The Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life (Paperback)

~ John "The Penguin" Bingham (Author) "Every January it was the same story..." (more)
Key Phrases: Big Larry, Boston Marathon, Velcro Lady (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."

Take your first step toward fitness and a happier, healthier life.

Has the idea of running crossed your mind, but you haven't acted on it because you don't think you have the body of a runner? Have you thought about running but quit before you started because you knew that you would be breathless at the end of your driveway? Well, put aside those fears because you can do it. John Bingham, author of the popular Runner's World column "The Penguin Chronicles," transformed himself from an overweight couch potato who smoked into a runner who has completed eleven marathons and hundreds of road races.

Forget about the image of a perfect body in skintight clothes, and don't worry about how fast or how far you go. Bingham shows how anyone can embrace running as a life-enhancing activity -- rather than as a competition you will never win. In an entertaining blend of his own success story and practical advice, Bingham provides reasonable guidelines for establishing a program of achievable goals; offers tips on clothing, running shoes, and other equipment; and explains how anyone can prepare for and run distances ranging from a few miles to marathons.

After all, in running and in life, the difference between success and failure sometimes comes down to a single step. Waddle on, friends.

About the Author

John Bingham writes "The Penguin Chronicles," a monthly column in Runner's World, maintains a popular Web site, and trains other "slow and steady" runners nationwide. He lives in Tennessee.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (April 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684854554
• ISBN-13: 978-0684854557
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,230 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #26 in	Books > Sports > Other Team Sports > Track & Field
  #40 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Running & Jogging
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 141 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll want to read this book over and over again., March 30, 1999

By	Dave Sorenson ([e-mail]) (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

Do you enjoy "The Penguin Chronicles", a monthly column in Runner's World? The column's author, John "The Penguin" Bingham, now has a book out to complement the column. The book is entitled "The Courage to Start : A Guide to Running for Your Life."

This book is a must read for runners of all ability levels, from beginning runners to those who have been running for decades. Bingham gives practical advice to beginning runners, as well as showing how running transcends from a physical activity to a self-discovery of yourself. His revelations are insightful and motivational. Once you start reading this book, you will not be able to put it down.

Bingham began running in 1992 as a 43-year-old, 240-pound, couch potato. His first run consisted of sprinting down his driveway for about 30 seconds. That was all his legs, lungs and ego could take. But unlike many other times in his life when he had given up, he didn't quit this time. For some reason he stuck with running, and managed to run ¼ mile, then ½ mile, a mile, and increasingly more. As the months passed and he shed the excess weight, he found himself running 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and eventually, full marathons.

He first began to tell his story on the internet via the Dead Runners Society (DRS). He sent out an e-mail telling about a race where he nearly finished last, but was finding himself a happier and healthier person because of running. Much to his surprise, he received responses from readers that said he had told their stories. They said he had managed to put into words what they were feeling about themselves, and about the metamorphosis that running was causing in their lives.

From these initial e-mails, "The Penguin Chronicles" was born. First it was a monthly e-mail on the DRS, and then Bingham set up a web site to host his columns. Eventually, Runner's World became aware of his columns, and in May of 1996, the column became a regular part of the magazine. It appears near the back of the magazine each month, a comfortable place for the many back-of-the-packers that are touched the most by his writings. The column has generated a huge following as runners from around the world find Bingham's words to be entertaining, inspirational, down-to-earth, and humorous.

Hoping to share his joy of running with other runners around the county, Bingham set out on the Penguin Tour in the summer of 1997. He traveled by motorcycle for eight weeks and visited runners from coast to coast. Bingham did another Penguin Tour in the summer of 1998, this time traveling by car and logging more than 14,000 miles over three months. On each stop during his trips, he found others who share the joy of running, and who discovered themselves via running. He found people who had moved past the self-imposed limitations that society places on us. After running with both new and veteran runners, Bingham found how little difference there was between them. At the start of his 1997 trip, he thought his story was unique, but by the end, he realized he was just one of many who had found themselves via running. His solitude was replaced by a sense of belonging.

In "The Courage To Start," Bingham shares his experiences with us. He shares the metamorphosis that he has gone through because of running. He shares his joy, happiness, and humor. This book will make you think, smile, cheer, and perhaps will bring tears of joy and courage. Don't walk or drive to your favorite bookstore, but run and pick up a copy today. Get one for yourself, and another to give to a friend. Share the joy of running with others.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars garunteed to get you going, February 24, 2002

By	Joellen Corrocher (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

I have tried becoming a "runner" many times in the past..I was on the "brink" once again when I read this book and have now been running 4-5 days a week since reading the book about 2 months ago.

The author makes you realize how anyone can enjoy, and even become addicted to this elusive, seemingly insane activity. Unlike many other running books, he doesn't ever say "you just have to really want it", he just tells his story, in which, after many years of inactivity and weight gain, he took up running at age 43.

The focus of this book is on enjoying the process, not the end result (how many min. it takes you to run a mile) of running. If you are looking for nutrition or speed advice, this is not the book for you. If you want an inspiration easy read, this IS the book!

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book spoke to my soul!, May 28, 2001

By	H. Cooper "soul searcher (mine or yours)" (Everett, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There have been other wonderful reviews written about this book already. All I can say is this book is so inspiring for those of us who always wanted to be athletic, but thought our chance had passed us by. I'm a 35 year old, stay at home, slightly plump mom. I've always admired runners, I always wanted to be one. But the truth is, I suck at running. This book gave me something wonderful. It gave me hope. It's a book that says so what if you suck, so what if you're slow, so what if the neighbors kid runs faster than you, and that kid runs with crutches. It's okay! If you are getting out there and putting one foot in front of the other, you're a runner!

I've been running for five months now. And I don't think I would have ever had the courage to step outside my door, take a deep breath and start jogging without this book