The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life

by John Bingham, Jenny Hadfield

“The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” Take your first step toward fitness and a happier, healthier life.

Has the idea of running crossed your mind, but you haven't acted on it because you don't think you have the body of a runner? Have you thought about running but quit before you started because you knew that you would be breathless at the end of your driveway? Well, put aside those fears because you can do it. John Bingham, author of the popular Runner's World column “The Penguin Chronicles,” transformed himself from an overweight couch potato who smoked into a runner who has completed eleven marathons and hundreds of road races.

Forget about the image of a perfect body in skintight clothes, and don't worry about how fast or how far you go. Bingham shows how anyone can embrace running as a life-enhancing activity—rather than as a competition you will never win. In an entertaining blend of his own success story and practical advice, Bingham provides reasonable guidelines for establishing a program of achievable goals; offers tips on clothing, running shoes, and other equipment; and explains how anyone can prepare for and run distances ranging from a few miles to marathons.

After all, in running and in life, the difference between success and failure sometimes comes down to a single step. Waddle on, friends.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Sports, Fitness, Self Help, Memoir, Reference

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 1999

About the author

aka 'The Penguin'. John Bingham became well known for his 'The Penguin Chronicles' in Runner's World where he told in detail about his development from couch potato to runner and how that changed his life.

Reviews

[Joanne Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd just participated in my first 5K when I started reading this book, so the timing was perfect. I have a tendency to discredit myself, because I am really slow and just a beginner, and this book dealt with a lot of feelings that I could relate to.

It was also inspiring to see someone start from very out of shape, to eventually run marathons. My favorite moment in the book was when the author came to the realization that he'd need to find a reason other than winning to keep on going.

The author talks a lot about the experience of participating in races and the social aspect of running. Its very encouraging and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for inspiration to keep moving.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like this book was written FOR me. I started running after my 42nd birthday--the author started after his 43rd. He had to blaze his own trail of discovery about "adult-onset athletics," including a generous allowance for running at your own pace, finding enjoyment in the running itself, not worrying about time or pace, giving yourself a break when you "fail," and all the rest. I think I heard about this author from running blogs, and some Amazon searching led me to try this one first. It was perfect, and a book I expect to keep and re-read in the future.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Bingham loved running as a kid. He wasn’t any good at it – he flailed his arms and wouldn’t impress any stopwatch-yielding kindergarten teachers with his time – but he found it an innate pleasure. Every advancing year in elementary school, however, made him increasingly self-conscious about his physical limitations, to the point that he stopped running altogether. He focused on his music, preferring to take part in physical activities only vicariously, by watching athletes on tv. As the years passed and his waist grew wider, he occasionally gave thought to running again — until one day he stood in his garage and just did. For 20 seconds. The next day he did it again, for a little longer, and the next – until before long, he was running marathons alongside his librarian-wife, who also began running for moral support but soon surpassed even him in passion and strength.

When I bought The Courage to Start, it was under the impression that it was about his journey from an obese couch potato to a mostly-healthy runner, but that isn’t accurate at all. Bingham doesn’t mention weight loss, and his only mention of diet and nutrition is when he mentions that starting a running habit made him shift to thinking of food in utilitarian terms: as fuel rather than a source of fun, relaxation, or comfort. The Courage to Start is purely about running – what you need to get started, what preconceptions you’ll need to ignore to continue, and what joy it can bring to your life. Bingham’s message is simple: if you want to run, run. Don’t worry about the fact that you can’t go further than the edge of your driveway without your lungs mutinying: just do it again once they’re rested. Bingham’s discovery was that his body responded to movement: the more he did it, the better he got. He provides a nine-week schedule for newbies from the couch to regular running status, but it only suggests “movement”, and Bingham suggests that readers do a mix of walking and running that feels right to them. (The Beginning Runner’s Handbook has a more detailed schedule to guide walkers into running.) The latter part of the book is taken up with racing and the fruits thereof – the courage to endure.

Is The Courage to Start for you? Well, if you’re on the fence about running and you want to start but lack the nudge, then it will probably do the trick. If you’re simply considering it, probably not: Bingham’s book strikes me as written to someone who already has the bug. Aside from the chapter on what to look for in running shoes, there’s not a lot of hard advice; Courage is more a work of encouragement than education.

