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A Beautiful Work In Progress
Runners’ vocabulary is full of acronyms like DNS for “Did Not Start” and DNF for “Did Not Finish,” but when Mirna Valerio stepped up to the starting line, she needed a new DNQ for “Did Not Quit.”
Valerio has tied on her running shoes all across the country, from the dusty back roads of central New Jersey to the busy Route 222 corridor in Pennsylvania to the sweltering deserts of Arizona. When you meet her on the trail, you might be surprised to see she doesn’t quite fit the typical image of a long-distance runner. She’s neither skinny nor white, and she’s here to show just how misguided these stereotypes can be.
In this prejudice-busting, body-positive memoir told with raw honesty, an adventurous spirit, and a sharp sense of humor, Valerio takes readers along on her journey from first-time racer to ultramarathoner and proves that anyone can become a successful athlete.
Valerio has tied on her running shoes all across the country, from the dusty back roads of central New Jersey to the busy Route 222 corridor in Pennsylvania to the sweltering deserts of Arizona. When you meet her on the trail, you might be surprised to see she doesn’t quite fit the typical image of a long-distance runner. She’s neither skinny nor white, and she’s here to show just how misguided these stereotypes can be.
In this prejudice-busting, body-positive memoir told with raw honesty, an adventurous spirit, and a sharp sense of humor, Valerio takes readers along on her journey from first-time racer to ultramarathoner and proves that anyone can become a successful athlete.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2017
2605 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews
October 4, 2017
This book is terrible. It is a great example of someone who may (or may not, but who can tell?) have an interesting story to tell, but can't write a coherent narrative. She jumps around from chapter to chapter, and even within chapters. I have no idea why she or her editors thought this would be an effective approach to telling her story. She starts out with a race, then there's like constant switching back and forth between other (? Maybe, maybe it's the same race, who knows) races and various events in her life. It's not even clear why she chose to write about the particular life events that she chose to write about, especially since for a few of them, she concludes "it didn't affect my life, and I got over it in a few days." And you have to read this book knowing the author's background already (heavy and black and a woman), or else some stuff she says just doesn't make sense for the first 40% of the book. As someone who also runs and doesn't look the part, I'm kinda tired of hearing her same schtick about how she runs despite being heavy/fat/whatever and how in the middle of a long run, she just doesn't think she can finish. She repeats these tropes over and over and over again, and she may intend there to be differences, but they simply don't come across in the wildly incoherent narrative she writes. Additionally, I find her approach to running somewhat flawed. She seems to just be increasing distance without really training properly...why is she always in pain from her training runs, even after years of running? That's ok for herself, but when she subjects her students to running 9 miles after the longest they'd done was 6? No, I'm sorry - that's just irresponsible. A 50% increase in distance just because she thinks they can/should do it? I don't know...there's a whole lot of distance between 6 and 9 miles that you could shoot for to make a more gradual transition...Anyway, I'm giving one star *to the book*, since this is a BOOK review. It's not a reflection on this woman's life or accomplishments. If you want to be inspired by her story, I suggest you look elsewhere - perhaps her blog is better written.
September 24, 2017
Lovely autobiography of an ultraathlete
I so enjoyed this memoir by Mirna who calls herself a plus size athlete while running ultramarathons. She is not young white or skinny, and those things have made her unique in the athlete worlds, which she explained here with humility and hilarious frankness. I love adventure and survive sleep stories and this ticked a lot of those same boxes, especially in some of the tactical passages where she explained HOW do you get prepped and finish 26++ mile races. I don't want to start running but Mirna encouraged me (and wants everyone) to think in athlete terms no matter what our bodies look like. A strong body, moving through space or the woods or endless treks in the desert, is a strong and powerful thing and I'm inspired to think in those mindsets.
I so enjoyed this memoir by Mirna who calls herself a plus size athlete while running ultramarathons. She is not young white or skinny, and those things have made her unique in the athlete worlds, which she explained here with humility and hilarious frankness. I love adventure and survive sleep stories and this ticked a lot of those same boxes, especially in some of the tactical passages where she explained HOW do you get prepped and finish 26++ mile races. I don't want to start running but Mirna encouraged me (and wants everyone) to think in athlete terms no matter what our bodies look like. A strong body, moving through space or the woods or endless treks in the desert, is a strong and powerful thing and I'm inspired to think in those mindsets.
