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No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running
"You don't have to run fast to be a real runner!" John Bingham, "the patron saint of the back of the pack," commands "The Penguin Brigade"-- those thousands of dedicated runners who have learned that the greatest joy in their sport comes not from how fast they go or how thin they become, but from simply having the courage to take the first step. Now Bingham shares the wisdom that took him from couch potato to columnist for Runner's World magazine. No Need for Speed explores both the why and the how of running for the rest of us. With information both practical (how to find the right running shoes for you, when to enter a race, what to eat before a run) and inspirational (focus on where you are instead of where you want to be, accepting the body you have, the beauty of being realistic about goals), Bingham extends a trusted hand and expert advice to beginners and veterans alike.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 20, 2002
38 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
About the author
John Bingham
53 books35 followersaka '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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
June 28, 2008
Any book that makes me feel good for my 11 minute mile pace is worthy of at least four stars right out of the gate.
John Bingham, who writes monthly columns for Runner's World, woke up one morning - in his late 30's or early 40's, I believe - to discover he was a mess. He was overweight, hooked on cigarettes, and booze, and couldn't even get up the stairs without huffing and puffing.
So, he started running. Months later, he was a testament to what healthy living can do. Known as "The Penguin", he encourages would-be joggers/runners simply to lace up and get out, not worried about beating a Kenyan to the finish line, but setting your own goals, and going as slow as you want - just so you're going.
He speaks to all the usual subjects - proper shoes, injuries, form, and programs to get you up to a steady mileage. He does so with humor and gentle inspiration. You never feel like he's bragging about how he turned his life around - just reminding you that if he could do it, anyone can.
A great book for anyone who wants to take to the road for a run, but isn't sure how to get started - or if they are truly 'right' for the running life.
John Bingham, who writes monthly columns for Runner's World, woke up one morning - in his late 30's or early 40's, I believe - to discover he was a mess. He was overweight, hooked on cigarettes, and booze, and couldn't even get up the stairs without huffing and puffing.
So, he started running. Months later, he was a testament to what healthy living can do. Known as "The Penguin", he encourages would-be joggers/runners simply to lace up and get out, not worried about beating a Kenyan to the finish line, but setting your own goals, and going as slow as you want - just so you're going.
He speaks to all the usual subjects - proper shoes, injuries, form, and programs to get you up to a steady mileage. He does so with humor and gentle inspiration. You never feel like he's bragging about how he turned his life around - just reminding you that if he could do it, anyone can.
A great book for anyone who wants to take to the road for a run, but isn't sure how to get started - or if they are truly 'right' for the running life.
July 23, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. It's funny because I wouldn't think of myself as an adult-onset runner, but in some ways, I feel like I am. I ran track during most of junior high and high school, but obviously did not make running (or exercise or anything like it) part of my life or lifestyle. Which is really what I am hoping to do now. I think the reason I really liked this book was because it was full of hope; that any regular person can make the choice now to get into running and be successful and happy about it, basing it on their own standards , instead of comparing yourself to others, which I so often tend to do. I really appreciated his humor, openness and inspiration. I will be looking for his columns from now on. This really gave me hope that I can be a runner, my way, with my times and that it's okay to not be the fastest. It was especially good timing because I'd just started back into running about 2 months ago and my knee has started to hurt, so his pep talks about this were very timely; I need to be kind to myself and my body and be a runner, not someone who is doing too much, too often, etc. A feel-good read that applies to many other aspects of self-help and feeling good and accepting yourself, as is. As a therapist, I appreciated his optimism and hope for people to make changes and succeed.
April 28, 2009
I was introduced to this book by my step-father when he was working with John Bingham to make the instructional video "Run for Fun". When I first started trying to run two years ago I started "No Need For Speed" but was really engaged enough to finish it. I wasn't all that engaged in my running either. I ran for a few months, and gave up before I was even able to complete a mile.
I started to re-read this book because I had started running again and had found that I was able to run two miles. I absolutely loved this book the second time around. It approaches running in a relatable and entertaining way, and makes you feel proud about the simple act of running-not the speed or distance or the number of times you've run-just the simple fact that you're out there. It has inspired me to shoot for the Race for the Cure 5K in a month and a half, and even if I'm unable to complete it, this book will have instilled in me the belief that simply gettingo out there is a victory.
