Amy Newmark's Blog - Posts Tagged "dean-karnazes"

I recently resumed my morning routine of taking a brisk three-mile walk. It makes me feel great! And it's so easy! All you need is a pair of running shoes, a safe route, and, of course, the will to get yourself out there!

The 101 real-life stories in our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good, provide plenty of motivation, inspiration, and how-to advice, for everyone from the newbie walker all the way to the super-athletic ultramarathoner.

Here are tips from two of my favorite stories in the book that will help motivate you to get out there and start walking or running:

You can rediscover your true self
On the morning of her 45th birthday, Ann Morrow stood at the bathroom mirror and realized that the woman looking back at her was angry, stressed, and unfit. Ann decided †o reclaim control of her life. She grabbed her coat and walked out the front door, even though it was a gray January day. And then she walked. By March, Ann looked different, and more importantly, she felt different. She says, “My senses came to life as I learned how to use meditation and mindfulness.” Walking led to a 30-pound weight loss for Ann, and it set her back on the path to rediscovering her creative side, too. Now, she says, when she’s not outside walking, she spends her time in front of a computer screen, happily “crafting stories and editing images I hope someone, somewhere will enjoy.”

You can lose weight and enjoy doing it
Billy Cuchens was an out-of-shape father of five who hadn’t worked out in over a decade. When his doctor told him he needed to lose 40 pounds, he wondered how he would find the time. But then Billy got a new job and his employer actually provided a personal trainer to work out with the staff. Billy began slowly, but over time he found himself running on a treadmill and trying to surpass his previous times and distances. As his fitness improved, he started playing football with his sons. Now Billy reports that at his most recent physical, the nurse took his pulse and blood pressure, and then asked if he was a runner.

So get going! I'll see you out there!


Amy Newmark

Today is Global Running Day, "a worldwide celebration of running that encourages everyone to get moving," according to GlobalRunningDay.com. At Chicken Soup for the Soul we are celebrating with our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good.

We collaborated with Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes to provide 101 real-life stories that will be sure to motivate you to get out there!

Here are tips from two of my favorite stories in the book that will help inspire you to lace up your sneakers and go out for a run:

You can make new friends no matter where you are
When Helen Boulos and her family moved from Tennessee to Delaware, she knew she would miss the warm weather and the trails she had run on. But then she found that she was missing something else, too—friends. One day another mother from school told her about a mothers’ running group. Helen joined the group and was welcomed into their circle. Then, when she was in New York and her mother died, in Maryland, her new friends rallied around her and helped plan the entire funeral, something she couldn’t do remotely and while dealing with her grief. Helen concludes her story by saying, “I miss the beautiful views in Tennessee, but I have learned that it isn’t the distance, the view or the pace that makes running great; it is the people running by your side.”

You can use running to get closer to your kids
Andrew Todd Smith and his wife were sick and tired of the amount of time their teenage son spent playing video games. Their younger son was staring at a screen all the time, too. So they instituted a new rule for both boys: Screen time would have to be earned—via running. Each mile run would earn the boys a half hour of screen time. There was some resistance at first, but the boys came around and now they are both accomplished distance runners. And the family has a new shared activity, not only for the boys, but for their sister and parents, too.


Amy Newmark