Sky Runner: Finding Strength, Happiness, And Balance In Your Running

by Emelie Forsberg, Kilian Jornet (Photographer)

The ultimate outdoor woman, Emelie Forsberg captures the magic of a life spent amongst the mountaintops. She shares her passion for skyrunning and her accumulated expertise on how to thrive in this demanding sport.

In Sky Runner , Emelie shares her
•  Using intervals, uphill and downhill training, and more to maintain peak physical condition
•  Incorporating both yoga and strength exercises into her daily training routines
•  Growing her own food and creating her own recipes to nourish body and soul
•  Physically and mentally recovering from injury
•  Finding balance in her life as a professional, extreme-sport athlete
•  Sustaining both motivation and passion in her sport and her life

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Sports, Memoir, Biography

178 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Emelie Tina Forsberg (born December 11, 1986) is a Swedish athlete specializing in trail running (skyrunning, mountain running) and ski mountaineering. She has won repeated victories in different disciplines, including European and World Championships.

Reviews

[ArthurDent · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book describes Emilie Forsbergs philosophy as a runner and human, but does not leave the reader with a clear understanding of how she became that person; What in her environment (or in her) moved her in that direction? We get only crumbs. The tips on how to become a better runner were difficult for me - an average person with an average full-time job - to adapt to my running sessions and maybe the attempt was unnecessary to understand and enjoy her choice of lifestyle. I also found the story too one-dimensional. It was by and large only the bright side and the light thoughts; The well-known fairy tale from social media platforms. Maybe that truly is Emelie, but it is not very interesting to read. However, the photos alone make it worth reading this book. They are amazingly taken (by Kilian Jornet) and amazingly selected.

My favorite parts of the text were her descriptions of her first races and the final mountaineering expedition on the 8201 m Cho Oyu in Tibet.

[Kaisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tribute to the joys of running, the beauty of mountains and an inspiration for wild, adventurous living. Absolutely stunning pictures which really make you want to go for a hike (or a mountain run).

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs but could have used some editing.

I have been following Emelie Forsberg and Kilian Jornet for a while. Thus, I got quite excited hearing about her book and preordered it on amazon (English version by Hardie Grant books). The book is beautifully done. I love that it is hard cover, with beautiful photographs and great print quality. However, I was expecting more from this book. I guess this book can be described as Emelie´s life story. For much of the book, it feels like she’s rambling, like we are just reading random thoughts she put together in a blog post, where she sometimes repeats her thoughts a few times over. A lot of the articles also contain grammatical errors and repeated words (eg, “than” instead of “then” and sentences like “So far our acclimatization plan works so far.”). I also felt like she shared some bits and pieces about her background, but not nearly enough. Overall this book feels like a collection of snippets and thoughts from and about Emelies life, but nothing concrete. The photographs are beautiful, and I was inspired by some of her thoughts. I also like the workout tips, yoga poses and the recipes. I guess one could see this as a coffee table book, to flick through from time to time. Overall, I had expected and hoped for more. I feel like some thorough editing could have made so much more out of the book and I hope the editors take this to heart for her next book project. Nevertheless, I will keep this book as a source of inspiration, especially to look at the beautiful photographs of Emelie running in the high places of this beautiful world.

[Dries De Smet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geleend van Jana

Motiverend boek, zeer chique beeldmateriaal en wat een levensvisie! Boek is vanalles door mekaar (recepten, oefeningen, wedstrijdverslagen,...), mist wat structuur (of net niet???)?

[Dale Erdmier · Rating 2 out of 5]

One star for Emelie being a cool person and one star for the amazing photos. It actually pains me to give this 2 stars since I read it for a book club where I'm going to get to chat with the author. But this read like a magazine to me. I wanted more. And quite a few typos/grammatical errors. Beautiful to look through though.

[Denz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way too much butter in Kilian's favourite biscuits : )

[Hannah Jansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly just pretty pictures

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun little coffee table book. didn't care too much for the writing, but photos are stunning

[Stefania · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not just a book about running. You can feel Emelie’s passion in her words, her love for running, her conquered challenges.
Her story is accompanied by stunning photos of mountains, some exercises and yummy recipes.

If you are a long term runner you might already “know everything about it” and if you are a new runner there are more complete books with training exercises out there. But what this book can give you is the passion and joy to put your shoes on tomorrow morning and go for a run!

[Jess Cawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of short and sweet anecdotes with encouraging morals - some running specific but most applicable to all of life. Great running tips and training strategies scattered throughout the book. Great recipes! Good intro to yoga. A very encouraging and fun book to read.

[Luke Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that fresh or engaging but amazing pictures!

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as it was easy to read, great format and had other fun and useful information on her entire training regimen, whether it’s the recipes she shares, the stretches and yoga poses that help her align her body and the adventures she’s been on. The pictures in the book are breathtaking also.

