Books - The Quotable Runner

The Quotable Runner

THE QUOTABLE RUNNER: Great Moments of Wisdom, Inspiration, Wrongheadedness,
and Humor.
 
Edited by Mark Will-Weber
 
304 pages, hardcover, $20, Breakaway Books, New York City, 1-800-548-4348
 
This little gem of a book compiles all the best snippets of wit and wisdom
uttered concerning the sport of running. It has a bit of everything, from
ancient Greek sayings to modern training philosophies, and many simply
outrageous opinions. It's divided into twenty sections, including The Mile,
The Marathon, Pain, Hills, Training, Medals and Money, Women and Running,
Eating, Racing, Cross-Country, etc. Any runner will enjoy leafing through it
for inspiration, advice, history, and some great anecdotes.
 
 
A few samples:
 
"Bid me run and I will strive with things impossible."  -- Shakespeare
 
"The only tactics I admire are do-or-die."   -- Herb Elliott
 
"Start slowly, then taper off."  -- Walt Stack
 
"If the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything."  -- John L. Parker
 
"Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos."  --Don Kardong
 
"Suffering is the sole origin of consciousness." --Dostoyevsky
 
"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." -- Juma Ikangaa
 
"If the Lord had meant for man to run, He would have given him four legs, or
least made him late for a bus." --Red Smith
 
"Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, like the muscles of the body."
-- Lynn Jennings
 
"If you want to win a race, you have to go a little berserk." --Bill Rogers
 
"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what
you put into it." --Oprah Winfrey
 
And so on. There are about a thousand of these aphorisms and pronouncements
in the book. Great for motivation or amusement, pre-race, post-race, deep in
the middle of a miserable training month -- anytime. Suitable for all ages,
men and women. 
 
Breakaway Books also published THE RUNNER'S LITERARY COMPANION ($23), which
came out last year to excellent reviews.  1-800-548-4348.