October 24, 2017
I wish I would have gotten the audio book because I know her stories would have been great read by her. I've had the pleasure of meeting her and she is quite an amazing and inspiring person. I also heard her read a chapter from this book at an event this past summer. I just know with her voice infliction that the audio book would have been better than the actual book. I'm glad they had her narrate it instead of someone else.
It's a good read if you are interested in running.
It's a good read if you are interested in running.
October 7, 2024
Ms. Valerio's personal story about her running life encompasses more than fitness. Mirna goes back and forth in her book to talk about her childhood, her education, her career, her family, and balancing motherhood, career, and race training. I liked her approach with this book and I admire and look up to her.
September 13, 2017
Pacing
Wow! A humorous phrase or two crowded among mountains of laborious detail. With an accomplished editor and half as many words it could be entertaining. I couldn't make it passed page 3. A voracious reader at 54, I've only left a handful of books unread.
Wow! A humorous phrase or two crowded among mountains of laborious detail. With an accomplished editor and half as many words it could be entertaining. I couldn't make it passed page 3. A voracious reader at 54, I've only left a handful of books unread.
August 15, 2018
I've been following Mirna on social media for a while now. She is very inspiring. This was a great opportunity to find out more about her. My most favourite parts were when she was describing her races....I love reading about how she experienced and trained for them.
September 8, 2017
Validation
This book is validation for all the overweight, not sinewy citizen athletes like me. Mirna weaves in struggle, suspense, humor, and good old-fashioned grit in the telling of this memoir. Throughout the book she encourages everyone to go out and be the athlete they were born to be. I’m not fast. Or first. Or best. I’m simply out there for the sheer love of the experience of pushing my body to the limits and seeing that I can do whatever I set my mind to.
That is he message Mirna tells us. It’s a good one. It’s worth reading. Finally I am not alone in my fat athlete struggles.
This book is validation for all the overweight, not sinewy citizen athletes like me. Mirna weaves in struggle, suspense, humor, and good old-fashioned grit in the telling of this memoir. Throughout the book she encourages everyone to go out and be the athlete they were born to be. I’m not fast. Or first. Or best. I’m simply out there for the sheer love of the experience of pushing my body to the limits and seeing that I can do whatever I set my mind to.
That is he message Mirna tells us. It’s a good one. It’s worth reading. Finally I am not alone in my fat athlete struggles.
October 10, 2017
I got to the middle. I really thought this was going to be a book showing the DOWNSIDES to being a fat girl running AND the upsides. But it just kept showing how great it was, with a few lines of "Oh, it sucked when I stopped for a few years" and "Oh, poverty is hard on people's health". After spending some serious time talking about how focusing on EVERYONE else killed people she cared about and was doing a good job of killing her, I had to stop when she sprained her ankle in DC but wouldn't stop the race because she wasn't going to be the fat girl who wouldn't finish. Yeah, all about taking care of herself. I'd like to get to the end. But I just can't.
September 14, 2017
I had issues with the construction of this book but so admire the voice of the author that I am willing to let that go. The chapters felt to be blog pieces loosely held together and often in a weird non chronological order. However, I love Mirna and what she is bringing to the table about everyone's ability to be an athlete. She mentions her sponsors enough so that I noticed but hey- good for her that she got picked up by Merrell, etc. Her descriptions of her ultras were very interesting. I will be looking for her blog. Good running read.
October 21, 2017
This book was about so much more than running. Her honesty about herself was refreshing, and her message threaded throughout the book is an important one for everyone. I don't know how I would have felt about this book if I weren't interesting in running - because it's such a big part of the book, but as a recreational jogger who has done a race here and there, I am fascinated by and in awe of her achievements. Her attitude about her athleticism flows into other areas of her life, and I think she is a great role model for others.
March 17, 2018
I enjoyed this book in parts but as a whole it was very scattered to the point of distraction, and the conclusion is half self-help and half selling her brand which is probably her agent’s fault and all of the literary publicists obsessed with turning people into brands. Still, 4 stars because Mirna has a beautiful soul and tells some honest, humorous and visually magnificent stories from her past. I love anything describing races and the feelings that were involved in them so those were my favorite parts as well as anecdotes about her family who I can tell are very close and supportive.
