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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
I learned so much about Alexi from this book- I did not know anything about her artist and filmmaker side. I appreciated her vulnerability in discussing her depression and mental health difficulties, as well as her strong stances on the needs of young female distance runners. A solid read!
This book was incredibly painful to endure at times, but the honesty and uplifting messaging was worth the heartache. Mental Health is just as important as physical health and Pappas brutally addresses the stigma around athletes who suffer from mental health issues. I felt like I got to know Alexi better as a person and a runner from this memoire and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this incredible human being! I’ve always admired her persona on social media and knowing what I do now about her past, her trauma and her goals, I’m even more in awe!
Alexi is a multi-talented Olympic level runner, filmmaker, writer and actress among other things . The book was honest and interesting. She managed to tell her story and convey what she's learned in life up to now in a way that wasn't condescending or cheesy. Her chapter on depression is particularly poignant, and will likely be helpful to someone struggling with depression.
This book was well written and well edited. (Too many memoirs go on and on about stuff the average reader doesn't care about). This was written as a series of essays so you can read individual chapters alone, but it also flows together nicely as a whole. Every essay feels like it was included for a reason and a makes a point and thus avoids that feeling of "why on earth did the author include this? is it just for word count?"
This book was well written and well edited. (Too many memoirs go on and on about stuff the average reader doesn't care about). This was written as a series of essays so you can read individual chapters alone, but it also flows together nicely as a whole. Every essay feels like it was included for a reason and a makes a point and thus avoids that feeling of "why on earth did the author include this? is it just for word count?"
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Loved this book! A mix of poems and stories of someone pushing through life and doing incredible things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt
I liked this book, didn’t know really anything about Alexi Pappas before, and have added Tracktown to my list of movies I want to watch. I enjoyed reading it, though it isn’t one that I could sit down and read in a day. Some of this stuff you’ve got to take bit by bit because it can get heavy.
She does make you feel like your dreams aren’t crazy, makes you feel like you know her, and inspires you to take a sit down and think about what your goals are (or should be if you don’t have any top of mind). Felt a little bit like a how to/self help book at times, but I think part of that comes with the explaining her many successes (Olympian, film maker, actress, ivy leave graduate). Also she definitely highlights that whole from the outside her life might look glamorous, it certainly is not without its challenges.
3.5/5 but that still doesn’t feel quite right. Struggling to rate.
She does make you feel like your dreams aren’t crazy, makes you feel like you know her, and inspires you to take a sit down and think about what your goals are (or should be if you don’t have any top of mind). Felt a little bit like a how to/self help book at times, but I think part of that comes with the explaining her many successes (Olympian, film maker, actress, ivy leave graduate). Also she definitely highlights that whole from the outside her life might look glamorous, it certainly is not without its challenges.
3.5/5 but that still doesn’t feel quite right. Struggling to rate.
I wish I had been able to read this when I was a running competitively in high school and college. Alexi's stories revolve around the connections from her past to her present personal life and career(s). She also advocates for mental health and removing the stigma surrounding it (her mother's death when she was young is a thread through the book). She speaks to each with wisdom, cleverness, and her trademark quirks and humor known well by the community of braveys/bravies she has built over the years. So grateful to my teammates and friends for introducing me to her and her poetry. This is a definite future re-read for me and I highly recommend it - especially to girls in sports!
imagination, at the very least, brings us joy; at the very most, it empowers us to suspend disbelieve and chase the impossible
the greatest fulfillment we can ever get out of life is be becoming the best version of ourselves
fitness is rewarded while health is taken for granted
that’s kind of how getting help is when you’re in denial about being sick: you don’t want it in the moment, but eventually you’ll be happy about it.
it’s quite hard to tell yourself to change your feelings, even when you are completely healthy. you have to change to actions then your thoughts and feelings will follow
first your actions change, then your thoughts, then finally your feelings, and that specific order
pain is a sensation not a threat
solve internal problems with internal solutions before reengaging with the external world
we are so focused on what we think we should be doing that we make unwise choices about what is truly best for us
your body is like a pencil if you sharpen it too much it will break.
optimism takes courage. You need courage to invest yourself in some thing that you hope can be great but might end up hurting you
The end result will not always be in your hands. What is in your hands is the try
how do you talk about your experience will dictate how you feel about them. Reframing your goals in writing or stories are powerful tools. Nobody can tell us how to feel about something.
the greatest fulfillment we can ever get out of life is be becoming the best version of ourselves
fitness is rewarded while health is taken for granted
that’s kind of how getting help is when you’re in denial about being sick: you don’t want it in the moment, but eventually you’ll be happy about it.
it’s quite hard to tell yourself to change your feelings, even when you are completely healthy. you have to change to actions then your thoughts and feelings will follow
first your actions change, then your thoughts, then finally your feelings, and that specific order
pain is a sensation not a threat
solve internal problems with internal solutions before reengaging with the external world
we are so focused on what we think we should be doing that we make unwise choices about what is truly best for us
your body is like a pencil if you sharpen it too much it will break.
optimism takes courage. You need courage to invest yourself in some thing that you hope can be great but might end up hurting you
The end result will not always be in your hands. What is in your hands is the try
how do you talk about your experience will dictate how you feel about them. Reframing your goals in writing or stories are powerful tools. Nobody can tell us how to feel about something.
I loved this book the entire time I was reading. Alexi is so honest and showcases the ups and downs of her life so far beautifully.
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced