As mentioned a couple weeks back, I received a copy of Run Your First Marathon by Grete Waitz and Gloria Averbuch to review on the blog. The timing is very sad since Grete passed away from cancer only a few short weeks ago.  I actually teared up after the first few pages because it’s there that she refers to herself as a “cancer survivor” which is a heartbreak to read.  But at the same token, it was wonderful to hear her throughout the book, the writing is so personable and supportive that you can truly feel her passion for the sport and her need to share it with the world.

I won’t give you her whole bio but her introduction to the US was a truly surreal story.  She came here in 1978 to be a rabbit (pacer) for the New York City Marathon. This was to be her running swan song as she was going to retire from the sport right after.  The portion of the race she was responsible for leading was the first 12 miles which incidentally, was the distance of the longest training run she’d ever done in her life.  Ever! And you know what that crazy gal did?  She won the damn race! And set a then-world record with a 2:32:30.  The announcers and press didn’t even know who she was when she crossed the finish  line – all they knew was her bib number!  This is the stuff fairy tales are made of.

Now I have to be honest, the book is aimed at extreme beginners, it includes a run/walk program to get sedentary folks into the running realm.  There’s also a simplistic marathon training plan but it’s as basic as they come starting at 14 miles a week and peaking at 37 with no workouts.  The whole idea of the book is to get you to finish a marathon rather than race one.

I’m not saying it’s empty reading by any means, it’s chock-full of classic information for someone who doesn’t know anything about the mysteries behind marathoning.  And like the Kara Goucher book I reviewed a few weeks ago, what I like best in this one are Grete’s personal stories and anecdotes from her running career.  She’s also got a real honesty about her; for example, she shares that she had some, er…nasty GI problems in two of her races but because it was win or lose, she had to keep going.  I have a few racer friends still trying to figure out those problems so it’s cool to see that even some Elites tackle similar troubles.

The book covers the usual areas: training, nutrition/hydration, mental, injury, shoes, the race itself and also includes some excellent candid color photos of racers in all shapes and sizes during the NYC marathon, as well as additional photos of Grete doing stretching exercises.

So my thoughts on the book are this: if you’re one of my regular blog readers, you’re most likely more advanced than the person this book is aimed for.  However, if someone you know is thinking of doing a marathon and needs a basic primer that is not technical but is fun to read and full of solid tips from an amazing marathoner, than this would make a great gift.

Not that I want to dissuade anyone from reading it, you won’t find Grete’s wonderful point of view in any other how-to marathon book, but if you’re looking to race a marathon (as in, focusing on a goal time you want to achieve), you’d be better off with Pete Pfizinger and Scott Douglas’ Advanced Marathoning.

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