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ellenpederson's review against another edition
3.0
The mix of running/grief memoir, feminist views on running, and history of marathons/women in running didn't really work for me. Once the book for into the flow of one, it felt like it would suddenly shift gears. That said, the history portions were fascinating.
lyndsmarie321's review against another edition
3.0
This book contains way more history than I expected which sometimes made it a bore. If you want to read about women in running, this is the book for you.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Crown Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of Catriona Menzies-Pike's memoir, The Long Run, in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT - When she was in her early twenties, Catriona Menzies-Pike was dealt a major life-change, when her parents both died in a plane crash. She spent the following decade finishing her education, while dealing with both her profound grief, and the extensive probate process to close her parent's estate. She had never considered herself very athletic, but when she turned thirty, she decided that she wanted to change her lifestyle and began running. The Long Run chronicles her journey to becoming a marathon runner, including an examination on how running helped her cope with loss and the history of female runners.
LIKE- I'm not a runner. I've finished a handful of half-marathons and other athletic events, but I've always been more of a slow finisher, mostly walking. I've never had the drive to turn myself into a runner. Running is not what drew me to Menzies-Pike's memoir. Like Menzies-Pike, I also lost my parents at a young age and this is what made me interested in her story.
The Long Run is half a history of running, specifically female runners. I was not expecting her memoir to be so heavy on the history, but I'm glad it was, as it was fascinating. I had recently heard the story of runner Kathrine Switzer, who in 1967 was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an official participant. Switzer registered using her first initial, rather than her name, and snuck by in a time when women were not allowed to participate. Famously, a race official tried to physically remove her from the course, but her boyfriend at the time, stepped in and Switzer kept running. The Long Run is filled with stories of other female runners from around the world who helped break down barriers. I may have zero interest in running, but I'm grateful to these women who took risks so that I could have opportunities. It's amazing to me to think that Switzer's Boston Marathon run was just ten years before I was born. I feel like I grew up in a world where I could aspire to anything.
Menzies-Pike also writes about the fear that women have, a fear that has been drilled into them, regarding things like running alone or running at night. Until last summer, when I moved to downtown Portland, I've never felt unsafe in my environment. Now, I live in a place where I would not walk outside of my building at night without my husband. In the daytime, I even feel nervous. A big part of this, is that we live right next to a pretty park, where unfortunately, bad things have happened. This fear has limited my life. I don't go to writing events or other things, stuff that I wouldn't have hesitated to do when we lived in Los Angeles. Fear is powerful and controlling.
DISLIKE- I wish Menzies-Pike had made her memoir more focused on her grieving and transformation. It could have been more introspective. If I was a runner, I think I would have been more interested in the specific details of her major races. As a non-runner, these portions were a little tedious and I found my attention drifting.
RECOMMEND- If you're a female athlete or interested in the history of marathons, The Long Run would be a great pick.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
PLOT - When she was in her early twenties, Catriona Menzies-Pike was dealt a major life-change, when her parents both died in a plane crash. She spent the following decade finishing her education, while dealing with both her profound grief, and the extensive probate process to close her parent's estate. She had never considered herself very athletic, but when she turned thirty, she decided that she wanted to change her lifestyle and began running. The Long Run chronicles her journey to becoming a marathon runner, including an examination on how running helped her cope with loss and the history of female runners.
LIKE- I'm not a runner. I've finished a handful of half-marathons and other athletic events, but I've always been more of a slow finisher, mostly walking. I've never had the drive to turn myself into a runner. Running is not what drew me to Menzies-Pike's memoir. Like Menzies-Pike, I also lost my parents at a young age and this is what made me interested in her story.
The Long Run is half a history of running, specifically female runners. I was not expecting her memoir to be so heavy on the history, but I'm glad it was, as it was fascinating. I had recently heard the story of runner Kathrine Switzer, who in 1967 was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an official participant. Switzer registered using her first initial, rather than her name, and snuck by in a time when women were not allowed to participate. Famously, a race official tried to physically remove her from the course, but her boyfriend at the time, stepped in and Switzer kept running. The Long Run is filled with stories of other female runners from around the world who helped break down barriers. I may have zero interest in running, but I'm grateful to these women who took risks so that I could have opportunities. It's amazing to me to think that Switzer's Boston Marathon run was just ten years before I was born. I feel like I grew up in a world where I could aspire to anything.
Menzies-Pike also writes about the fear that women have, a fear that has been drilled into them, regarding things like running alone or running at night. Until last summer, when I moved to downtown Portland, I've never felt unsafe in my environment. Now, I live in a place where I would not walk outside of my building at night without my husband. In the daytime, I even feel nervous. A big part of this, is that we live right next to a pretty park, where unfortunately, bad things have happened. This fear has limited my life. I don't go to writing events or other things, stuff that I wouldn't have hesitated to do when we lived in Los Angeles. Fear is powerful and controlling.
DISLIKE- I wish Menzies-Pike had made her memoir more focused on her grieving and transformation. It could have been more introspective. If I was a runner, I think I would have been more interested in the specific details of her major races. As a non-runner, these portions were a little tedious and I found my attention drifting.