September 21, 2017
It's very unusual for me to stop reading a book. If I'm not enjoying a book, I typically finish it or at least skim to the end. I read the first two chapters of this and just couldn't get into it. So, I stopped.
September 27, 2017
I had a lot of hope for this book. I am a 3 x marathoner and though I have no aspiration to step up to the ultra level, I really enjoyed hearing about her process, progress and the gritty details of the race itself. These are wonderful accomplishments that Mirna should be proud of.
I understand that a theme to this book was about stereotypes. How Mirna does not look like a runner because of her body size. How Mirna may not appear to be well educated because of her skin color. I believe this to be a theme because the author continually said it over and over again. It is easy to agree with her that because she trains and runs for several miles a day, this stereotype of her not being a runner is shattered. No matter what her body type. But the fact that she used vulgarity several times throughout her book (and in ridiculous spots) really did not help me believe all her claims to be educated. Yes, she might have gone to boarding school and read a broad range of literature, but i was turned off by her choice of words; and ultimately turned off by her. Again, bravo for your running endeavors, but not a fan of how she communicated the whole story.
I understand that a theme to this book was about stereotypes. How Mirna does not look like a runner because of her body size. How Mirna may not appear to be well educated because of her skin color. I believe this to be a theme because the author continually said it over and over again. It is easy to agree with her that because she trains and runs for several miles a day, this stereotype of her not being a runner is shattered. No matter what her body type. But the fact that she used vulgarity several times throughout her book (and in ridiculous spots) really did not help me believe all her claims to be educated. Yes, she might have gone to boarding school and read a broad range of literature, but i was turned off by her choice of words; and ultimately turned off by her. Again, bravo for your running endeavors, but not a fan of how she communicated the whole story.
January 4, 2018
While it can be a bit hard to track in terms of its non-chronological presentation, this book is incredibly motivating, inspiring and helpful. Valerio is no stereotypical intimidating, tiny, white runner girl. She’s the blogger-of-color behind Fat Girl Running and she’s helped me get off my beautiful fat ass (took a while to find those words) and lace up my running shoes. She taught me to forgive myself and be ok with being last—as well as wanting to pass someone so I’m not. She has more drive than I do, but I hope to find it. I highly recommend listening to the audio version as her voice is lovely and her inflection adds so much to the anecdotes. I’ll never be an ultramarathon runner, but with any luck, I’ll channel Valerio and keep run-walking toward better physical and mental health and a stronger me.
Two things I particularly enjoyed: Her vivid descriptions of helpful people in the running world (makes it way less scary and has really been true to my new experiences), and the realistic descriptions of things like Runner’s high, bonking, chafing, etc.
Two things I particularly enjoyed: Her vivid descriptions of helpful people in the running world (makes it way less scary and has really been true to my new experiences), and the realistic descriptions of things like Runner’s high, bonking, chafing, etc.
May 23, 2018
Enjoyed & felt validated. It was good to read about Mirna’s race thoughts & experiences. Some of these experiences helped me to understand my own. The book bounces around quite a bit like in ADHD overdrive which makes it a bit of a choppy read. I’m glad I read it & understand both the author & myself a bit more.
October 9, 2017
every runner should read this, amazing!
March 29, 2020
This month has been a struggle for me emotionally-- the turbulence surrounding COVID-19 and all of the changes it has wrought have thrown me for a loop. I have barely left my house and running has felt like an impossibility and I miss it, but I just don't know how to make it fit in this new reality and I am paralyzed by inertia. But Mirna. She is driven and speaks to the power of exercise, running, and goal-setting in a way that is real and that I found very inspiring. The narrative skips around and the pacing is odd as each chapter reads like a short vignette, and I found myself annoyed as I had to connect-the-dots. But its messaging is on point. Anyone can be an athlete. It is about making the the choice and putting in the work. And work is hard. But the benefits... this is the book I needed right now. I am going to get outside today (appropriately social distanced, of course).
November 13, 2017
An inspiring work. Proves that no matter your size there is no excuse not to exercise, there is something all of us can do. We just need to find out what we enjoy and stick with it.