I started to re-read this book because I had started running again and had found that I was able to run two miles. I absolutely loved this book the second time around. It approaches running in a relatable and entertaining way, and makes you feel proud about the simple act of running-not the speed or distance or the number of times you've run-just the simple fact that you're out there. It has inspired me to shoot for the Race for the Cure 5K in a month and a half, and even if I'm unable to complete it, this book will have instilled in me the belief that simply gettingo out there is a victory.
March 18, 2018
My only complaint is that I didn't read this sooner.
I feel like I have found someone who gets my running. I started this in early 2009 - about 13 months after my youngest daughter died of bone cancer at the age of 16. A friend convinced me that it would be fun to do the Nashville Country Music Half-Marathon - and said that we could walk much of it if we needed to. I was overweight and depressed, but I started. When I started, I could barely run a lap (1/20th of a mile) and by the run day I could only do a mile or so at a time. But I did it. And when I crossed the finish line, I was hooked. I just finished my 13th or 14th half-marathon last December. I'm not a hugely consistent runner, although I wish I was. I'm s-l-o-w even now - when I've lost 60 pounds over the past 2 years. But at the age of 62 I can slowly run an entire 13.1 miles without stopping at a 15 min pace and I'm working to improve that time. John Bingham - "The Penguin" - is my hero. They don't call him the "patron saint of the back of the pack" for nothing. I just wish I'd read this years ago when I was so discouraged with my time, not to mention my abilities. This is book is divided into 4 parts - inspiration (why run), perspiration (how to run), dedication (training), and celebration (runs and races). This guy gets me and why and how I run. Waddle on, indeed.
Quotes to remember:
There's nothing more to becoming a runner than running. It isn't how fast or how far you run. It isn't even how long you've been running. It's only that you run that makes you a runner.
...the road to a healthier, more active life is the same for everyone. The process is the same whether you become a world-record holder, an age-group champion, or a solidly back-of-the-pack runner like me. You just have to be willing to see where you are, decide where you want to be and work out how you want to get there.
You find, without realizing it, that you're not afraid to change, learn and grow. You learn to look past all the things that you can't be to those few that you can. As you learn to accept your limitations as an athlete, you're less afraid to accept the other limitations in your life. Your unique combination of talent and motivation, discipline and dedication, become the tools with which you build the person you most want to be.
it isn't a matter of getting the body you want, it's a matter of doing the most you can with the body you have...You may never become the best, but you can become your best. You can find ways to improve for the rest of your life. You can find new challenges and new means for expressing your athleticism. You just have to learn to do all these new things with your old body.
Being inspired is fine for a week or two, and being motivated might work for a month or so. But to make any lifestyle change last a lifetime, you need dedication.
...most of us have lived long enough to know that life is much more cyclical than linear. We've learned to weather the bad times and relish the good ones.
Being active later in life...means accepting the decisions that you've made until then as nothing more than the decisions you've made. They're not a sentence you have to serve.
At some point it finally sank in that I was not going to be able to get fit; I was going to have to find a way to stay fit.
Being fit isn't a destination; it's a way of approaching life.
We can all tap into the joy-in-motion part of our spirits by letting go of the need for a destination. When we reject the obsession with what we wish we were and focus on what we are, the joy will follow.
Learning to accept our own limitations, our own unique combinations of talent and will, our own exclusive coalitions of mind, body and spirit releases us to become ourselves.
Whose voice do you hear inside your head? Whose voice narrates the tapes? Who is it that's the spokesperson for your soul? I discovered that it was my own voice. I had learned to speak the language of all my other critics, but the voice was mine. Running can help us change that voice, from being our worst critic to being our biggest fan. Running can help us see that it's rarely our bodies that hold us back; it's our minds.
Running is the road to self-acceptance. Our feet can teach our minds that we are only what we are. Our feet can teach our minds to congratulate us and to celebrate our strength in pursuing our dream. If we listen closely enough, at every pace and every distance, we can hear that voice telling us that we are runners and that we are winners.
