"Run, Rima!"

by Carol Pechler

"Impossible at my age" says 59-year-old Rima when her granddaughter begs her to run San Francisco's exciting Bay to Breakers race. Relenting, Rima discovers her own attraction to distance running. She learns that her 17-year-old Sofie shows a promising future in cross-country running - if she can bring her grades up sufficiently to stay in the varsity sport. Rima agrees to join her to train for a marathon. They encounter physical and mental challenges; they experience strong camaraderie and even a new romance. All the while, they learn details of how to run long distance. And Rima learns about the astonishing growing participation of older runners in marathons, all 26.2 miles in length.Performance anxiety builds as Rima and Sofie prepare for their big race. Even so, their growing appreciation for this "moving meditation" generalizes out to other aspects of their lives.

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2015