It’s not always easy to find a book about something that fills (filled) you with anxiety that gives you a bit of hope and encouragement, but John “The Penguin” Bingham managed to write two of them for me.
The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life
No Need for Speed: A Beginner’s Guide to the Joy of Running
He definitely led me to water. He let me know that it was ok to be slow. It was not odd to always be hanging out toward the back of the pack. His words are easy to read and encouraging and I have re-read The Courage to Start a few times now. I even considered signing up for one of the half marathons he recommended for beginners.
While I didn’t go through with that plan, I did hang onto The Courage to Start and every so often would glance at it, perhaps hoping it would inspire me. But as we all know, a book alone won’t make you do anything – the actual doing is up to you.
Fast forward a bit and I finally did make that jump into running. Like Bingham, I began this adventure in my 40s. I, too, was overweight, out of shape, and lamenting how the hell I got there. After re-reading Courage, I picked up a copy of No Need for Speed and experienced the same feeling of encouragement. The quote on the back cover alone grabbed me:
“You don’t have to run fast to be a real runner.”
When you see article after article suggesting you should be faster, and stronger, and leaner – this one sentence speaks volumes.
This book goes into practical information on gear and training, providing a basic resource for a beginner looking at how to get started. His also goes into the mental aspects of accepting who you are, focusing on goals (and setting them), and being realistic about what to expect from this adventure. It’s in his easy-to-read style and the little sidebar tips from new and experienced runners are a great addition to the book.
The chapter about Finding the Joy is one of my favorites – especially as it starts out recommending hanging out at the finish line of a 5k and watching the absolute joy and emotion witnessed when a first timer crosses that finish line. Not gonna lie, I got a little teary. It’s absolutely true and something everyone should do (same can be done at a 10k, half or full marathon. It’s inspirational.)
To me, what Bingham did (he has retired from the running industry now) is let readers know that you can be you. You can run at whatever pace is right for you. If you want to work on becoming faster or running further, go for it. If you want to run at this same pace or distance forever, that’s ok to.
(As a side note: his Penguin articles and other writings are still on his website – prepare to be there a while if you amble over there)
The most important thing is that you find joy in this sport.
That means more than anything.
Check ’em out.
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*Please note, these are more than likely affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you use them. If I didn’t feel the love of the product, it wouldn’t be on this page.
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