There are times in life...when the only way to see tomorrow is to walk right up to the edge of today.
We want to know who we are. We want to know what our limits are. To live life in peace, we have to know how far we can go...You may never have a chance to win a race, but you'll have ample opportunities to be victorious. You have years ahead of you that can be filled with victory after victory...
I've never won, but I've been victorious a thousand times. I've been victorious over my fear, my doubts, my own history, and over my need to make someone else a loser in order to feel like I've won. I've been victorious over my need to win every one of life's small battles. And I've been victorious over feeling like a loser in battles that I can't win.
The victories over ourselves are the ones that matter the most.
The difference between succeeding and failing in our lives is often as simple as taking that one step.
For many of us, it isn't that last step of a marathon that matters most; it's the first step we take on our journey to becoming runners. The truth is that every step is important. Every step takes us a little closer to where we want to be. Every step frees us from a life of sedentary confinement. Every step uncovers some new possibility.
Every starting line is another chance to prove that my past will not determine my future.
It wasn't until I began to understand that my running really only mattered to me that I was free to run for myself.
I feel like I have found someone who gets my running. I started this in early 2009 - about 13 months after my youngest daughter died of bone cancer at the age of 16. A friend convinced me that it would be fun to do the Nashville Country Music Half-Marathon - and said that we could walk much of it if we needed to. I was overweight and depressed, but I started. When I started, I could barely run a lap (1/20th of a mile) and by the run day I could only do a mile or so at a time. But I did it. And when I crossed the finish line, I was hooked. I just finished my 13th or 14th half-marathon last December. I'm not a hugely consistent runner, although I wish I was. I'm s-l-o-w even now - when I've lost 60 pounds over the past 2 years. But at the age of 62 I can slowly run an entire 13.1 miles without stopping at a 15 min pace and I'm working to improve that time. John Bingham - "The Penguin" - is my hero. They don't call him the "patron saint of the back of the pack" for nothing. I just wish I'd read this years ago when I was so discouraged with my time, not to mention my abilities. This is book is divided into 4 parts - inspiration (why run), perspiration (how to run), dedication (training), and celebration (runs and races). This guy gets me and why and how I run. Waddle on, indeed.
Quotes to remember:
There's nothing more to becoming a runner than running. It isn't how fast or how far you run. It isn't even how long you've been running. It's only that you run that makes you a runner.
...the road to a healthier, more active life is the same for everyone. The process is the same whether you become a world-record holder, an age-group champion, or a solidly back-of-the-pack runner like me. You just have to be willing to see where you are, decide where you want to be and work out how you want to get there.
You find, without realizing it, that you're not afraid to change, learn and grow. You learn to look past all the things that you can't be to those few that you can. As you learn to accept your limitations as an athlete, you're less afraid to accept the other limitations in your life. Your unique combination of talent and motivation, discipline and dedication, become the tools with which you build the person you most want to be.
it isn't a matter of getting the body you want, it's a matter of doing the most you can with the body you have...You may never become the best, but you can become your best. You can find ways to improve for the rest of your life. You can find new challenges and new means for expressing your athleticism. You just have to learn to do all these new things with your old body.
Being inspired is fine for a week or two, and being motivated might work for a month or so. But to make any lifestyle change last a lifetime, you need dedication.
...most of us have lived long enough to know that life is much more cyclical than linear. We've learned to weather the bad times and relish the good ones.
Being active later in life...means accepting the decisions that you've made until then as nothing more than the decisions you've made. They're not a sentence you have to serve.
At some point it finally sank in that I was not going to be able to get fit; I was going to have to find a way to stay fit.
Being fit isn't a destination; it's a way of approaching life.
We can all tap into the joy-in-motion part of our spirits by letting go of the need for a destination. When we reject the obsession with what we wish we were and focus on what we are, the joy will follow.
Learning to accept our own limitations, our own unique combinations of talent and will, our own exclusive coalitions of mind, body and spirit releases us to become ourselves.
Whose voice do you hear inside your head? Whose voice narrates the tapes? Who is it that's the spokesperson for your soul? I discovered that it was my own voice. I had learned to speak the language of all my other critics, but the voice was mine. Running can help us change that voice, from being our worst critic to being our biggest fan. Running can help us see that it's rarely our bodies that hold us back; it's our minds.