[Verena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book from my local library. Feels like I was the first one to read it, which is surprising as my area is saturated with trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts.

5* for the pictures, simply gorgeous and inspiring. The same can’t be said for the writing, maybe it’s just a poor translation, though following Emilie on social media this seems to be on par.
This is a quick and easy read; it greatly complements a rainy afternoon while keeping warm underneath a blanket, firmly planted in a recliner, dog curled up in lap, and having a cup of tea.

While I’m not inspired to take up running as a serious hobby - I prefer hiking and cycling - I really like that the sport is presented as something everyone can do. One foot in front of the other. 🏃🏻‍♀️

[Ahimsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand, it feels like a collection of blog posts and journal articles. There is a hodgepodge of content, including yoga positions, running exercises, recipes and more. Forsberg is not a naturally gifted writer, but that comes at some relief considering how many things she already excels at.

But in other ways, there is a Taoist creed at the heart of this book. A way of life that cannot be called a way, but that includes serious self-reflection and an appreciation for the ups and the downs of life. The photos are great as well.

I wish effort had been made from the beginning to give a structure. Even non-fiction can benefit from narrative tension and through plot lines. The content in here is mostly fine, but could have been so much more.

[Petr Muras · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book definitely doesnt give you any deep and sophisticated insight of how to improve as a runner on some certain level already, which is something what majority of readers might expect by mistake, but works perfect as a nice/visually stunning photobook reading with morning coffe, in order to get some nice motivation for a day(s) to come :)

[Whitney Vestal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing itself is, meh, alright. But this book is totally worth the read for the pictures! They are gorgeous.

[Tamara · Rating 2 out of 5]

One star for the beautiful pictures and overall packaging of the book. Gorgeous to look, gorgeous to touch. Another star for the effort, and honesty of some of the stories.

However. I had greater expectations. Somehow, I expected this book to show me the path of one runner extraordinaire from humble beginnings to a sky runner, and a record-setter at that. The fact that it was a woman only added to the excitement. I expected to learn something. To finish the book and say - ah ha! I got it! I feel energized, let me just go out and run that hill behind the house. Rain? I can handle that! Wind and snow? You only add to the charm of dressing up and getting cold and sweaty! Elements, move aside, I am running!

Alas. It read more like a running magazine, a collection of thoughts, a touch here, an explanation there, a bit of a trip here, a yoga course there, stretch well, eat better... but nothing that one would expect in a book between two hard covers - a start, an evolution, an end (I don't necessarily insist that it is in that order).

I will continue to follow Emelie (and Kilian) on instagram. And admire them. And look for own motivational stimuli to get me out there.....ooooor find a better book!

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a runner myself, this book was super interesting, but honestly it was completely tangential to my type of running. This is not at all to say that this was in a bad way, however, if anything this book was made more interesting because of its complexity and niche topic. Before reading this book, I wasn't even familiar with ski mountaineering, but after I gained significant respect for the sport and all athletes. Further, while I was more familiar with trail running, I still had just scratched the surface before reading this book. I also found the author's inclusion of recipes, workouts, and exercises unique and interesting. On the whole, I think this is just less my type of book. I think I would rather hear her talk in the format of a TedTalk or such to really hear directly from her. More than anything I think I struggled to feel like I really knew the author by the end whereas I felt I was more familiar with the sports and training. This being said, it is completely possible that this was the aim, however I tend to prefer books with more of a personal connection element.

[Jared Pangier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, isn't this the most lovely book I've read in some time! From the stunning mountain pictures with incredible backdrops to world-class runner and ski mountaineer Emelie Forsberg's journey up, over, and across those mountains, this book provides not just a recount of her experience as a "Sky Runner" but an insightful look at the beautiful aspects of life. The author, runner, ski mountaineer, gardener, yoga instructor, world-record holder provides her plethora of experiences as a perspective and running commentary for life and life choices. Packed with her outlook on life and filled with practical tips and information from training plans to healthy recipes to yoga routines, this book is not just for those in love with running and the mountains, as Emelie sure is, but for any and all who enjoy life perspective nestled alongside gorgeous outdoor photography.

And, I especially like the way the book ended. I think you will, too!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a lovely book. I learned about Sky Running, about running uphill and downhill, yoga, recipes, mountains, gardening, and Forsberg’s beautiful thoughts on so many things. The photography by Kilian Jornet was amazing—lots of photos in this book!