[Vanessa Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this as a part of a running/reading group and then never finished it. Until now. More than anything this book helped me to stop obsessing about times and pace and how I 'should' run and to start just focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. A run is a run is a run. The rest is just noise really. I can't say that I fully embrace running as a guide to my life. But, running certainly helps me in my life.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

[Madelyn Rasmussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

John has a delightful view of running, and his principles and perspective can be applied to just about any other facet of life too. This book gave me inspiration to continue my running journey and to value the fact that I can learn and become better at things.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book

http://travellingcari.com/2017/10/09/...

[Leigh-ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but found it rather dull and not nearly as humorous or light-hearted as I'd expected. I enjoy the author's writing in smaller doses (i.e. magazine articles), but over the course of an entire book he became a bit preachy, repetitive, and as cliched as a Melissa Etheridge song. You could invent a fine drinking game by downing a shot every time Bingham-the-psychotherapist goes on about "every journey begins with a single step and you can't get anywhere unless you put one foot in front of the other and believe in yourself and don't be your own worst enemy because we're all winners". I think there was an entire chapter where the author dissected the deep inner meaning of being an athlete vs. being a runner vs. being a person who runs, and that sort of stuff didn't do anything to inspire me (which I assume is the point of the book). John Bingham seems to have acquired a lot of emotional baggage over the course of his life, and while it's nice that he feels running helps him cope with it, I really didn't need to read about it. I just wanted a light and entertaining guide about running, aimed at newbies, and this book was so much more than I ever wanted (and I obviously don't mean that in a good way).

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start this review by saying that I have seen the author John 'the penguin' Bingham speak at many rock 'n' roll marathons. During my first-ever marathon in 2004, his speech was so motivating that I felt I could conquer the world one step at a time and knew that it would not be my last race, but the first of many to come.

This book is meant to be solely motivational to the couch potato or beginning runner looking for motivation. John tells his personal story of getting off of the couch at age 43 and how his journey to becoming a runner led him (and his wife!) to a happier existence that changed him emotionally and physicaly.

Mr. Bingham is the every man, not some ultramarathoner with 2% body fat. That is what makes him, his speeches, his columns in runner's world and this book relatable. I loved this book and look forward to reading another of his running books, "No Need for Speed".

[Lain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good overview of beginning running by a man known for encouraging thousands of would-be runners to strap on their shoes. While I appreciate the effort to provide his personal story AND a basic breakdown of training, equipment, etc., I thought the result was a little watered down. I would have preferred to stick with one topic or the other, rather than trying to cover everything in one volume.

[Jada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book after reading a couple of good articles by John Bingham about being a slow runner. Despite the embarrassing title, this is an excellent book and I couldn't put it down. John is humble w/ a touch of self-deprecation, honest and a little nerdy, which is a combo I cannot resist. Though I noticed some repetition throughout, I was able to forgive it since I got the impression the book is mostly a compilation of articles; no big deal.

[KimBoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful little tome is short on concrete training advice but long on motivation. John "The Penguin" Bingham took up running later in life in order to improve his health and lose weight, and he has become a spokesperson for "running for the rest of us." This book will not turn you into an Olympic Athlete but it will help turn you into an athlete, which is were it all starts. A great, inspirational book!

[Lea Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Bingham is my hero. and it is because of this book that i don't care what anyone thinks when i run (and i use that term incredibly loosely - an airforce shuffle is too fast for me). It's not really a book about losing weight, it's more about becoming what you really want to be. and if you are overweight and want to be a runner, it will give you inspiration.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that started my adult athletic career.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginner runners to read, helped me feel like I wasn't alone, and it was ok that I was running at the speed I was. Looking forward to reading the next one!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bingham sure can write. Feels like a classic of running literature, if a little unorthodox. Or maybe it's not orthodox at all - only reinforcing the truth that people run for a variety of reasons. That there are vastly different types of runners - including ones that are quite opposite from the stereotypical speed-obsessed, strictly disciplined, racing athlete.

