not the donkeys or the paranormal coaching, but when you're
done reading you'll wish you could join Graham on a run, just so you can
hear more."
--Kara Douglass Thom, author of Becoming an Ironman and Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom
"Jennifer
Graham is the hilarious, pee-your-pants running partner you wish you
had. She'll make you want to move to Boston just to pound out a few
miles alongside her and slam down a ginormous hot-fudge sundae with her
post-run. If you love running, laughing, eating, and reading in equal
measure, you'll love this book."
--Eileen Button, author of The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays
Ratings and reviews
4.2
4 reviews
Bret Humphrey
- Flag inappropriate
February 8, 2015
This is book is directed to wemon, from a male look, it has several moments I feel the same way, if you ask should I read this my answer is yes.
1 person found this review helpful
Amanda C
- Flag inappropriate
February 23, 2015
ilgi,gi
About the author
Jennifer Graham is a writer and editor currently working – through no fault of her own – in the suburbs of Boston.
She is a biweekly columnist for The Boston Globe, and her essays and articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe Magazine, Ladies’ Home Journal, Equus, Family Circle, Runner’s World, and Parents magazines, as well as newspapers across the country.
Before procreating too many times, Graham was a reporter and columnist for newspapers in South Carolina. Today, she is a freelance wordsmith when she’s not out running the back roads of New England, dreaming of knee-replacement surgery.
Graham holds a degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina and was a fellow at the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. She has also been a press secretary and a speechwriter for the S.C. Attorney General.
An aspiring lumberjack, Graham lives with her four children, two donkeys, two cats and a Border collie in a farmhouse modeled after Bonanza’s Ponderosa. Her hobbies include running, reading and the pursuit of the perfect pot of coffee.
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