Customer Reviews

First Marathons

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I want to buy this book for everyone I know because I firmly believe, after reading this book and having run my first marathon, that ANYONE can do it. I became so involved in the stories of these people, I couldn't put the book down and when I reached the end, I wanted more. So I ran my own marathon. I opened the book again, after I'd run the 26.2 mile monster, and randomly picked one of the stories...I started to cry because it suddenly meant so much to me. If you read this book, not only will you want to run a marathon, you'll believe you can make it happen.

First Marathons is simply the accounts of many different folks from elite (i.e. professional) runners to talented amateurs to ordinary folks. It seems at first that it would be interesting primarily to serious runners who have or will soon run a marathon. It is that, but surprisingly, it is so much more. This is a book for anyone who wishes to be inspired by quiet heroes and unsung heroics.

Why would anyone want to run 26 miles? Here are many answers from many different people. They are moving to read, not because the author is a gifted story-teller, but because the courage, humility, and conviction of her subjects is so clear that it shines through even when the retelling lacks those qualities in itself. Some people set out to run the marathon to change themselves. More don't understand their reasons for embarking on the journey but find that in the training and completion of this epic that they are forever changed.

Approximately 1 million Americans have run a marathon. I've run two. It's difficult to explain in a few words why those two painful, arduous days are two of the happiest days of my life. After you read this book, you will begin to understand why. If you are one of the lucky ones who has "been there, done that" the recollections should renew the wonder and pride you felt at your first finish line. If you are one of the people who has ever wondered that you might someday do this crazy thing, beware! This book is more likely to set you off on the training road than all the running "how-to" books you could buy at Amazon.

On the plus side, this book is a must of you are planning to run a marathon. It offers interesting perspectives on the race and those that run it. On the down side, it is full of "typical" stories about people overcoming hardships. It gets sappy after awhile. Most of the stories are about people who decided to do the race on a whim and did it mostly unprepared. After reading this you think you can just go out an run one yourself...prepared or not.

I wish there were more stories about the challenge and difficulty of the training process.

While I enjoyed most of the writing in this book, it took me a couple of chapters to wrap my mind around the prose. Nonetheless, I enjoyed 25 of the 26 stories chronicled, and found moments of inspiration, humor, and wisdom. The book embraced the likes of Marathon legends as well as the first time runner ("adult onset athletes" as penned by John Bingham:) All in all, a great read, and certainly a huge reason why I believe I can succeed at running my first marathon targeted for this September.

I can only read one story every few days or else I start entertaining thoughts of running a marathon! Read one story at night before bed and you're sure to get up and run in the morning. It reminds you of all the good things about running- clearing your head, planning your day, getting away. It temps you with the pride and success you feel when you've accomplished something great- a marathon a hill or a problem in life.

I am running the NYC Marathon in November 99 and I picked up this book for a little motivation. I read the introduction in the bookstore and started to cry. I loved it. I lost the book during a trip to California. I wasted no time in ordering another copy. I am ready to run now that I shared with all of the poeple who told their story.

This book is a must for anyone who wants to run a marathon. It is a collection of essays written by runners from all levels, including world class runners to a Portland, Oregon nurse who details her first marathon. All these stories are short enough to be read in a single sitting, some leave you thrilled by the run, others leave you with tears in your eyes.

I purchased this book before I ran my first marathon hopeing to gain insite into what I would encounter. I also bought several other copies as gifts to friends who needed some encouragement to run their first marathon. It certainly is an exceptionally nice gift for any runner or runner-to-be.

Just can't wait too see volumn 2 of First Marathons!

This book really motivated me. When I read the stories of others' challenges and how they stayed committed and stuck with it, it inspired me to do the same. I could relate to a lot of the stories, and found the book easy to read since it's basically like a book of short stories. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for the encouragement to stick with a running program and a commitment to do a marathon, especially their first marathon.

Gail Kislevitz has put together a stellar collection of first marathon stories. I've read other "running stories" books, but "First Marathons" blows them all away. Some stories are moving, others are laugh-out-loud funny, but they're all inspiring in their own unique way. I haven't run a marathon (yet), but every runner can identify with the thoughts and emotions these runners convey in their first marathons attempts. If you run, or have any interest in the sport of running, please read this book. You'll be so glad you did!

The different stories show how common people took up running. There is wide range of marathon finishers and therefore it is easy to find somebody in the book you can relate too.
What this book does best is inspire those who contemplate running a marathon. I took up running a few months ago, slowly building up my mileage. The incredible stories in the book show me that indeed it is possible to run 26.2 miles, or even more for ultramarathons. At one point it becomes a matter of mind over matter. Beyong running, this book is about the incredible abilities that lie within each one of us if we give ourselves the right training and believe we can achieve what we've decided to do.