Running is the road to self-acceptance. Our feet can teach our minds that we are only what we are. Our feet can teach our minds to congratulate us and to celebrate our strength in pursuing our dream. If we listen closely enough, at every pace and every distance, we can hear that voice telling us that we are runners and that we are winners.
There are times in life...when the only way to see tomorrow is to walk right up to the edge of today.
We want to know who we are. We want to know what our limits are. To live life in peace, we have to know how far we can go...You may never have a chance to win a race, but you'll have ample opportunities to be victorious. You have years ahead of you that can be filled with victory after victory...
I've never won, but I've been victorious a thousand times. I've been victorious over my fear, my doubts, my own history, and over my need to make someone else a loser in order to feel like I've won. I've been victorious over my need to win every one of life's small battles. And I've been victorious over feeling like a loser in battles that I can't win.
The victories over ourselves are the ones that matter the most.
The difference between succeeding and failing in our lives is often as simple as taking that one step.
For many of us, it isn't that last step of a marathon that matters most; it's the first step we take on our journey to becoming runners. The truth is that every step is important. Every step takes us a little closer to where we want to be. Every step frees us from a life of sedentary confinement. Every step uncovers some new possibility.
Every starting line is another chance to prove that my past will not determine my future.
It wasn't until I began to understand that my running really only mattered to me that I was free to run for myself.
August 23, 2019
I love everything John Bingham writes. This is a gentle guide for runners who are discouraged that they aren't "real runners' because they aren't fast or don't look like runners etc etc.
Definitely read it if you're just starting out or arent' sure you'll be able to continue.
Definitely read it if you're just starting out or arent' sure you'll be able to continue.
August 3, 2012
I've been a runner since 2003. I happened to catch John 'the penguin' Bingham giving a speech at the Team in Training pasta dinner the night before the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll marathon in 2004- my first big race. I've been a huge fan of waddling and the Penguin ever since. No Need For Speed is an EXCELLENT book for anyone who is new to running or cautiously toying with the idea of taking up running. I wish I had read this book in 2003 instead of 2011! There are so many useful tips, motivation, and inspiration in this book. John takes you through all the major steps a beginner should take as they start the journey to becoming a runner. He provides insight into what will aid you in running as part of your lifestyle vs. attempting the sport and over training to the point of quitting before you even start. His main goal is always to stress that no matter your pace, where you finish during a race, whether you walk or not, as long as you are repeatedly on the road, trail, or treadmill, if you are out there and moving, you are a runner!
June 23, 2009
Inspirational and easy to read, No Need For Speed is an almost perfect introduction to the world of running. Bingham gears the book towards those who haven't exercised in a very long time, so if you're already running, this book probably isn't for you. He offers good tips on purchasing the right shoes, and stresses the importance of sticking to a healthy lifestyle. I felt motivated and energized at the end of the book, and am really glad I read it. My only wish is that it was a little more technical. It had no information on pacing, and breathing. Other than that, I thought it was the perfect book for the first-time runner.
January 15, 2010
I just read this book in two days. I loved it. I have a few books about how to run, schedules and stuff like that. This book talks about how to be a runner. It really deals with all those insecurities you might have that keep you from running. It talks about what it is really like to be a beginner runner and has an inspiring chapter about eating healthy as well. If you want to be a runner but are hesitant about it or you run but you still don't feel like a "runner" for whatever reason, I highly recommend this book. I laughed. . . I cried. . . seriously!
August 27, 2011
I wish I'd read this years ago. Bingham is hilarious and I love his style. He'd be good for anyone contemplating fitness at all. I was belly laughing when he described how he'd return from a run, plop on the couch and smoke a cigarette to celebrate. For people who've been running awhile, you'll nod in agreement as he shares multiple stories of how he learned that it's the love of running and not the race that matters.
Read
November 18, 2015If you're on the fence with running, this is the book to get you in the right direction. I really enjoyed the read, found a lot of practical advice and information that I've already been able to use. My biggest hangup has always been my own head- and apparently I'm not alone. This book will blow up any excuses that you've been using to avoid running and I think it will help get you back on the road, treadmill or trail of your choice.
