I Run, Therefore I Am--Nuts! [Paperback]

Bob Schwartz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 2001

I Run, Therefore I Am—Nuts! takes a funny look at the peculiarities, quirks, and obsessions of runners of all abilities. Whether you fall in the middle of the pack, up near the front of the pack, or so far from any semblance of a pack that you're wondering if everyone went home already, you'll find plenty to laugh about in this book.

I Run, Therefore I Am—Nuts! is a comical examination of events that are near and dear to every runner's well-conditioned heart. As the Dave Barry of running, popular running humorist Bob Schwartz pokes fun at the idiosyncratic personalities of runners and the funny situations they encounter in training, eating, racing, preparing for races, and revolving their everyday lives around running.

I Run, Therefore I Am—Nuts! brings out the humor in situations that every type of runner can relate to:

- The intricate art of drinking on the run from paper cups
- Trying to reacquaint fingers to toes after years of tight hamstrings
- Hitting the wall
- Having your heart flutter with the newest cushioned training shoe
- Discovering cross-training contraptions designed to strengthen your gluteus to its maximus
- Getting excited about the latest flavor of energy gel on the market

As any runner with tight hamstrings and a funny bone would, you'll laugh your way through these and many other amusing stories illustrated with cartoons by artist B.K. Taylor, whose drawings have appeared in many national publications, including Mad Magazine and National Lampoon.

Author Bob Schwartz is America's funniest running writer. An avid, slightly over-the-top runner himself, he has completed countless marathons (but laments that excessive glycogen depletion at the finish prevents him from fully remembering each one) as well as all race distances from the 200 Meter Kids Snowman Shuffle (where he finished second after edging out a four-year-old at the finish line) to an ultramarathon of 50 miles (a feat he has no intention of repeating). In addition to his weekly syndicated newspaper column, he has had hundreds of humorous essays published in national and regional publications, including Runner's World, FootNotes, and Fitness Runner.

For anyone who loves the aromatic smell of perspiration, who enjoys the exhilaration of exhaustion, who drinks solely from squirt bottles, or whose wardrobe is filled with reflective clothing—this book is for you.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"
"""Every true runner will get a laugh out of this book. Schwartz does a good job pointing out the wonderful absurdities of our sport."""
Arturo Barrios
Five-time world-record holder
"""In this book, Bob Schwartz captures a unique spirit that every runner experiences regardless of fitness level. His perspective on running--a sport that can cause extreme moments of both glory and pain--is sharp, real, and very funny. Schwartz covers all the basics with a witty voice and a runner's hard-earned experience."""
Lizzie Wann
Editor of Fitness Runner magazine
"""What a delightful book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could relate to it through my own experiences. The reading is light and humorous, and it takes a completely different approach to running. Very refreshing."""
Colleen De Reuck
Professional runner
"""There is wisdom behind the laughter! Bob Schwartz makes you smile as he reminds you that behind the science of running, there is a lot of laughs and luck! He encourages the runners with wit and revelations that years of running experience (and inexperience!) provide. I Run, Therefore I Am Nuts will reinforce every runner's love of the sport, and pride in their accomplishments. It's a fun read that I recommend to runners of all abilities."""
Susan Kalish
Executive Director, The American Running Association
"""Most runners take their sport seriously--sometimes too seriously. Bob Schwartz provides a refreshingly irreverent slant on a variety of topics to help keep a more balanced perspective. Take a run on the lighter side!"""
Jeff Galloway
1972 Olympian, 10,000m
Author of Galloway's Book on Running
"

Review

"Every true runner will get a laugh out of this book. Schwartz does a good job pointing out the wonderful absurdities of our sport."
Arturo Barrios-- Five-time world-record holder

"In this book, Bob Schwartz captures a unique spirit that every runner experiences regardless of fitness level. His perspective on running--a sport that can cause extreme moments of both glory and pain--is sharp, real, and very funny. Schwartz covers all the basics with a witty voice and a runner's hard-earned experience."
Lizzie Wann-- Editor of Fitness Runner magazine

"What a delightful book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could relate to it through my own experiences. The reading is light and humorous, and it takes a completely different approach to running. Very refreshing."
Colleen De Reuck-- Professional runner

"There is wisdom behind the laughter! Bob Schwartz makes you smile as he reminds you that behind the science of running, there is a lot of laughs and luck! He encourages the runners with wit and revelations that years of running experience (and inexperience!) provide. I Run, Therefore I Am Nuts will reinforce every runner's love of the sport, and pride in their accomplishments. It's a fun read that I recommend to runners of all abilities."
Susan Kalish-- Executive Director, The American Running Association