A favorite quote:

To appreciate what you do in everyday life is the most important condition for happiness— something as easy as being fond of your morning routine, or taking time to meet relatives and friends, or to cook a good meal.
When I doubt my decisions in life I always return to that. How can I not love this life? When I doubt whether what I do makes sense, I ask myself if it would make more sense to spend my days in a lab. I believe that the sensible thing is to appreciate what I do, and in some way feel that I contribute to the happiness of others, if only to a very small extent. My hope is that I can motivate others to take their time.
Take time to run. To stop. To choose a life beyond the ordinary.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

A beautiful looking book with some stunning photography, but honestly it has the depth of a puddle and gets perilously close to being absolute twaddle at points. Elite Athlete Emelie Forsberg and her partner Kilian Jornet, clearly lead a privileged life, able to pursue their Athletic passion full-time and spend much of their time in the wilderness training. Unfortunately Forsberg seems to lack any self awareness, and her 'training tips' that seem to have no idea that normal people have to balance their real lives with training are frankly laughable. It feels essentially like reading a very worthy Instagram feed rather than a book and gets so tiresome with it's back of a fag packet feeling scribbled little vignettes for life and other such drivel. 'Hey guys, just love running, nature and yourselves OK?'

[T C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have used a good co-writer and editor. I almost stopped reading it, but I was to curious to learn more about this top trail runner. The book lacked good sentence structure, and there was a lot of repetition in the sentences.

It read like a long magazine with beautiful photos throughout the book. I would have like more in depth stories, and I feel like there is so much left untold. The last story on the climbing attempt was the most detailed story, and therefor also the most engaging. It would have been nice if she had used more of this kind of story telling throughout the book.

[Aubri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick and scattered read; there were a few interesting stories, but mostly it was a conglomeration of her interests - like yoga, cooking, and farming, and included recipes and yoga positions. It also talked about her participation in running, ski mountaineering, and mountaineering, and her general life philosophy. As others have said, it felt like a collection of articles from someone's blog. The pictures were nice, but not worth the time it took to read this book. I learned very little about anything, not running and not much about her experience as a sky runner. Given that it wasn't written in English, perhaps it was lost in translation or is a matter of cultural differences.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been right up my alley-Forsberg is into yoga, running up mountains, and making delicious hippie food. However, I ended up annoyed at the tone she took about her philosophy and races. Like "I tried and won and so can you!" No, most people will not win their first race or be sponsored. Ever. Also, she seems to try to recognise her place of privilege when she talks about travelling but to me she failed (for example, to India to study yoga).

I am looking forward to trying some of the recipes though.

[Misswood · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hay que atreverse a escoger la vida sencilla. Apreciarla. Mi red de seguridad siempre ha sido la certeza de que puedo vivir de manera sencilla”

“Lo sencillo, lo predecible y lo desconocido: tres partes que me esfuerzo por unir. Siempre me ha atraído lo desconocido, no saber cómo será el día siguiente. Otra parte de mí quiere tener planeado el futuro con antelación, saber lo que voy a hacer. Estas motivaciones y las diferentes formas de pensar se han aunado y continuarán coexistiendo en mi vida”

[Mike Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful book with some uplifting and encouraging stories. It's mostly a memoir, but of selected moments in Forsberg's life. There are some training tips, yoga routines, recipes but nothing very regimented, more ideas to make running enjoyable. Really that's Forsberg's running philosophy - run for fun and enjoyment, maybe even enlightenment. It seems that when running/training became a 9-5 job, she pulled back and explored other avenues. The photos are wonderful and just flipping through the book made me want to get out and explore nature. This is a quick and worthwhile read for runners.

[Heather Bode · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn’t what I was expecting when I purchased it: I was expecting a straightforward memoir, and what I received was a book that was a mix of personal stories, training plans, recipes, and other pertinent information for becoming a stronger runner.
I was very pleasantly surprised, and glad I have this in my collection. The training tips are very helpful, and you can really hear Forsberg’s voice coming through the words on the page as she recounts moments from her life and professional athletic career.
Solid book!

[Mike Niebrzydowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, fun read - nothing groundbreaking, but some good tips and insights. Not just for trail/mountain running, but in general. I like that she includes excercises, yoga routines, and recipes. I think the second half of the book picked it up a little in terms of interest. Got to meet Emelie at a book signing a couple weeks ago, so that was cool. She has accomplished quite a bit and I'm sure will accomplish much more going forward! Oh, and great photos by Kilian too.

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fun book about running. A world class endurance mountain trail runner tells her story. There are beautiful pictures. You feel her joy of running. There are sections on training, yoga, growing food, and recipes. What comes through clearly is her love of mountain trail running. Some readers may not like all of the sections, but it works for me. I felt happy reading the book and really enjoyed the pictures.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure she's an elite athlete doing serious endurance events, but that's not the point for her. She is passionate about enjoying her running and being out in the mountains and would never sacrifice that for the pursuit of winning/sponsor obligations. That really struck a chord. I couldn't imagine such a grounded life view and contentment from say, Lance Armstrong. Scandinavian pragmatism and humility. Gorgeous photography.