September 16, 2011
I loved this book! I felt like it was written just for me. I really had a complete, life-altering change in attitude toward running somewhere in the middle of reading this. I have been running off and on for maybe three years, and the whole time I felt like I was pretty much engaging in self-inflicted torture. And now I honestly, truly can say I LOVE RUNNING!!!
February 6, 2009
A very inspiring book, especially somebody like me who is really overweight but aspires to be a runner. It's OK to run some and walk some. I will probably re-read this in the future if I start getting discouraged. :)
June 20, 2010
Great book on running. Learned that it doesn't matter how far I run or how long it takes me, being out there makes me a runner. (I stole this quote from the books, but it fits.) Learned about setting goals and accepting my limitations.
July 5, 2011
Although this book didn't give me a lot of new information about running, it did help to reboot my attitude towards being "slower than a slow thing" and toward doing what I can, where I am with what I've got. As such, I think it was well worth the read :-)
December 8, 2010
Bingham makes me proud to be a penguin and a back of the pack runner. As he says, all of your effort feels the same to a record holder and someone in the back.
May 23, 2017
What a charming little book! Best of all are the little quotes from runners old and young, new and experienced, fast and slow. They're like little voices from running companions, spurring you on.
In the same way that Colin Fletcher explored the "feel how" of walking, he explores the feel how of running. And of walking and cross-training, which in his opinion, are all part of running. In fact, about the only thing that's not part of running is sitting...which is what I did while reading his book. Sad, isn't it? I should have found an audio version.
His tips and techniques are often quite perfect for the 'adult-onset' athlete, and best of all, he doesn't insist that the best treatment for any injury is to run (or hobble) to the doctor. Rest, icing, elevation are often the best treatment--and then figure out what's causing the problem and you change your ways. I've often found that running on the right side of the road makes my legs hurt in a peculiar way but the minute I switch to the left, they're happy campers. He mentions this issue--so it's not just me. He also describes a time when he endured a bad, almost crippling, sciatic pain. It ended up being caused by a poorly-designed office chair--which he only discovered by accident after trying all sorts of other treatments.
So here's the point I took away: if you're going to be a runner, or support a runner, don't assume all problems are caused by running. Don't, Oh, Honey, you need to cut down on your mileage, instead say: Oh, Honey, I'll help with the brush hauling this weekend. I've been jogging for years, and I happen to know that the only time I have knee problems is after I've been digging with a shovel.
The section Finding the Joy was my favorite. Here's a sample--while standing at the finish line and watching the runners cross, he observed many emotions. Some people seemed stunned--some crying--others even seemed angry.
But the emotion I saw on the faces of the vast majority of first-time marathoners as they cross the finish line was joy--real, hones, earned joy. It was joy that they could see, feel, and believe in, that they could cling to. It was theirs alone. It can never be taken away from them.
Yeah.
In the same way that Colin Fletcher explored the "feel how" of walking, he explores the feel how of running. And of walking and cross-training, which in his opinion, are all part of running. In fact, about the only thing that's not part of running is sitting...which is what I did while reading his book. Sad, isn't it? I should have found an audio version.
His tips and techniques are often quite perfect for the 'adult-onset' athlete, and best of all, he doesn't insist that the best treatment for any injury is to run (or hobble) to the doctor. Rest, icing, elevation are often the best treatment--and then figure out what's causing the problem and you change your ways. I've often found that running on the right side of the road makes my legs hurt in a peculiar way but the minute I switch to the left, they're happy campers. He mentions this issue--so it's not just me. He also describes a time when he endured a bad, almost crippling, sciatic pain. It ended up being caused by a poorly-designed office chair--which he only discovered by accident after trying all sorts of other treatments.
So here's the point I took away: if you're going to be a runner, or support a runner, don't assume all problems are caused by running. Don't, Oh, Honey, you need to cut down on your mileage, instead say: Oh, Honey, I'll help with the brush hauling this weekend. I've been jogging for years, and I happen to know that the only time I have knee problems is after I've been digging with a shovel.