"Most runners take their sport seriously--sometimes too seriously. Bob Schwartz provides a refreshingly irreverent slant on a variety of topics to help keep a more balanced perspective. Take a run on the lighter side!"
Jeff Galloway-- 1972 Olympian, 10,000m, Author of Galloway's Book on Running

"I Run Therefore I Am –NUTS!! is a highly entertaining read on every runner’s favorite subject: Running. Considered by many the Dave Barry of running, popular running humorist Bob Schwartz pokes fun at the quirky personalities of runners and the funny situations they encounter in training, eating, racing, preparing for races and revolving their everyday lives around running. Schwartz’s contribution is sure to be a hit with both recreational and competitive runners, many of whom are already big fans of his essays and stories from the many running related publications for which he writes. "

Dick Weisz-- The Chicago Daily Herald

"The master of this genre is the veteran humorist and runner, Bob Schwartz. He has contributed to many running publications, including this one, and now his humorous insights are compiled into this very wonderful and humorous book. But there is more to the book than laughter (of which there is a lot!). Schwartz has been running and writing for years, and mixed in with all the funny stuff are generally valuable insights about all things running. We have a lot to learn from Schwartz’s experience and from his tremendous sense of humor."

New York Runner Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Human Kinetics (August 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736040358
• ISBN-13: 978-0736040358
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #236,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Sports

More About the Author

Bob Schwartz is the author of five books, including the highly successful and hilarious I Run, There I Am--NUTS! and his highly anticipated sequel, I Run, Therefore I Am - STILL Nuts! Bob's a freelance writer whose popular articles have been published in over 200 magazines. His humorous essays on running have appeared in more than 40 national and international running magazines and regional magazines, including Runner's World and Running Fitness.

Bob's books have been finalists in the humor category of the USA Book News Awards, the ForeWord Book Awards, the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards, and the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Bob has also won the Gold Award from the Parenting Publications of America for his humorous essays on family life. Bob has presented humorous talks at races throughout the United States.

Bob lives in Huntington Woods, Michigan, with his wife, Robin, and three children. He graduated from the University of Colorado and received his law degree from the University of Oregon. In addition to his writing, he is the CEO of the Here to Help Foundation (www.heretohelpfoundation.org), which he operates with his wife.

Bob raised over $50,000 through an ultramarathon benefiting the Institute of Craniofacial Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery and received the Dove Award from The Arc for implementing a basketball program for people with physical and mental disabilities. Bob also received the Avadenka Award from the State Bar of Michigan for his community service. He founded the Cheetahs Running Club in the Berkley School District of Michigan, for which he was awarded a grant from the Saucony Run for Good Foundation.

In the universal language of runners, Bob has PRs of 2:42:13 for the marathon, 34:18 for the 10K, 1:16:08 for the half marathon, and 58 seconds for the third-grade potato sack race. You can reach Bob at [e-mail] and enjoy his website and follow his blog at www.runninglaughsblog.com. Also, catch Bob on Facebook at www.facebook.com/runninglaughs and on Twitter at @RunningLaughs for daily humor and running news.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Any runner can relate to this book February 19, 2003

By music lover

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and found myself nodding in agreement more than once. As a veteran runner, I can't close the t-shirt drawer, have the remnants of energy bars in every location of my home, pay more for bottled water than my phone bill, am the proud owner of 10 black toenails and more insoles than the average shoe store. I spend more on my running clothes than my business clothes and a good portion of my budget goes to race entry fees. I plan my vacations around races and know the exact distance of almost any trip within 20 miles of my home. Such are the idiosyncracies of the runner, and this book captures the essence of our lives perfectly. Only a runner could have written this book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! February 17, 2004

By Larry Krinter

Format:Paperback

Finally, a humorist who is a runner takes a wonderfully funny look at all runners. This book had me laughing out loud from the moment I opened it as each of the short, snappy chapters are filled with wonderful humor in a very well written, easy flowing and creative manner.
Bob is a skillful author and very funny and entertaining. I've read many of his articles on family life as well and would love to see a similar book on that subject.
I highly recommend I Run, Therefore I Am - Nuts! to all runners. The book is simply great! I've actually read it twice now and had the same amount of laugh out loud chuckles along the way.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, great book! December 13, 2003

By Larry Grossman

Format:Paperback

This is a fantastically funny book and although dealing with running, it provides a lot of laughs for non-runners as well. Bob presents a terrifically humorous look at runners and races and training and lots of other subjects associated with running. The book makes a great gift and the accompanying illustrations are a perfect compliment to each chapter.
It's rare to find a book presented so very well and Bob should be highly commended for this welcome addition to a runner's library. The chapters on stretching and cross training and his satirical look at rules to run by are simply hilarious!