March 15, 2016
As a high-school athlete, Miller viewed running as a training tool rather than a sport. Today she is a successful freelance journalist who often writes about running for publications ranging from Runner's World to the New York Times. She frames her story around the 2013 New Jersey Marathon, prefacing each chapter with her progression through the race and flashing back to earlier times as she navigates personal relationships, occupational aspirations, and her goals relating to running. Her personal story is at once laugh-out-loud funny and heartbreaking, as she describes her emotional and physical struggles and triumphs. Amid the failed boyfriends, loathing of South Philly, and love of the Jersey Shore, Miller also includes some interesting facts on the growing popularity of long-distance running in America, especially among women. The book offers a strange mix of sports and self-reflection, but anyone who has ever laced up their trainers and set off for a jog will recognize that duality as key to the appeal of running.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)