Once a Runner

This is a special What I've Been Reading edition of the blog. For those of you who think I care that you're angry that I'm not showing Thematic consistency...you obviously don't know me.

This has been a legendary book in the running circles I've frequented over the years. Its been out of print for several decades and I'd often seen used copies being sold on Ebay for hundreds of dollars. People I knew, and various running publications, referred to it as being the best book about running ever written and did so in tones usually reserved for describing Renaissance Paintings, Beethoven Symphonies, or a particularly delicious Strawberry Scone (hey you have your masterpieces I have mine). As a result when the book was recently republished I knew I had to see what all the hype was about and I bought a new hardcover copy (an unprecedented act on my part). So is this the pinnacle of sports literature (well no that would be the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue) or indeed all written word? First some reasons why not:

The book will never be considered great literature in the classical sense. When not dealing with the subject of running the dialougue is clunky, and most of the characters outside of our two protaganists could charitably be described as broad. The ostensible villians in the book were just a step removed from Snidely Whiplash (how's that for a timely reference) and with one notable exception most of the other atheletes have all the depth of the characters in an Adam Sandler comedy.

Now that all that is out of the way lets move on to why the book may actually be worth the hype. Its plot follows a college runner named Quenton Cassidy as he trains to race against the world record holder in the mile. There's some conflict with his school's administration suspending him for insubordination, but none of that matters, what does is the running and that is where the book excels. The author completely captures the drive, pain, and monomaniacal vision of high level atheletes, and gives one of the best depictions of what it takes to succeed athletically of anything I've ever read. The breakdown of the training regimens, and races, are incredibly gripping and felt as authentic as anything out there. More importantly the author is able to distill why somebody would put themselves through hundreds of miles a week of training in an effort to peak in one four minute period with no guarantee of success.
Ultimately this is what makes the book as beloved as it is, and while I can't say I'll go back and re-read the whole thing as often as, say, Everybody Poops, there are passages in it that I'm sure I'll revisit during my training to get a little extra jolt. In fact immediately after I finished it I actually started looking forward to the subsequent day's interval workout and if a book about running can make me do that, then you can call it a success.