Monday, June 27, 2016

REVIEW: Run The World By Becky Wade

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. They said that my passion for running, travel and food that I share on my blog aligned with a book that would soon be coming to print and asked if I wanted to give it a read. I am never one to turn down a good book, so obviously jumped on the opportunity.

Last week, a pre-released copy of Run The World by Becky Wade arrived in my mailbox. The synopsis had me wanting to jump in right away. After her successful collegiate running career, Becky Wade was eager to broaden her perspective on the sport. She packed up her shoes and embarked on a yearlong solo journey around the world, meeting coaches and runners and experimenting with diverse training styles. Whether riding around London with Usain Bolt, hiking for an hour at daybreak to run on Ethiopia’s Mount Entoto, or getting lost navigating the bustling streets of Tokyo, Wade’s unexpected adventures capture the heartbeat of distance running around the world.


I flew through this book (finishing it within two days of receiving it in the mail). It was a super easy read. Now, you aren't going to run away with new insights or a step-by-step list of ways to improve your running, but, then again, I knew that when I got ready to dive in. This is a personal story about Becky's adventures as she made her way through nine countries, eleven pairs of running shoes and over thirty-five hundred miles of running. A little running mixed with a little travel and it had my heart longing to pack my bags and hit the road within the first chapter. #Wanderlust 


I love that Becky included pictures throughout the book from her travels (don't get me wrong, I love using my imagination when it comes to fiction, but with this reading more like a travel diary I loved having the accompanying imagery to go with the stories). Also, one of my favorite parts was the fact that she added recipes she acquired throughout her year abroad at the end of every chapter (I'm actually even hoping that she publishes more of the recipes she gathered, especially seeing as many of the running cultures she was immersed in were vegetarian friendly!).


This July, Becky will compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in either the 10,000 meters or 3,000-meter steeplechase. Her travel narrative is a source of inspiration for runners and travelers alike and is the perfect primer for the Summer Olympics this August! You can pre-order your copy of Run The World, which will be available on July 5th, HERE

Let's be real, being able to explore running cultures around the world (and having someone else foot the bill) would be a dream come true, right?! But since that is a far cry from reality for the majority of us, the next best thing is being able to go along with someone on their journey - even if that means simply reading about Becky's once-in-a-lifetime experiences from the comfort of our own home...


If you could run with anyone in the world (living or deceased), who would you run with and why?

4 comments:

EB said...

That sounds like an awesome book. Running and travel!

Wendy at Taking the Long Way Home said...

Thank you for this! I will be checking it out and adding it to the book club that I host on my blog!

Sun said...

Thanks for the recap! I had not heard of this book before I saw it in a pic on your Insta feed and I'm now super excited to read it. Looks right up my alley :)

Jennifer said...

Love that shirt! Where did you get it?