Bingham's aversion towards prioritizing speed or constantly trying to one-up your PR is rather refreshing, if a bit repetitive at times. He goes through accounts of running (and walking) through marathons. He takes time to thank the volunteers as he goes, running at the back of the pack to do so.

Great if you've just started running (like myself). It introduces basic concepts of cadence, fartleks, thinking about pronantion when picking out shoes.

A problem I did have was what felt like his occasional smugness about being able to care less about the things many runners obsess about (speed, distance, numbers, etc). It made me feel a bit annoyed at times - but maybe that says more about me being a prickly person than his narrative tone. Who knows.

That being said, this was a thoroughly enjoyable book. He's a really solid writer; lots of quoteable, dramatic lines - a little cheesy at times, but most are completely relatable if you run in any capacity. I learned a lot - it was a wonderful read!

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. More of a chatty and really long article in a Sunday circular than what I’d expect for a book on running. Or it's a book on mindfulness disguised in penguin clothing (the author's nickname and his symbol for you're-a-runner-even-if-you're-not-fast type folk). For an encouraging “you can do it!” type piece (and other than being really long for that type of read) this was nice. I liked the author’s enthusiasm and passion—I’m honestly happy for him and thinking to myself: “Maybe I CAN do it!” Which I suppose is the point of the book exactly.

"Running teaches us to truly enjoy the moment - to find the happiness that eluded us in the past, the happiness that may not be there in the future - and to concentrate on living in this time of our lives. If we're honest most of us will find, in looking back, that where isn't much to which we want to return. And looking forward is still like staring into the abyss. Running teaches us that the only time we have is now."

[Maryanne Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this author's style of writing. Makes everything seem totally approachable and not so daunting.
That said, I read two of his books in quick succession so can't remember exactly which was which.
I'd say, if you are going to read multiple, definitely read this one first (makes sense, it is the "start" book).

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I needed in this moment. Struggling with these crazy stressful times and looking to start running as a positive activity to ease my mind and strengthen my body. I ran in the past but not regularly in recent years. I will never be a fast or graceful runner with a svelte body, but I can be a runner. Great message in this book for people like me, “penguins.”

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For wanna-be runners on the fence about running, this is a must read. Seriously, it is fabulous writing, honest, vulnerable and has some great advice. I'll be adding this one to my permanent collection for sure!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the slow and steady runners who could use some encouragement that runners are people who run, not just people who run fast or far.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reminder to enjoy running for the sake of running.

“Running, like living, is alternatively easy and hard, good and bad, exciting and boring.”

[Brad Allmendinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great nuggets and wisdom! Mostly pointed at the new runner but if you can slog through the obvious parts there are some interesting perspectives even for advanced runners

[Carla Boner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to help with motivation and ridding ourselves of the self-conscious issues that convince us to stop before we’ve even started.

[Kristy Hales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very inspiring for those of us not into the technicalities of running but into a more satisfying and enriched life. I love that he began running in his forties and has found joy in it that makes him younger. I'm starting to pick up running again as I remember my brief year or so as a runner the best I'd ever felt!

[Jane Lebak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading this because I was having jitters prior to my first 5K. I'm slow, and I have to walk a couple of times while doing a run of that length.

John Bingham describes himself kind of the way I feel about me:

"At age 43, when I decided to run again, I realized that the images used to describe runners didn't fit me. I wasn't a rabbit. I wasn't a gazelle or a cheetah or any of the other animals that run fast and free. But I wasn't a turtle or a snail either. [...] I was a round little man with a heavy heart but a hopeful spirit. I didn't really run, or even jog. I waddled. I was a Penguin. This was the image that fit. Emperor-proud, I stand tallto face the elements of my life. Yes, I am round. Yes, I am slow. Yes, I run as thought my legs are tied together at the knees. But I am running. And that is all that matters."

He's very perceptive and very inspirational. At times he's extremely funny, like when describing the differences between "really fast runners," "pretty fast runners," "kind-of fast runners," and "Penguins." He's very practical and down-to-earth, and he's also insistent that the real achievements of running are not that you run fast or run far, but that a) you are running at all, and b) you are running as you yourself should, which is something that isn't necessarily the average or the highest effort of the kind of achievement the world expects from runners. He's very insistent about setting one's own goals and redefining success in such a way that we don't set ourselves up for failure.