March 11, 2021
I really am not interested in the sport of
running, especially the physically-grueling/body-punishing/endurance-testing long-distance running of marathons and ultra-marathons.
I am, however, interested in people and their life stories so I find myself interested in and entertained by a wide variety of memoirs and autobiographies.
Mirna Valerio has led a very unique life from her childhood, education, career opportunities, and brave (some would say foolhardy) choice to become a stereotype-busting long-distance runner (Mirna is a very large woman).
I was very intrigued by the fact that, as a married woman with a child, she chose to live at the various boarding schools where she works as a teacher rather than at home with her husband and son. For a working mother/wife Mirna Valerio is, amazingly, able to devote a LOT (and I mean a LOT!) of time to exercise, training, and running in a variety of races at locations near and far and on all different kinds of terrain - I don't believe she needs or gets a lot of sleep!
My favorite part of this book was the chapter detailing her trip to Spain as a chaperone to some students. I really enjoyed that . . . more chapters like that one would have been truly appreciated.
running, especially the physically-grueling/body-punishing/endurance-testing long-distance running of marathons and ultra-marathons.
I am, however, interested in people and their life stories so I find myself interested in and entertained by a wide variety of memoirs and autobiographies.
Mirna Valerio has led a very unique life from her childhood, education, career opportunities, and brave (some would say foolhardy) choice to become a stereotype-busting long-distance runner (Mirna is a very large woman).
I was very intrigued by the fact that, as a married woman with a child, she chose to live at the various boarding schools where she works as a teacher rather than at home with her husband and son. For a working mother/wife Mirna Valerio is, amazingly, able to devote a LOT (and I mean a LOT!) of time to exercise, training, and running in a variety of races at locations near and far and on all different kinds of terrain - I don't believe she needs or gets a lot of sleep!
My favorite part of this book was the chapter detailing her trip to Spain as a chaperone to some students. I really enjoyed that . . . more chapters like that one would have been truly appreciated.
September 21, 2025
I think this book shows how resilience plays such a big part in our lives. The author talks about her ups and downs throughout her life and athletic life and surely it resonates with the big majority of us trying to run more or run a race, or just trying to get up the sofa. I also like that it’s not just about running or sports.
It’s a good book and great inspiration.
It’s a good book and great inspiration.
October 11, 2017
3.5 stars - Typical for amateur runner memoir. Probably completely uninteresting if you are not already interested in running or ultra-running.
I've met Mirna and listened to her read a chapter of this book in person and I thought her delivery of that chapter was really great. Now that I've finished reading the whole book I think that Mirna is best experienced in person or in her videos on FB and Instagram. She's a delightful, upbeat, funny woman and because I know that about her I was able to imagine that person reading the book to me but had I NOT known that I might not have felt the same energy coming from the book. maybe the answer is to do this particular book in audio?
I admire her very much for tackling tough challenges and showing up when others (myself included) would shy away from things we might not be very good at doing or where we might not quite fit in. I want to take from this book the idea that I should reach outside my comfort zone a little more often and maybe it's time for me to test the waters on trails and ultra-running instead of sticking with road marathons. What I don't think she adequately conveys in the book is just how much work goes in to doing what she does.
I've met Mirna and listened to her read a chapter of this book in person and I thought her delivery of that chapter was really great. Now that I've finished reading the whole book I think that Mirna is best experienced in person or in her videos on FB and Instagram. She's a delightful, upbeat, funny woman and because I know that about her I was able to imagine that person reading the book to me but had I NOT known that I might not have felt the same energy coming from the book. maybe the answer is to do this particular book in audio?
I admire her very much for tackling tough challenges and showing up when others (myself included) would shy away from things we might not be very good at doing or where we might not quite fit in. I want to take from this book the idea that I should reach outside my comfort zone a little more often and maybe it's time for me to test the waters on trails and ultra-running instead of sticking with road marathons. What I don't think she adequately conveys in the book is just how much work goes in to doing what she does.