The section Finding the Joy was my favorite. Here's a sample--while standing at the finish line and watching the runners cross, he observed many emotions. Some people seemed stunned--some crying--others even seemed angry.
But the emotion I saw on the faces of the vast majority of first-time marathoners as they cross the finish line was joy--real, hones, earned joy. It was joy that they could see, feel, and believe in, that they could cling to. It was theirs alone. It can never be taken away from them.
Yeah.
August 15, 2017
I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw this book. I had a $5 credit for Google Play Books and wanted something fitness and running related, since it's something I've been trying to get into. The book's title piqued my interest.
Now that I've finished reading it, I'm sad to be done. It's been one of the better books I've read in a while and is the perfect read for new runners. John offers relevant personal stories that motivate you to look at yourself seriously in the mirror and realize that you too can be a runner. The most important takeaways for me are: 1) I just have to keep moving, 2) it's okay to run/walk, 3) my goals & satisfaction are my own & can't be dictated by others.
This book has motivated me to make running a lifetime commitment. If you're like me & not sure if running is something you can ever love, then this is the perfect book for you. I highly recommend it.
Now that I've finished reading it, I'm sad to be done. It's been one of the better books I've read in a while and is the perfect read for new runners. John offers relevant personal stories that motivate you to look at yourself seriously in the mirror and realize that you too can be a runner. The most important takeaways for me are: 1) I just have to keep moving, 2) it's okay to run/walk, 3) my goals & satisfaction are my own & can't be dictated by others.
This book has motivated me to make running a lifetime commitment. If you're like me & not sure if running is something you can ever love, then this is the perfect book for you. I highly recommend it.
July 4, 2025
Really good book. I liked his first book better, but this one has a lot of good information. I love his sense of humor. I wish I had read this one before I started training because I hit it too hard too fast and now have partial tears in both Achilles tendons. Had I read this first I may have followed his advice and used his training schedule or Jeff Galloway’s which he recommends. But now I can read it and others to prepare for when I am released to try again.
August 20, 2020
A very sweet and inspiring book. Perfect for the beginning/aspiring runner, and those who aren’t sure if they’re runners! I had an athletic renaissance in middle age as well, so I really enjoyed it, even though the information presented is basic for anyone who is already active. It’s just a nice wholesome perspective, very encouraging. Maybe making me think I could do even more 🤔
August 1, 2017
I've been a runner for 8 years and I still found good, useful things in this book. My attitude about athletics has been moving is better than not, even slow moving. The Penguin reaffirmed my feelings. If we stress about our speed or ability we won't feel the joy and gratitude of being able to run or walk or any of the myriad ways to use our bodies.
Another jewel gleaned: a runner needs to know when not to run.
Great book. Especially liked his favorite Runners World columns at the end.
Another jewel gleaned: a runner needs to know when not to run.
Great book. Especially liked his favorite Runners World columns at the end.
October 9, 2018
It was motivational and that powered me through it. I decided to read this because an author I enjoy, Haruki Murakami, had mentioned once that he read a few "beginner books on running", so I decided to give it a shot too. OK, now where are my running shoes?
January 21, 2019
Used this book to train for 5K, 10K and half marathon back in the day. I still hate to run but it did give me guidance on how to do this when you are not a traditional "runner". recommend for anyone who has never run and would like to give it a try.
January 20, 2021
Excellent book for new runners!!
December 9, 2023
i went for a run today. i looked down and noticed how white my legs are. i felt my belly jiggling. i kept running anyway.
December 9, 2023
i went for a run today. i looked down and noticed how white my legs are. i felt my belly jiggling. i kept running anyway.
December 9, 2023
i went for a run today. i looked down and noticed how white my legs are. i felt my belly jiggling. i kept running anyway.
December 28, 2024
I took some notes and will probably implement some of his tips.
March 2, 2017
I really loved this book, mainly because he is me. "Waddle on" indeed.
Some really good tips on how to work through the beginning steps on running and nice lessons from runners of all ages and abilities throughout. I really like his messages about goal setting and measuring progress against yourself vs. others' goals for you. A good, light read.