There are a few catch-your-heart-in-your-throat moments, too, as when he describes the marathoner in his 40s who broke down crying when he realized no one had ever cheered for him before, or when he describes reaching the Wall of Failure during a triathalon.

Recommended especially for beginning runners, for whom, as Bingham says, the miracle isn't that the finished the race, but rather that they found the courage to start.

I finished my first 5K today in 34:51.

[Marian Estrada · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've chosen this book because it seemed interesting to read, at first I thought it was going to be about an actual penguin who ran. Soon I realized it was a type of runner. The protagonist in the story is John Bingham, and his supporting characters are his friends and wife who support him and join him. The antagonists is being at the back or the pack, a ’’penguin”. John’s conflict began when he had realized he had been a penguin all his life. Years later, John had decided to get faster and better at running. He would do all the possible things he could to become a better runner. The story takes place at marathons, with a great attitude which lead to success.
John is having a man vs. self central conflict because he’s trying to become a better runner. The theme would be, take your first step to be able to do what you are capable of. The symbol in “The Courage to Start” is penguins, penguins are what you call the ones at the back of the pack.The morfit could be, him always being the penguin at the races he attended.
The quote "And like Goldilocks, the real satisfaction comes when we find the balance between too hard and too easy", is meaningful to me because it makes sense and not everything will be just how you want it to be, until you try. It connects to the theme of the story because John, the penguin tried all he was able to become the kind-of-fast runners.
I would recommend this book to others because it’s very inspirational and shows how it’s possible to get where you want if you actually try every possible thing. It gives you facts and ways to get better as a runner, which would really help me.

[Dasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book grabbed my attention the second I picked it up. I chose to read this book because I find running to be interesting but not many can achieve this talent. The Courage to Start by John Bingham is a nonfiction, health and fitness book about rediscovering oneself. It inspires many to get up from their couches and try something new in their lives that will benefit them and their health. The protagonist of this book is the author himself, John Bingham, with his friends and wife being the supporting characters throughout his journey in the book. While John is the protagonist, he is also his enemy, the antagonist because often he would find himself not wanting to run. Since he was his hero and his enemy, the conflict of this book was Man vs. Self. One significant message that the author is trying to let everyone know is that often all that is needed is a push in the right direction to start. One quote that was very powerful was “As you get better at seeing the moment you’re in, you’ll find that you can stop waiting for the good times to roll” (Bingham, 153). It is powerful because once you realize the life that you are living and the things you do in it are something special and great then you won’t have to sit and wait for your life to become something great when it already is. This book is very different from other books that I have read before, but would recommend it to anyone who is seeking for inspiration to starting something new in life and to see how someone found their way in life.

[Yuliana Ibarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Genre: Exercise/Fitness
- I chose to read this book because in the title it says "A guide to running" and personally I have tried running before but than I run out of motivation to keep on running so I simply just stop. I chose to read this book because I wanted to be motivated about running again and I want to learn little but important details about running. I wanted to learn how to be physically ready to run and also mentally ready to run.
- Protagonist: John Bingham
- Supporting characters: friends & wife
-Antagonist: I would say that the antagonist is sometimes himself because he sometimes he does not want to run and he looses all motivation to keep trying.
- Central conflict is: Man vs. Self
Theme: Never stop trying because in the end it will all be worth it.
Quote- "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John Bingham
This quote is meaningful to me because having the courage to start means everything not everyone has the courage to set a goal and actually achieve. It is always harder to start than the process to finishing.
Recommendation: I highly recommend this book because it motivates you and it reminds you that your not the only one that struggles to get the courage to start. This book also gives good advice that could be useful to you so I recommend that you read it.

[Sharudin Jamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very inspiring book. John had successfully captured the essence of running in a simple and eloquent writing style. This book is suitable for the newbies as well as those who had been running for a while but wanted to rekindle the spirit of the sport. I had read many books written on the subject but none surpassed the writing style of John Bingham. He is funny and yet dead serious when comes to describing the matter at hand. Will certainly reread it in the near future.