Running- A Love Story- 10 Years, 5 Marathons, and 1 Life-Changing Sport

Jen Miller has fallen in and out of love, but no man has been there for her the way running has. In Running: A Love Story, Jen tells the story of her lifelong relationship with running with wit, thoughtfulness, and brutal honesty. Jen first laces up her sneakers in high school, when, like many people, she sees running as a painful part of conditioning for other sports. But when she discovers early in her career as a journalist that it helps her clear her mind, focus her efforts, and achieve new goals, she becomes hooked for good. Jen, a middle-of-the-pack but tenacious runner, hones her skill while navigating relationships with men that, like a tricky marathon route, have their ups and downs, relying on running to keep her steady in the hard times. As Jen pushes herself toward ever-greater challenges, she finds that running helps her walk away from the wrong men and learn to love herself while revealing focus, discipline, and confidence she didn't realize she... From Academy Award-nominee Emily V. Gordon, creator of the blockbuster movie The Big Sick, comes a super-powered guide-to-life with comic-book flair and real-world wisdom for living your best life Superheroes don't start from glorious beginnings. Their origins are almost always marked by traumatic events that leave them helpless and scared. Batman witnessed his parents'murder. Superman was sent away from his dying planet with no one to guide him as he grew up. Orphaned Catwoman was forced to steal food to survive on the streets of Gotham. What makes these superheroes super is their determination to not be defined by helplessness. They embrace their origins, their flaws, and their mistakes, and strive every day to become the best versions of themselves - for the benefit of themselves and others. Super You is a fun, friendly, and unabashedly geeky guide to becoming the superhero of your own extraordinary life. Author Emily Gordon examines comic book tropes to find lessons that anyone can apply toward overcoming tragic events and adversity in their own lives. With activities in every chapter to help identify each person's superpowers, special tools, personal kryptonite -- and weapons against it -- Super You is the perfect sidekick for every growing hero, empowering everyday people to transform into the most kick-ass versions of themselves. "Life in Ingrid Steffensen's New Jersey suburb was safe, comfortable, and predictable. A college professor, wife, and mother of a preadolescent daughter, her carefully cultivated world was comprised of the usual suspects: family, work, book clubs, yoga classes, and date nights. Then, one day--thinking she'd be a good sport and maybe learn something about what made her car-crazed husband tick--she put a helmet on her head, took her Mini Cooper to the racetrack, and learned how to drive it really, really fast. Soon, what began as a whim became a full-blown obsession--and a freeing journey of self-discovery. In the eventful, exhilarating year that followed her first lesson, Steffensen dove head-first into high-performance driving. In the process, she discovered the terrifying and addictive thrill of pushing her limits, learning an entirely new set of skills, and tackling danger head-on--and found that doing so liberated her in a way that she hadn't even known she needed. Fast-paced and fun, Fast Girl is the quirky, real-life chronicle of how one woman stepped outside her comfort zone, shrugged off the shackles of suburban conformity, and changed her entire perspective on life through the unlikeliest of means: racecar driving"-- Provided by publisher Life In Ingrid Steffensen's New Jersey Suburb Was Safe, Comfortable, And Predictable. A College Professor, Wife, And Mother Of A Preadolescent Daughter, Her Carefully Cultivated World Was Comprised Of The Usual Suspects: Family, Work, Book Clubs, Yoga Classes, And Date Nights. Then, One Day--thinking She'd Be A Good Sport And Maybe Learn Something About What Made Her Car-crazed Husband Tick--she Put A Helmet On Her Head, Took Her Mini Cooper To The Racetrack, And Learned How To Drive It Really, Really Fast. Soon, What Began As A Whim Became A Full-blown Obsession--and A Freeing Journey Of Self-discovery. In The Eventful, Exhilarating Year That Followed Her First Lesson, Steffensen Dove Head-first Into High-performance Driving. In The Process, She Discovered The Terrifying And Addictive Thrill Of Pushing Her Limits, Learning An Entirely New Set Of Skills, And Tackling Danger Head-on--and Found That Doing So Liberated Her In A Way That She Hadn't Even Known She Needed. Fast-paced And Fun, Fast Girl Is The Quirky, Real-life Chronicle Of