September 14, 2017
An inspirational story for the times we live in
I don't write many reviews, so this book must be something special. And it is. I didn't buy it looking for an autobiography. I don't usually read them. And I actually thought it was a novel at first. Thank God it wasn't. I have never read more intimate, profound and soul shaking details as those that Myrna shared in her hilarious and poignant memoir. She lays it all out there. What it was like growing up "fat", what inspired her to get moving and how she accomplished Herculean feats. I'm impressed and motivated and excited to call myself an athlete because Myrna said I could. And because I deserve it. Even if I don't look like an athlete. So thank you Myrna for sharing your incredible story, for giving a voice to hundreds of thousands of heavy people needing to know how to speak their own truths and become better versions of themselves. You are a rock star! Hope to meet her one day.
I don't write many reviews, so this book must be something special. And it is. I didn't buy it looking for an autobiography. I don't usually read them. And I actually thought it was a novel at first. Thank God it wasn't. I have never read more intimate, profound and soul shaking details as those that Myrna shared in her hilarious and poignant memoir. She lays it all out there. What it was like growing up "fat", what inspired her to get moving and how she accomplished Herculean feats. I'm impressed and motivated and excited to call myself an athlete because Myrna said I could. And because I deserve it. Even if I don't look like an athlete. So thank you Myrna for sharing your incredible story, for giving a voice to hundreds of thousands of heavy people needing to know how to speak their own truths and become better versions of themselves. You are a rock star! Hope to meet her one day.
March 3, 2024
I've had this book on my shelf for ages and have started it a few times, but I couldn't get into it. But, I'm a Mirna Valerio fan from when she first started gaining notoriety in the running world, and I really wanted to read this one. The key? Listen to the audiobook while on walks and in the car--read by Mirna herself.
3 stars because the book gave me some mental whiplash from jumping around quite a bit, and the writing is just ok. I think you might have to be a Mirna admirer to stick with this book. But, maybe not. Her story is interesting, and her message is needed. I find her inspiring, she has a bright, positive energy, and you kinda just want to be friends and hang out on the trail with her.
Read more about Mirna here: https://themirnavator.com/the-journey/
3 stars because the book gave me some mental whiplash from jumping around quite a bit, and the writing is just ok. I think you might have to be a Mirna admirer to stick with this book. But, maybe not. Her story is interesting, and her message is needed. I find her inspiring, she has a bright, positive energy, and you kinda just want to be friends and hang out on the trail with her.
Read more about Mirna here: https://themirnavator.com/the-journey/
October 17, 2020
The good: I love a book about running and crazy athletic pursuits in general and this did not fail. Mirna made me want to get out the door and believe that I can do anything I put my mind to and that ANYONE can be an athlete or runner and that they belong.
The not so good: The flow of the book was questionable, bouncing from one time and topic to another without much reasoning as for why. There were a few chapters I questioned why they were even included. I really hope this book gets a reissue some day with those flow issues worked out because I’d happily give it a 4/5 rating if it wasn’t so confusing to follow. I do think the second half was a little more successful than the first.
The not so good: The flow of the book was questionable, bouncing from one time and topic to another without much reasoning as for why. There were a few chapters I questioned why they were even included. I really hope this book gets a reissue some day with those flow issues worked out because I’d happily give it a 4/5 rating if it wasn’t so confusing to follow. I do think the second half was a little more successful than the first.
January 21, 2020
4.5 rounding up because after visiting her Instagram she truly is inspirational. Had no idea what this was about when started, I am not enamored with running but very quickly I realized she was a remarkable woman which many can only aspire to have her fortitude, strength and passion for truly living her best life.
March 20, 2022
I love Mirna’s story and her accessible prose. She is such an inspiration and reading about her- reading her story has helped me change my life. I love her!!
March 14, 2021
I really enjoyed Valerio's memoir of becoming a sponsored ultramarathon runner despite all the barriers in place for a fat Black woman in doing so. She's pretty inspiring as a person in general. She grew up in the "projects" in New York City, but excelled academically, so was able to get into a program to go to an elite private school on scholarship. She went to Julliard and trained as an opera singer but decided not to pursue a full-time opera career. She double majored in music and Spanish instead and became a teacher at a series of private girls' schools in different places in the US.
In high school, she joined field hockey, and to improve her performance, took up running. Later she let her running lapse due to overwork. Following a health crisis, however, she got back into exercise, pushing herself on a grueling fitness regimen that was initially more weight-loss focused. How she did this while also working full time as a teacher, singing on the side, doing anti-racism, inclusion and diversity work, and raising a kid, I'm not sure. It seemed to involve getting up at a truly ungodly hour of the morning. Like I said, she's pretty incredible.