RECOMMEND- If you're a female athlete or interested in the history of marathons, The Long Run would be a great pick.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
southernstory's review against another edition
5.0
The Long Run sprints ahead of other books that I’ve read about running (which have been a lot). First of all – this is one of the only books that I’ve read about running that is female-centric – but not in the way that one might expect. Instead of being a shallow book of Pinterest self-help quotes, this book aims higher and hits the mark by delving into the psyche of women and for the reasons they run. It made me question why it was exactly that I began running a few years ago. It connects a lot of dots to running: the human psyche, feminism, culture, history and even literature. Reading this book made me realize that the author is a treasure trove of information on a myriad of topics and her ability to interrelate all of these ideas was skillfully done.
Additionally, the author looks at heroic women who have broken through social barriers in the running world and while it made me appreciate these women much more than I have previously, I also walked away with much respect and admiration for the author. She’s the everyday woman who overcame heartache and a sedentary lifestyle by transforming herself into a runner. She represents what we’re all capable of doing. Catriona Menzies-Pike is inspiring and fierce in her own right.
Many thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Additionally, the author looks at heroic women who have broken through social barriers in the running world and while it made me appreciate these women much more than I have previously, I also walked away with much respect and admiration for the author. She’s the everyday woman who overcame heartache and a sedentary lifestyle by transforming herself into a runner. She represents what we’re all capable of doing. Catriona Menzies-Pike is inspiring and fierce in her own right.
Many thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
mjohnson17's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I really related to this book in more ways than one. I really enjoyed how she talked about the running community and not really feeling like she fit in. Sometimes it’s not that deep and you just want to run, it’s not all about identity.
lynnedf's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
I requested this book from Netgalley because I was looking for a memoir that focused on a woman turning to running when dealing with grief, thereby finding herself. I was expecting a memoir that was big on personal story and much less of an essay on the history of gender in running. But this memoir was big on essay and short on personal story - which although was still interesting, certainly didn't suck me in as I had hoped it would.
While Catriona obviously researched women in running - everything they have had to overcome, are still overcoming, and highlighted moments in history most of us don't know - she didn't open up to her readers the way one usually does in a memoir. Rather than feel like I know her better, or understand what even brought her to start running (marathon running at that!), I feel like I have a better appreciation for the history of running, and a much greater knowledge of the modern Olympic Games.
Catriona really glossed over anything that involved feelings and her past and jumped right into running, reminding us that all her friends and family couldn't believe that she had become a runner ... something that perhaps I would have also felt had she opened up about her journey in her 20s.
The best way I can articulate my feelings about this book was that I was expecting a memoir and got more of a dissertation paper. It certainly got better the more I read (and by better I mean that she let the reader in a little more), but it isn't something I think I will go back to for inspiration to get back on the long distance running road, nor a book I'll refer to when dealing with grief or bereavement.
2.5 star read.
I requested this book from Netgalley because I was looking for a memoir that focused on a woman turning to running when dealing with grief, thereby finding herself. I was expecting a memoir that was big on personal story and much less of an essay on the history of gender in running. But this memoir was big on essay and short on personal story - which although was still interesting, certainly didn't suck me in as I had hoped it would.
While Catriona obviously researched women in running - everything they have had to overcome, are still overcoming, and highlighted moments in history most of us don't know - she didn't open up to her readers the way one usually does in a memoir. Rather than feel like I know her better, or understand what even brought her to start running (marathon running at that!), I feel like I have a better appreciation for the history of running, and a much greater knowledge of the modern Olympic Games.
Catriona really glossed over anything that involved feelings and her past and jumped right into running, reminding us that all her friends and family couldn't believe that she had become a runner ... something that perhaps I would have also felt had she opened up about her journey in her 20s.
The best way I can articulate my feelings about this book was that I was expecting a memoir and got more of a dissertation paper. It certainly got better the more I read (and by better I mean that she let the reader in a little more), but it isn't something I think I will go back to for inspiration to get back on the long distance running road, nor a book I'll refer to when dealing with grief or bereavement.
2.5 star read.
rachel_reece's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty long and boring, but she loves running the way I do, and I appreciated that she runs for peace of mind and exploration and finding beauty.
I also loved some of her thoughts on running and grief: "The logic seems to go something like this: 'If my body can endure a marathon, then my soul can blunder on too.... endurance can help turn elusive sorrows into something tangible like aching muscles and blisters."
Also, her side remark on divorcees who run so they can sleep ... reminded me that that's how my recent 2-year stretch of long distance running started! And it continued because I love running
I also loved some of her thoughts on running and grief: "The logic seems to go something like this: 'If my body can endure a marathon, then my soul can blunder on too.... endurance can help turn elusive sorrows into something tangible like aching muscles and blisters."
Also, her side remark on divorcees who run so they can sleep ... reminded me that that's how my recent 2-year stretch of long distance running started! And it continued because I love running
lumbermouth's review against another edition
3.0
This one took a while to get through; was interspersed with more historical journalism than it turns out I wanted, but I enjoyed the personal narrative. Especially the bit about why the emcee at the beginning of the race has to be all "WHO'S FEELING FEISTY???" and not "who's had an awful fucking year??"
kathykekmrs's review against another edition
4.0
This memoir is about healing through running. Menzies Pike loses her parents at the age of twenty and almost herself. She manages to finish her education, but wanders through the next decade with no clear definition of herself. Then one day she puts on running shoes and becomes a runner. She is not a great runner, but she finishes races. There are many literary analogies in this memoir as she is a teacher of literature. Endurance reading can lead to endurance running.
I am unsure I was able to snag an ARC of this memoir, but it showed up at my house on the day I needed to read it.
I am unsure I was able to snag an ARC of this memoir, but it showed up at my house on the day I needed to read it.