How One Woman Stepped Outside Her Comfort Zone, Shrugged Off The Shackles Of Suburban Conformity, And Changed Her Entire Perspective On Life Through The Unlikeliest Of Means: Racecar Driving-- Ingrid Steffensen. Life in Ingrid Steffensen's New Jersey suburb was safe, comfortable, and predictable. A college professor, wife, and mother of a preadolescent daughter, her carefully cultivated world was comprised of the usual suspects: family, work, book clubs, yoga classes, and date nights. Then, one day—thinking she'd be a good sport and maybe learn something about what made her car-crazed husband tick—she put a helmet on her head, took her Mini Cooper to the racetrack, and learned how to drive it really, really fast. Soon, what began as a whim became a full-blown obsession—and a freeing journey of self-discovery.In the eventful, exhilarating year that followed her first lesson, Steffenson dove head-first into high-performance driving. In the process, she discovered the terrifying and addictive thrill of pushing her limits, learning an entirely new set of skills, and tackling danger head-on—and found that doing so liberated her in a way that she hadn't even known she needed. Fast-paced and fun, Fast Girl is the quirky, real-life chronicle of how one woman stepped outside her comfort zone, shrugged off the shackles of suburban conformity, and changed her entire perspective on life through the unlikeliest of means: racecar driving. Life in Ingrid Steffensens New Jersey suburb was safe, comfortable, and predictable. A college professor, wife, and mother of a preadolescent daughter, her carefully cultivated world was comprised of the usual family, work, book clubs, yoga classes, and date nights. Then, one daythinking shed be a good sport and maybe learn something about what made her car-crazed husband tickshe put a helmet on her head, took her Mini Cooper to the racetrack, and learned how to drive it really, really fast. Soon, what began as a whim became a full-blown obsessionand a freeing journey of self-discovery. In the eventful, exhilarating year that followed her first lesson, Steffenson dove head-first into high-performance driving. In the process, she discovered the terrifying and addictive thrill of pushing her limits, learning an entirely new set of skills, and tackling danger head-onand found that doing so liberated her in a way that she hadnt even known she needed. Fast-paced and fun, Fast Girl is the quirky, real-life chronicle of how one woman stepped outside her comfort zone, shrugged off the shackles of suburban conformity, and changed her entire perspective on life through the unlikeliest of racecar driving. Run Like A Girl is about the impact that participating in sports has on women, how the confidence and strength that it helps to build makes us stronger and better prepared for life's many challenges. In this inspiring book, Mina Samuels uses the personal stories of women and girls of all ages and backgrounds, as well as her own, to take a broad look at the power sports have to help us overcome obstacles in all arenas of life. Run Like A Girl includes the stories of a US-ranked amateur triathlete who's raising an autistic son, a thirteen-year-old girl who falls in love with cross-country running, a woman who runs her first marathon at age sixty, an investment banker who quit her job to become a yoga teacher and adopt a daughter on her own, a young mother with scoliosis who cycled her way back to health and became a jewelry designer along the way, and countless other women, including Kathrine Switzer, Rebecca Rusch, and Molly Barker, who have been changed by their experiences with sports. Run Like A Girl argues that physical strength lends itself to psychological strength, and that for many women, participating in sports translates into leading a happier, more fulfilling life. "Superheroes don't start from glorious beginnings. Their origins are almost always marked by traumatic events that leave them helpless and scared. Batman witnessed his parents' murder. Superman was sent away from his dying planet with no one to guide him as he grew up. Orphaned Catwoman was forced to steal food to survive on the streets of Gotham. What makes these superheroes super is their determination to not be defined by helplessness. They embrace their origins, their flaws, and their mistakes, and strive every day to become the best versions of themselves--for the benefit of themselves and others. Super You is a fun, friendly, and unabashedly geeky guide to becoming the superhero of your own extraordinary life. Author Emily Gordon examines comic book tropes to find lessons that anyone can apply toward overcoming tragic events and adversity in their own