What is also incredible is that she is easily way more fit than me (I'm pretty fit) and yet still has to deal with fatphobic denial of her athleticism. But haters be damned, because since the writing of her memoir, Valerio has gone pro. She now makes a full-time career out of her sponsorships and motivational speaking.
I was a bit surprised there was some focus on weight loss in this book (and the idea that weight loss is necessary for health) but that seemed to be earlier on in Valerio's journey before she discovers the health at every size philosophy. The book is rather sweeping, and moves about in time a fair amount. I actually didn't mind the minutia of the book. Valerio writes competently, her voice is authentic and she's had an interesting life. But I can see how some people might feel, for example, they didn't need to know what she ate on her high school trip to... ok I already forget where it was. Somewhere Spanish speaking. The point is, I found the sprawlingness of the book enjoyable and didn't mind the length. My chief complaint might be inclusion of content from her blog and past speeches, which felt a bit like filler.
In high school, she joined field hockey, and to improve her performance, took up running. Later she let her running lapse due to overwork. Following a health crisis, however, she got back into exercise, pushing herself on a grueling fitness regimen that was initially more weight-loss focused. How she did this while also working full time as a teacher, singing on the side, doing anti-racism, inclusion and diversity work, and raising a kid, I'm not sure. It seemed to involve getting up at a truly ungodly hour of the morning. Like I said, she's pretty incredible.
What is also incredible is that she is easily way more fit than me (I'm pretty fit) and yet still has to deal with fatphobic denial of her athleticism. But haters be damned, because since the writing of her memoir, Valerio has gone pro. She now makes a full-time career out of her sponsorships and motivational speaking.
I was a bit surprised there was some focus on weight loss in this book (and the idea that weight loss is necessary for health) but that seemed to be earlier on in Valerio's journey before she discovers the health at every size philosophy. The book is rather sweeping, and moves about in time a fair amount. I actually didn't mind the minutia of the book. Valerio writes competently, her voice is authentic and she's had an interesting life. But I can see how some people might feel, for example, they didn't need to know what she ate on her high school trip to... ok I already forget where it was. Somewhere Spanish speaking. The point is, I found the sprawlingness of the book enjoyable and didn't mind the length. My chief complaint might be inclusion of content from her blog and past speeches, which felt a bit like filler.
May 11, 2021
Mirna Valerio's A Beautiful Work in Progress, her memoir of her journey (thus far) as a runner, marathoner, ultramarathoner, and mud runner, is a quick, chatty, and interesting read. It jumps around a bit, but not jarringly so, and while I was not quite able to ascertain the logic of the ordering of a few of the chapters--given its non-linear timeline--I chalked it up to being the order in which the author wrote/remembered things she wished to share with her readers. If one approaches the book as though they were sitting down over a cup of coffee with a close friend they'd not seen in quite some time, then the ordering/structure should not present any problems.
I had not heard of Ms. Valerio, who is apparently quite the thing in the running world. She has a well-known blog, fatgirlrunning, and has been featured in running magazines and on television. Equally important, she is an educator (Spanish, diversity practitioner, and cross-country coach) and inspiration to the students in her classroom and those she coaches--officially or otherwise--at the boarding school where she lives and works. If there were a medal for time management and cramming it all in, I think Mirna would be sporting that one, too!
I read this book as part of the Joy Trip Reading Group selections and very much appreciated the fact that Ms. Valerio is an advocate for general athleticism--that is, enjoying your body in whatever form it assumes and getting into the pool, onto the trail, the court, or whatever arena of sport you've always enjoyed or wanted to explore and simply challenging yourself for the sheer enjoyment of the thing. The benefits, be they mental clarity, lower blood pressure, increased functional strength and flexibility, etc. will follow. Valerio frames her philosophy/approach as that of athletic badassery. Her approach is much akin to that of educators who speak of "meeting students where they are." That is, she not only talks the talk, but run/walks the walk of the fact that one doesn't need to put off the exploration of their right to be an athlete. You don't need to lose the weight before you embark on whatever your journey may be. You don't need to meet someone else's criteria for what it is to be an athlete before before becoming one. Instead, pull on your gear and get moving with intentionality and claim you identity--in whatever form you currently inhabit--as a badass athlete. And most of all, enjoy the ride!
