Honey, Do You Need a Ride?: Confessions of a Fat Runner - Softcover

Graham, Jennifer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1891369806 ISBN 13: 9781891369803

Publisher: Breakaway Books, 2012

Synopsis

This laugh-out-loud comedic memoir of life as an overweight runner moves along at a five-minute-per-mile pace. Jennifer Graham doesn't run to lose weight - she runs for the joy of endorphins. But life's not always easy when the blubber hits the road. She must endure not only her self-made exhaustion and lactic acid, but the bemused stares of neighbors, offers of car rides from strangers, and the disdain of the dominant strain of runner - those long, lean "shirtless wonders."

The challenges of being a fat runner, however, disappear faster than a pint of whisky-pecan ice cream when Graham's marriage implodes and she finds herself a single mom with four children, two donkeys, and a really bad attitude. To cope, she registers for a half-marathon she ran 10 years ago, to see if she's made any progress, or if she's just been running in place. She is rejected by the big-name coaches she contacts, but finds grudging assistance in the spirit of the late Steve Prefontaine. "Yeah, I know he's been dead 35 years; it's a minor metaphysical challenge."

Graham's irreverent, hilarious and brutally honest story will appeal to runners and non-runners alike, fat or thin. It's fast-twitch meets slow-witch, with an outcome that's out of this world.

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Praise for Honey, Do You Need a Ride?"

"Jennifer writes like an old friend speaks, in a voice you know and love. Her descriptions of running heavy, whether with added weight or added burdens, make her experience universal to runners and non-runners alike. Her overcoming spirit makes you want to cheer for her, run with her, or eat a pint of ice cream with her! Ultimately, it's not the size of the body but the size of the heart that counts. And this runner's heart is huge."
--Kristin Armstrong, mother of three, Contributing Editor for Runner's World, Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run

"Here's to the mid-pack runners, the back-of-the-pack shufflers, the start-slowly-and-taper-off champions. Just remember: there's a lot more of us than there are of them (those tall skinny Shirtless Wonders). And Jennifer Graham tells our story beautifully, with unflinching honesty and laugh-out-loud humor." --John "the Penguin" Bingham, author of The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, and An Accidental Athlete

"Jennifer Graham might be surprised when the sinewy running tribe she longs to conform to becomes readers of her book, because you don't have to be a 'fat runner' to enjoy this moving memoir. If you've ever fallen in love with running; if running is a constant companion; if running has been a lifeline through bad times, then you'll identify with Graham's story. Okay, maybe not the donkeys or the paranormal coaching, but when you're done reading you'll wish you could join Graham on a run, just so you can hear more."
--Kara Douglass Thom, author of Becoming an Ironman and Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom

"Jennifer Graham is the hilarious, pee-your-pants running partner you wish you had. She'll make you want to move to Boston just to pound out a few miles alongside her and slam down a ginormous hot-fudge sundae with her post-run. If you love running, laughing, eating, and reading in equal measure, you'll love this book." --Eileen Button, author of The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays

About this title

Review:

-Jennifer Graham may think she's different from the skinny Shirtless Wonders she sees trotting at a faster pace, but she's not. She knows that running, like a good book, can help you to live, and she's every bit as serious, dedicated, and impressive as the folks at the front of the pack. She may, however, be funnier and more fun than most of them.-
--Rachel Toor, author of Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running
-Attention fat people of the world: Jennifer Graham is so wise and funny in Honey, Do You Need a Ride? that you might just find yourself lacing up your sneakers and following her around the track. She is lovable and hilarious as a gazelle trapped in the body of a fat girl.- --Debra Galant, author of Rattled and Fear and Yoga in New Jersey
-Honey, Do You Need a Ride? is a humorous journey shared proudly by its author. Just as Jennifer Graham's chosen form of recreation keeps her mentally and physically fit, reading Jennifer's story is equally therapeutic--even motivational--to the reader. Jennifer proves there is a runner in all of us! From her first-person perspective, she shows that running is a sport for life.- --Joann Flaminio, first female president of the Boston Athletic Association, organizer of the Boston Marathon
-Jennifer Graham is a born writer and runner. She lets the reader into her life, conveying a sense of intimacy as she discusses her divorce, donkeys, and being fat, as well as a keen insight into the head and heart of a runner. Reading her book made me feel as if I was running alongside her for 26.2 miles and laughing the entire way.- --Gail Waesche Kislevitz, author of First Marathons, First Triathlons, and It's Never Too Late
"Jennifer Graham may think she's different from the skinny Shirtless Wonders she sees trotting at a faster pace, but she's not. She knows that running, like a good book, can help you to live, and she's every bit as serious, dedicated, and impressive as the folks at the front of the pack. She may, however, be funnier and more fun than most of them."
--Rachel Toor, author of Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running

"Attention fat people of the world: Jennifer Graham is so wise and funny in Honey, Do You Need a Ride? that you might just find yourself lacing up your sneakers and following her around the track. She is lovable and hilarious as a gazelle trapped in the body of a fat girl." --Debra Galant, author of Rattled and Fear and Yoga in New Jersey

"Honey, Do You Need a Ride? is a humorous journey shared proudly by its author. Just as Jennifer Graham's chosen form of recreation keeps her mentally and physically fit, reading Jennifer's story is equally therapeutic--even motivational--to the reader. Jennifer proves there is a runner in all of us! From her first-person perspective, she shows that running is a sport for life." --Joann Flaminio, first female president of the Boston Athletic Association, organizer of the Boston Marathon

"Jennifer Graham is a born writer and runner. She lets the reader into her life, conveying a sense of intimacy as she discusses her divorce, donkeys, and being fat, as well as a keen insight into the head and heart of a runner. Reading her book made me feel as if I was running alongside her for 26.2 miles and laughing the entire way." --Gail Waesche Kislevitz, author of First Marathons, First Triathlons, and It's Never Too Late

About the Author:

Jennifer Graham: Jennifer Graham is a veteran journalist living near Boston who writes regularly for The Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe Magazine, as well as magazines including Runner's World, Ladies' Home Journal, Parents, and Family Circle.

About this edition

• Publisher: Breakaway Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1891369806
• ISBN 13: 9781891369803
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272