Some really good tips on how to work through the beginning steps on running and nice lessons from runners of all ages and abilities throughout. I really like his messages about goal setting and measuring progress against yourself vs. others' goals for you. A good, light read.
June 30, 2016
This book could have been written just for me. I am a chronologically enhanced (aka old) guy who decided to get fit. I started swimming; I started biking, but I never liked running. But one day I ran into an old couple (they looked much older than I think I do) buying swimming goggles. I shared my opinions on different goggles and a conversation started.
They were going to be racing in a mini-triathlon that weekend. I looked at them; I looked at the image of myself in my head and I said to that image, Hey, I could do that! But if I was going to do that I would have to run.
So what's the first step for a biblioholic? Besides getting out of the chair to do something! That's right, get a book. And the book I found is John Bingham's No Need for Speed It is sort of an anti-inspirational book. Let's face it, I am not going to win an Olympic event. I will never come in first place in any race. But I want to enjoy running; I want to enjoy getting fit.
Bingham addresses exactly that; exactly me. His word for runners like me is "Penguin", but I'm not going to tell you why. You can figure it out. The basic point of the book is that you don't have to be fast to run. You don't have to win to get fitter. Running, and even fitness, are not goals, they are processes. There are no laurels to rest on, if you are going to run, or bike, or swim, get fit, or even read, there is no real goal other than the doing.
I recommend this book to anyone who has gotten/is getting/wants to get up off the couch and run.
Oh yeah, get a good pair of shoes, too.
They were going to be racing in a mini-triathlon that weekend. I looked at them; I looked at the image of myself in my head and I said to that image, Hey, I could do that! But if I was going to do that I would have to run.
So what's the first step for a biblioholic? Besides getting out of the chair to do something! That's right, get a book. And the book I found is John Bingham's No Need for Speed It is sort of an anti-inspirational book. Let's face it, I am not going to win an Olympic event. I will never come in first place in any race. But I want to enjoy running; I want to enjoy getting fit.
Bingham addresses exactly that; exactly me. His word for runners like me is "Penguin", but I'm not going to tell you why. You can figure it out. The basic point of the book is that you don't have to be fast to run. You don't have to win to get fitter. Running, and even fitness, are not goals, they are processes. There are no laurels to rest on, if you are going to run, or bike, or swim, get fit, or even read, there is no real goal other than the doing.
I recommend this book to anyone who has gotten/is getting/wants to get up off the couch and run.
Oh yeah, get a good pair of shoes, too.
June 19, 2016
A lot of beginning runners start with the idea that they have to run fast and win races right from the beginning. That attitude sometimes leads to injuries and many times leads to frustration and new runners quitting quickly. This book dispels that attitude. Not everyone is going to be a fast, competitive runner, but everyone can be a runner. When you learn to set realistic goals based on your own real abilities, you learn to celebrate your own victories, be they achieving a long distance or a faster pace.
This book is a great beginners book because it dispels the myths of what a runner is and it provides inspiration for everyone. The author does provide some information about avoiding injuries and what to do if you are injured. And he does provide some suggestions on training if you want to run a half or full marathon, but that information can be found in any running book. What John "The Penguin" Bingham provides in this book that sets it apart from any I've read before is the complete acceptance and celebration of those of us in the back of the pack; the ones who run slower than a ten minute per mile pace. He is telling us that we are runners too and can love running as much as any of the leaders. And he does it with a sense of humor. If you want to run, but think maybe you're not 'good enough,' you need to read this book. You are good enough. Just make the first step. In the words of the author, Waddle on friends.
This book is a great beginners book because it dispels the myths of what a runner is and it provides inspiration for everyone. The author does provide some information about avoiding injuries and what to do if you are injured. And he does provide some suggestions on training if you want to run a half or full marathon, but that information can be found in any running book. What John "The Penguin" Bingham provides in this book that sets it apart from any I've read before is the complete acceptance and celebration of those of us in the back of the pack; the ones who run slower than a ten minute per mile pace. He is telling us that we are runners too and can love running as much as any of the leaders. And he does it with a sense of humor. If you want to run, but think maybe you're not 'good enough,' you need to read this book. You are good enough. Just make the first step. In the words of the author, Waddle on friends.
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