John Bingham (2)Reseñas

Any book that makes me feel good for my 11 minute mile pace is worthy of at least four stars right out of the gate.

John Bingham, who writes monthly columns for Runner's World, woke up one morning - in his late 30's or early 40's, I believe - to discover he was a mess. He was overweight, hooked on cigarettes, and booze, and couldn't even get up the stairs without huffing and puffing.

So, he started running. Months later, he was a testament to what healthy living can do. Known as "The Penguin", he encourages would-be joggers/runners simply to lace up and get out, not worried about beating a Kenyan to the finish line, but setting your own goals, and going as slow as you want - just so you're going.

He speaks to all the usual subjects - proper shoes, injuries, form, and programs to get you up to a steady mileage. He does so with humor and gentle inspiration. You never feel like he's bragging about how he turned his life around - just reminding you that if he could do it, anyone can.

A great book for anyone who wants to take to the road for a run, but isn't sure how to get started - or if they are truly 'right' for the running life.

I felt like I got some good advice and motivation from this as I start running for fun and fitness, and definitely not for speed. I did find some of the advice to be somewhat contradictory, but I'm finding that true of a lot of running books.½

A good intro to running. As an older novice runner, I'm very glad to discover runners like Bingham who reassure me that running is for *me*, even if I'm slow. Bingham's story, and advice from trainers like Jeff Galloway, along with articles like http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/dead-freakin-lastand-proud-of-it remind me that "I'm the captain of my running ship."

Quick skim of a read. More of a motivational read with lots of fluff. I didn't learn anything new, just confirmed things I had already learned. The whole book could have been condensed to a single article.

Great motivation for getting moving (running or otherwise). I savored this book a chapter at a time (a few pages) over several months. My copy has numerous turned over page corners!

I loved this book! I felt like it was written just for me. I really had a complete, life-altering change in attitude toward running somewhere in the middle of reading this. I have been running off and on for maybe three years, and the whole time I felt like I was pretty much engaging in self-inflicted torture. And now I honestly, truly can say I LOVE RUNNING!!!

I'm not a runner, but I have friends who are. I found this book to be interesting, but a bit repetitive at times.

I'm waffling on whether to give this two or three stars. Two seems low, but the description "it was ok" matches it better than "I liked it."

The good: Bingham has a great storytelling voice and he offers a lot of encouragement and enthusiasm. He is a great counterweight to the idea that running must be an elite activity for only the very fit. He tells us that runners are people who run, no more, no less. There is a lot of encouragement, empathy, and folk wisdom inside these pages. As a fatass who in his late 30's is trying to leave years of sloth, smoking, and overeating behind, I am encouraged by Bingham's personal stories.

The not-so-good: this is more of a self-help book than a running book. That is not necessarily a problem, but Bingham knows how to tell a story and he knows how to work a crowd. As an end result, I don't trust his words as much as I might. Have you ever talked to a really excellent sales-person and then not be certain whether you want to buy the product because you don't trust your own enthusiasm for it? I get that feeling after reading Bingham. Does he make me feel better about running because running is a great thing or does he make me feel better about running because his words convey enthusiasm convincingly?

I like this book and I'd love to buy Bingham a beer, but I'm left feeling like I've just heard a particularly skilled evangelical preacher give his testimony and make an altar call. I'm buying what he's selling, but I don't fully trust the surge in enthusiasm I feel for it.

a good read for those training for their first full

This was full of good info AND actually entertaining to read. Bravo. Lots of encouragement for back and middle of the pack type runners - folks who start out as an adult and will never get all that fast, or maybe never go all that far.

This was great. Lots of good advice, stories and funny bits.

John Bingham is what he describes as an “accidental athlete” or an “adult-onset athlete”. At 43 years old, after years of eating, smoking and drinking too much, he started running. I think I enjoyed this book so much because I could relate to so much of what the author experienced in his life. He was a kid who wanted to play sports and had fun playing sports but wasn’t very good at them. When the day came that he figured out he wasn’t very good, he didn’t want to play anymore.

