Once A Runner

Author: Parker, John L., Jr.
Edition: Author's rev. ed.
Publication info: Tallahassee, Fla. : Cedarwinds Pub. Co., c1990 (2002 printing).
ISBN: 0915297019
ISBN: 9780915297016
Description: 248 p. ; 22 cm.
Subject: Running--Fiction.

Once a Runner is the best running book I have ever read. Unlike training guides or running stories that spend far too much time explaining the beauty of running and trying to introduce people to the wonders of jogging around, Once A Runner really goes into the life and mind of a runner (though the book uses fictional characters, they are easily recognizable and realistic). It describes the dedication, hard work, and goofiness that is required to be successful and what makes runners a very unique, though cetainly interesting breed. The story itself, of a young college-aged runner and his quest to run the fastest mile he could while in school and after he got kicked out, is extremely well paced and smootly written, just as a good race. It is a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it for beginners, enthusiasts, or someone who just needs a little motivation.