Deborah Reber offers everything a beginning runner needs to know, from the basics of stretching, nutrition, and apparel, to the complexities of mental motivation and performance improvement. Her book also features encouraging sidebars with pithy ruminations and tips from women runners. Their contagious enthusiasm, and that of the author, will give any woman that extra push to get out of the door and become a runner.
– Runner's World
Run for Your Life is a great gift for any woman in your life whom you want to nudge into the running world.
– Runner's Gazette
Run for Your Life is a down-to-earth look at running from a perspective all women can identify with. Reber gives you the feeling that you are talking to a friend.
– The Rundown
– Runner's World
Run for Your Life is a great gift for any woman in your life whom you want to nudge into the running world.
– Runner's Gazette
Run for Your Life is a down-to-earth look at running from a perspective all women can identify with. Reber gives you the feeling that you are talking to a friend.
– The Rundown
It looks so easy. But for the woman who has never run farther than the bus stop, running can seem daunting, even painful. The good thing is that running is free—you can run anywhere…no gym membership required. All you need are your own two feet and a little support.
Run for Your Life gives you the lowdown on what you need to get moving—from your first trot down the block, to simple training programs, to racing and cross-training. Both a great reference and a powerful motivational tool, Run For Your Life provides advice that will get readers started in a sport that benefits both body and mind.
Introduction (excerpt)
There is a movement gaining strength among women. I'm not talking about the "women's movement" or the Equal Rights Amendment. It's something much larger, more inclusive, and much more powerful. As we enter the 21st Century, women are finally starting to become comfortable with who they are. Books aimed at helping women "rediscover" themselves are selling millions of copies. The website ivillage.com, which touts itself as a home to the authentic woman, is among the most visited site by women on the Internet. Women are being taken seriously as consumers and heads of households. New television networks, like the Oprah Winfrey-backed Oxygen, are cropping up just to deliver women-specific entertainment to this powerful group of viewers. Women are finding their voice. It's a very exciting time to be a 31-year-old woman. I am one of those women finding her voice. And I'll tell you … once you learn to yell out loud, there's no shutting you up. So what does all of this have to do with running? I'm assuming you bought this book because you have a slight, maybe even semi-serious interest in running. Well, to follow through on the metaphor above, running is a way to exercise the vocal chords. To whisper. To sing. To giggle. And to scream at the top of your lungs.
A few years ago, a woman from work who knew that I ran came up to me and began asking me question after question about running. She had always flirted with the idea of running, but she had many questions and concerns. Plainly put, she didn't know where to start. What kind of shoes to buy, where to go, how far to run. And her biggest question: Do people really enjoy running after all?
In writing this book I talked with women runners across the country, and I discovered that their concerns and curiosities were common ones. Many women like the idea of running, they just don't know if it's for them. Well, that's why I wrote this book. To address those concerns and curiosities, and answer the big question with a resounding YES!: Women actually do enjoy running, and you can, too.
In my early twenties, before I started running regularly, I envied those people who were passionate about their health and exercise, especially runners. I always wanted to be one of those women who identified themselves as a "runner." But I never believed it could be me. I didn't believe I would ever enjoy running enough to keep at it for more than a few months. I was wrong. This is not to say I don't have days when the very thought of lacing up my running shoes and walking out the front door is downright exhausting. But I have found a place in my life where running has become integral. And yes, after a few days of no running, I do get a little stir crazy.
What you should know about me as a runner is that while I've been doing it for many years, I'm a runner who continually struggles with motivation. For me, running is a conscious choice I make - harder when my life is particularly hectic, and easier on beautiful fall Sundays that remind me why I started running in the first place. But despite the fact that running is something I have to continually recommit to, I do commit to it. Time and time again. That's probably because I never feel more focused, more healthy, and more at peace with myself than after a good run. Running is extremely consistent in its rewards. And so I keep coming back fore more.
As you'll discover in this book, I approach running the way I do the rest of my life - rationally. I believe in goal setting, achieving, self-fulfillment and emotional well-being. Running provides me with all of these things. It has enriched my life. I'd even go so far as to say that it has saved it at times. Running has gotten me through some of the lowest moments of my life, and given me an outlet for personal pain. But more important, it's given me an endless source of joy. While I'm not a world-class athlete, I have been running in some capacity for over fifteen years. I've been trained by elite athletes and coaches, and have learned a lot along the way. While my background is by no means a prerequisite to being a runner, I hope to share what I've learned with you - the potential runner, the beginning runner, or even the regular runner in search of more information or motivation.
Inside this book, you'll find information on:
- The physical, emotional, social and mental benefits of running
- How and when to stretch
- Specific concerns for women runners
- How to begin and ramp up your running program
- What to wear
- Where to run
- How to eat to run
- How to stay motivated
- Whether road races are for you
- The importance of cross training
© 2003-2007 Deborah Reber