lives. With activities in every chapter to help identify each person's superpowers, special tools, personal kryptonite--and weapons against it--Super You is the perfect sidekick for every growing hero, empowering everyday people to transform into the most kick-ass versions of themselves." -- Amazon.com Superheroes dont start from glorious beginnings. Their origins are almost always marked by traumatic events that leave them helpless and scared. Batman witnessed his parents murder. Superman was sent away from his dying planet with no one to guide him as he grew up. Orphaned Catwoman was forced to steal food to survive on the streets of Gotham. What makes these superheroes super is their determination to not be defined by helplessness. They embrace their origins, their flaws, and their mistakes, and strive every day to become the best versions of themselves for the benefit of themselves and others. Super You is a fun, friendly, and unabashedly geeky guide to becoming the superhero of your own extraordinary life. Author Emily Gordon examines comic book tropes to find lessons that anyone can apply toward overcoming tragic events and adversity in their own lives. With activities in every chapter to help identify each persons superpowers, special tools, personal kryptonite and weapons against it Super You is the perfect sidekick for every growing hero, empowering everyday people to transform into the most kick-ass versions of themselves. We all know we should eat better, exercise more, get better quality rest, and so on. Tell us something we don't know, right? After all, every statistic we have about Americans and our health proves that no matter how good our intentions are, we are failing to change the habits that undermine our well-being. But how do we achieve our healthy living goals when they're so daunting? Who has the time, the willpower, the resources to do all that nutritious eating, muscle building, restful sleeping, and work-life balancing? Carla Birnberg and Roni Noone have the answer to that--the answer is you. You have the power to make healthier living easy and exciting, just by adopting one simple mantra: "What you can when you can." It's all you need. What You Can When You Can (#wycwyc) is a book, a movement, a mindset, and a lifestyle--one that harnesses the power of small steps to let you achieve your health and fitness goals on YOUR terms. The #wycwyc (pronounced "wickwick") philosophy applies to anything and everything that contributes to a healthy, happy life: nutrition, exercise, physical and mental rejuvenation, and so much more.--Back cover From fourth grade onward, shy, nervous Bree Housley and fearless, outgoing Shelly were an inseparable, albeit unlikely, pair. Their friendship survived everything from the awkward years of junior high to the transformative upheavals of early adulthood—until, at the young age of 25, Shelly lost her life to complications caused by Preeclampsia.We Hope You Like This Song is a tribute to the ineffable, incomparable bond that we call friendship, and a celebration of living life to the fullest. Housley recounts how she and her sister found a way to keep Shelly's memory alive—by spending a year doing crazy things that Shelly would have done, like giving Valentines to strangers, singing at a karaoke bar, and letting her boyfriend pick out her outfits for a week. In the process, she paints a vivid, often hilarious, portrait of her fun-loving, social butterfly best friend and the many adventures they had growing up together in'80s and'90s small-town America. Sweet, poignant, and yet somehow laugh-out-loud funny, We Hope You Like This Song is a touching story of love, loss, and the honoring of a friendship after it's gone. From fourth grade onward, shy, nervous Bree Housley and fearless, outgoing Shelly were an inseparable, albeit unlikely, pair. Their friendship survived everything from the awkward years of junior high to the transformative upheavals of early adulthooduntil, at the young age of 25, Shelly lost her life to complications caused by Preeclampsia. We Hope You Like This Song is a tribute to the ineffable, incomparable bond that we call friendship, and a celebration of living life to the fullest. Housley recounts how she and her sister found a way to keep Shellys memory aliveby spending a year doing crazy things that Shelly would have done, like giving Valentines to strangers, singing at a karaoke bar, and letting her boyfriend pick out her outfits for a week. In the process, she paints a vivid, often hilarious, portrait of her fun-loving, social butterfly best friend and the many adventures they had growing up together in '80s and 90s small-town America. Sweet, poignant, and yet