He had a lucrative career, great house, several motorcycles – all the trappings of success. He thought he has happy. It wasn’t until one day when he decided to move more that he realized life could be better. He started with biking and then decided to try running. When he first started, he ran a 30 minute mile! Even now he is a middle of the pack runner, which I can totally identify with. I really appreciated his philosophies on running; that it’s okay to be slow and the goal really should be to have fun.

The author does get a little repetitive at times, mentioning things in later chapters that he’s already said in previous chapters but it wasn’t enough to get on my nerves. I’m still recovering from surgery so I can’t run right now but after reading his book I really want to get out there again. I’ll probably re-read it when I’m able to actually run again. If you are an accidental or adult-set athlete or even someone who’s been running for most of your life, I think you will really enjoy this book.

This one's a fluffy feel-good beginning runners' book by the famous "Penguin". Focus is on newbie attitudes and thoughts, not practical tips.

A great book for beginners - lots of motivational information about and testimonials to the power of exercise and running as part of a healthy lifestyle. I was hoping for more specific guidance related to treating injuries and nutrition, but the basics are here. The most helpful feature may be the variety of training programs - eight to choose from based on your fitness and health at the start and distance goals.

Good book for those of us who do not look like runners and are unsure of our ability to run!

I have much love for this book. I am fairly new to running (and I really need to get out there again it's been ages) and I found this book incredibly helpful and inspiring. It takes you through why you should run. How you should run. When you should run. In fun easy chapters. It gives several different training programs as well as advice on warm-ups and strength training. It also gives some of the best weight loss advice out there:Eat less. Move more. pg 157

This book is a great introduction for those who are considering taking up running as part of their fitness routine but I think it also has a lot to offer seasoned runners who might need some reminders. It is also a funny book. John and Jenny look at themselves and running with a great deal of self-deprecating humour. They make it very clear that they did not start out as world class olympians but as normal people who "couldn't run to the end of the block without crying". This type of self-insight is so very helpful to me as I move on in my journey of becoming a runner. I am now looking forward to reading their other book: Marathoning for Mortals. Not that I will be running a marathon any time soon but they are that inspiring.

I really cannot recommend this book more highly to anyone who is a runner or wants to become one!

I love this book. It doesn't come at you from a "training to be the ultimate athlete" stand point. It recognizes where most people are coming from: fat, lazy, and out of shape. A good part of the book is to help with setting the reader up mentally. It is about 75% of the battle from my own experience. I myself have completed a half-marathon once. It felt great, but I felt broken for a long period of time. With the right amount of training I want to feel better. It does stress that this is not a weight loss plan, which I also need. I feel like this is a great way to figure out what my body can handle and tailor it for my own needs. At any rate, this is a very easy read. You can relate to it at every corner. It is very motivating for people who have ever thought of running a distance greater then the standard 10k.½

Bingham is da bomb for beginner runners. Word.

Definitely a good read, and gave me lots to think about. I guess I should only review once I've actually run my first half-marathon. ;-)

A truly inspirational book for the beginner runner. Bingham bases his book on his own mistakes when starting out running - too much too soon, not listening to your body, setting goals which are too ambitious, etc. The book is peppered with quotes and advice from people who have started to run in adulthood - a far more difficult task than starting as an active youth. Bingham does sometimes stray a little too far, for me, into "don't have specific goals, don't have a proscribed running schedule" - we all need some goals, and with no schedule at all, a beginner would struggle to know how to progress - but largely his advice is laudable. Personally, I would advise beginners to read his book for the inspiration and reassurance that slow is not bad, but supplement it with an altogether more practical book like the Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover.

This book was pretty helpful. Reading it slowly has helped me change my attitude about running.

Although I am not interested in racing, there were chapters on why someone would be motivated to run at all. I found the chapter on preventing and dealing with injury, and the chapter on other sports and how they can fit into a running routine especially helpful.

I didn't take much in when the topic was racing, however, if I ever change my mind and decide to run a race, I'll come back to this book.