I had not heard of Ms. Valerio, who is apparently quite the thing in the running world. She has a well-known blog, fatgirlrunning, and has been featured in running magazines and on television. Equally important, she is an educator (Spanish, diversity practitioner, and cross-country coach) and inspiration to the students in her classroom and those she coaches--officially or otherwise--at the boarding school where she lives and works. If there were a medal for time management and cramming it all in, I think Mirna would be sporting that one, too!
I read this book as part of the Joy Trip Reading Group selections and very much appreciated the fact that Ms. Valerio is an advocate for general athleticism--that is, enjoying your body in whatever form it assumes and getting into the pool, onto the trail, the court, or whatever arena of sport you've always enjoyed or wanted to explore and simply challenging yourself for the sheer enjoyment of the thing. The benefits, be they mental clarity, lower blood pressure, increased functional strength and flexibility, etc. will follow. Valerio frames her philosophy/approach as that of athletic badassery. Her approach is much akin to that of educators who speak of "meeting students where they are." That is, she not only talks the talk, but run/walks the walk of the fact that one doesn't need to put off the exploration of their right to be an athlete. You don't need to lose the weight before you embark on whatever your journey may be. You don't need to meet someone else's criteria for what it is to be an athlete before before becoming one. Instead, pull on your gear and get moving with intentionality and claim you identity--in whatever form you currently inhabit--as a badass athlete. And most of all, enjoy the ride!
June 22, 2020
This review may or may not be useful to other folks as this is the kind of book that I had a deeply personal connection with, and as such, I cannot be objective on whether or not others would find it enjoyable. I would say if anything that follows resonates with you, check this one out.
A coworker friend gifted this book to me after I started running a couple months ago. He's been a runner for years and has been my go-to for all my complaints and questions, and because we work closely together, he also has heard me wax poetic about diversity and representation. It was a specific kind of gift for where I am at right now.
I don't know that I will ever want to be an ultra-runner like Mirna. Currently I'm still working on just being able to run for a few minutes without stopping or dealing with a week of shin splints afterwards. There still was plenty that spoke to me in this book. Whatever my goals are, they're mine, and what matters is I find my own reasons for moving forward. I'm excited to get more involved with both running and the community around it, especially knowing there are folks out there like Mirna who look more like me and not the stereotypical picture of a runner. She's changing perceptions, and maybe so can I. I admire her perseverance, and truly, sincerely hope I don't end up in a situation where I'm running on a fractured ankle. I am happy I got to hear her story in her own words.
A coworker friend gifted this book to me after I started running a couple months ago. He's been a runner for years and has been my go-to for all my complaints and questions, and because we work closely together, he also has heard me wax poetic about diversity and representation. It was a specific kind of gift for where I am at right now.
I don't know that I will ever want to be an ultra-runner like Mirna. Currently I'm still working on just being able to run for a few minutes without stopping or dealing with a week of shin splints afterwards. There still was plenty that spoke to me in this book. Whatever my goals are, they're mine, and what matters is I find my own reasons for moving forward. I'm excited to get more involved with both running and the community around it, especially knowing there are folks out there like Mirna who look more like me and not the stereotypical picture of a runner. She's changing perceptions, and maybe so can I. I admire her perseverance, and truly, sincerely hope I don't end up in a situation where I'm running on a fractured ankle. I am happy I got to hear her story in her own words.
March 15, 2021
I'm not sure how this book ended up my queue. When i started it, I thought I was reading fiction. It wasn't until about chapter 3 that I realized I was reading an autobiography of a runner that blogs about her long distance running, something I never would have picked up. By then, I was sucked in though. The book reads like it was written by a blogger. It is often repetitive because each chapter feels like a separate blog post rather than a part of a coherent whole. Having said that, it is a thoroughly enjoyable and inspirational read. Throughout, I kept oscillating between "Oh, I want to do that," and "yeah, there's no way I'm doing that." While long distance running is definitely not going to be my thing, Mirna does make me want to find my thing. She is a beautiful example of appreciating your body for what it enables you to do and letting go of all the silly stereotypes and expectations.
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