somehow laugh-out-loud funny, We Hope You Like This Song is a touching story of love, loss, and the honoring of a friendship after its gone. The inspiring memoir of a plus-size woman who summited Kilimanjaro while overcoming fat prejudice and her own demons --'I was moved and inspired by every page of this beautiful book'(Cheryl Strayed) Kara Richardson Whitely was determined to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. But she struggled with each step -- with the grueling conditions on the steep mountainside, with the 300-pound weight of her own body, and with her food addiction, which came from a lifetime of reckoning with feelings of failure and shame. Deep in her personal gorge, Kara realized the only way out was up. Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds is the raw story of Kara's ascent from the depths of self-doubt to the top of the world. Her inspiring trek speaks to every woman who has struggled with her self-image or felt that food was controlling her life. Honest and unforgettable, Kara's journey is one of intense passion, endurance, and self-acceptance. Kara Knew She Could Reach The Summit Of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She Had Done It Once Before. That’s Why, When She Failed In A Second Attempt, It Brought Her So Low. As She Struggled With Food Addiction And Looked For Ways To Cope With Feelings Of Failure And Shame, Kara's Weight Shot To More Than 300 Pounds. Deep In Her Personal Gorge, Kara Realized The Only Way Out Was Up. She Resolved To Climb The Mountain Again—and This Time, She Would Reach The Summit Without Waiting For Her Plus-sized Status To Disappear. Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro At 300 Pounds Is The Raw Story Of Kara’s Ascent From The Depths Of Self-doubt To The Top Of The World. Her Difficult But Inspiring Trek Speaks To Every Woman Who Has Struggled With Her Self-image Or Felt That Food Was Controlling Her Life. Honest And Unforgettable, Kara’s Journey Is One Of Intense Passion, Endurance, And Self-acceptance. In Gorge, Kara Shows That Big Women Can Do Big Things. Kara knew she could reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She had done it once before. Thats why, when she failed in a second attempt, it brought her so low. Struggling with a food addiction and looking for ways to cope with feelings of failure and shame, Kara ballooned to 360 pounds. Deep in her personal gorge, Kara realized the only way out was up. She resolved to climb the mountain again and this time, she would reach the summit without waiting for her plus-sized status to disappear. Gorge: My 300-Pound Journey Up Kilimanjaro is the raw story of Karas ascent from the depths of self-doubt to the top of the world. Her difficult but inspiring trek speaks to every woman who has struggled with her self-image or felt that food was controlling her life. Honest and unforgettable, Karas journey is one of intense passion, endurance, and self-acceptance. In Gorge, Kara shows that big women can do big things. Introduction: finding your bat signal Identity: who would you like to be today? Missions : should you choose to accept them Fundamentals : rights, responsibilities, choice, and control in a superhero world Head versus heart : making emotions your bitch Plucked from the shadowy superhero research lab : super you's toolbag Superpowers : can you leap tall buildings in a single bound? Weaknesses : embracing them, working them, protecting them Cheap armor and weapons : what outmoded "protection" are you hiding behind? From the annals of time: constructing your origin story A super you among regular others: being out in the universe.

Run Like a Girl is part locker-room confidential and personal memoir, revealing how the confidence women build by participating in sports-whether it's running, rock climbing, or yoga-can transform their lives in profound ways. Inspiring, funny, and heartbreaking, the candid stories of nearly a hundred women fill these pages.

Do you run like a girl? Discovering our magic shoes Rising to the (almost) daily challenge The Goldilocks principle Fit is the new thin Chicking the boys Will you be my friend? Tossing our lace caps. Super You explores comic book tropes that readers can apply to their own lives to overcome adversity and transform into the best version of themselves Bree Housley's sweet, quirky, and hilarious tribute to her lifelong friend, and her chronicle of how she honoured her after her premature death A companion guide to the growing #wycwyc movement, highlighting simple, everyday steps anyone can take to reach their fitness goals Author and athlete Mina Samuels inspires women with her philosophy that strong women make happy lives