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The Incomplete Book of Running
The Incomplete Book of Running | Peter Sagal
14 posts | 16 read | 6 to read
Peter Sagal, the host of NPRs Wait Wait...Dont Tell Me! and a popular columnist for Runners World, shares lessons, stories, advice, and warnings gleaned from running the equivalent of once around the earth. At the verge of turning forty, Peter Sagalbrainiac Harvard grad, short bald Jew with a disposition towards heft, and a sedentary star of public radiostarted running seriously. And much to his own surprise, he kept going, faster and further, running fourteen marathons and logging tens of thousands of miles on roads, sidewalks, paths, and trails all over the United States and the world, including the 2013 Boston Marathon, where he crossed the finish line moments before the bombings. In this new book, Sagal reflects on the trails, tracks, and routes hes traveled, from the humorous absurdity of running charity races in his underwearin St. Louis, in Februaryor attempting to quiet his colon on runs around his neighborhoodto the experience of running as a guide to visually impaired runners, and the triumphant post-bombing running of the Boston Marathon in 2014. With humor and humanity, Sagal also writes about the emotional experience of running, body image, the similarities between endurance sports and sadomasochism, the legacy of running as passed down from parent to child, and the odd but extraordinary bonds created between strangers and friends. The result is a funny, wise, and powerful meditation about running and life that will appeal to readers everywhere.
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review
DcSunshine
Pickpick

Enjoyable! Recommended for anyone who wants to engage or reengage with running. Just a well written, well told story that combines running with life.

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KS1805
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Pickpick

He covered several stories from his running journey throughout the book. I enjoyed hearing his stories but I never really felt inspired by the stories.

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eve
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“Run long enough, and everything comes into view, be it a finish line or a home, a new one or one remade. What running has given me, most of all, is the practice of patience.”

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underground_bks
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Pickpick

My husband @HillsAndHamletsBookshop and I are big Wait Wait Don‘t Tell Me fans and just started running! I really enjoyed Peter Sagal‘s musings on what running has meant for him, from teen to midlife crisis to divorce to happy remarriage, and from Boston Marathon bombing to Boston Marathon the year after. Sagal manages to keep a light, amusing pace while traversing some intense emotional ground, all while encouraging runners new and experienced.

JamieArc This photo is great! I recently picked this book up and am hoping to get to it soon. You helped move it up! With warmer weather coming, I could use some motivation to start running again. 4y
underground_bks @JamieArc thank you! We do #bookfacefriday every single week on Instagram and Facebook 🤪 this was a really funny one to take because our neighbors kept driving by and hollering at us 😂 4y
underground_bks @JamieArc I see we‘re both reading The Dutch House right now! 4y
See All 9 Comments
SamAnne LOL love the pic! 4y
underground_bks @SamAnne thank you! 🥰 4y
JamieArc @underground_bks Are you enjoying Dutch House? I am, just reading it super slow (pandemic lack of focus). 4y
Hooked_on_books Great picture! 😆 4y
Well-ReadNeck 🙌🏼👏🏼👊🏼 4y
underground_bks @JamieArc I‘m listening to the Tom Hanks narration but savoring it! About 30% in with a book club in 2 weeks :) 4y
23 likes9 comments
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NotCool
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Pickpick

I have a complicated relationship with running. I was out running one morning and was attacked. Grabbed from behind. I‘m so angry. I feel like I‘ll never feel “safe” running again. I think I would have liked this book if I‘d read it a month ago. But I just kept being jealous of Peter, that he could go outside without someone hurting him. That he never had to think about safety in the same way (as far as I know). But that‘s not his fault.

julesG I'm so sorry! 😔😘😘 5y
NotCool Thank you 5y
5 likes2 comments
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Pandalibrarian
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I‘ve been reading Peter Sagal‘s articles in Runner‘s World for a while and I always enjoy his sense of humor about running. I appreciated hearing about his journey to being a runner and realizing that even though he‘s speedier than I‘ll ever be, he runs for similar reasons.

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AlexGeorge
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Pickpick

Engaging, honest, funny, and heartfelt - runners will love this book, but it contains a few life lessons for those who don‘t feel inclined to torture themselves in this especially masochistic way. Highly recommended.

11 likes1 stack add
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saltwaterlit
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Not only have I not had time for Litsy in the last few weeks, I‘ve struggled to find the time to run. Running is a hobby for me, but it‘s also so much more than that. Next week I start training for half marathon #6 🎉, and this book is helping me remember why I love running!

janerzy Maybe I should read this book, as am still in a love-hate relationship with my running right now.. 5y
9 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Howseldomtheydo
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I used to do lots of races. Today I‘m listening to the wind howl outside while snuggled under a blanket reading this book thinking I should go to the gym and run/walk #litsywalkers #fairweatherrunner #ivegotamillionexcuses #currentlyreading

umbrellagirl I feel the same. 5y
Kaye It‘s hard to get going when it‘s cold and wintry. Do it if you can. 5y
Howseldomtheydo @umbrellagirl @kaye Putting it first on my to do list tomorrow 😂 5y
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Kaye Ok 🤨. Remember I‘m the drill instructor. I‘m not supposed to smile when people say tomorrow. 5y
Howseldomtheydo @kaye Yes Sir! 😳 back on track! 😊 5y
Kaye Check in tomorrow. Even if you only get 15 minutes, it‘s more than you got today. 👍🏼@Howseldomtheydo 5y
100 likes6 comments
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daniwithtea
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This charity run was mentioned in the tagged book; I looked it up and found one here next weekend...so now I‘ll be running a mile in my underwear on the Elmwood strip...in February...in Buffalo. Ha ha ha ha ha I‘ve lost my marbles. 😂

wanderinglynn Good luck! 👏🏻 I hope it‘s a bit warmer that day than it is today! 5y
daniwithtea @wanderinglynn ha ha thanks! It looks like it‘ll be about 20 degrees - which is positively balmy compared to today! 5y
20 likes1 stack add2 comments
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daniwithtea
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“Bruce Springsteen‘s explanation of why we run is to get the hell out of New Jersey.” 😂

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daniwithtea
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On to the next audiobook! I‘m triple-excited for this one: I‘m a WWDTM fan, a runner, and I have vivid childhood memories of my dad reading the book this cover is parodying.

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Bradleygirl
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Listening to this isn't really making me *fonder* of Sagal, but- it's very nice to have a narrator so skilled at narrating. Good for my ADHD. #probooknerdschallenge #memoir #readbytheauthor #audiobooks

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MagdaRosol
Mehso-so

Blah. He tells many semi-entertaining stories about running and complains much about his divorce/ex-wife. I kind of see why he was divorced.