26.2 Miles to Happiness: A Comedian’s Tale of Running, Red Wine and Redemption Kindle Edition

A brilliantly engaging book. I came to it as a runner and podcast listened but it's much more than a book about running. A personal story about confronting those personal demons, understanding the causes and how we are sculpted as individuals by our childhoods, and finally rationalizing them. It's a!so laugh out loud funny, before you think it's ponderously chin-strikingly serious. Loved it!

As a recent convert to running this book speaks to the heart of why so many people enjoy going for a jog.It also has an unexpected psychological aspect to it coated in a layer of laugh out loud humour( I snorted several times on the train )There are very few running books that can be read if you have no inclination to get up early and do 5 k or 10 k but this book along with those by Christopher McDougall is a book that can be read by the runner and non runner along just for the sheer story telling ability of the authors

I'm a fan of the Running Commentary podcast, of which Tonks is half of the presenting duo, and as such dived into this book already having followed the audio exploits of Paul's attempt to run a sub-3 marathon. The book however is so much more than a man's goal to beat an arbitrary time in a running race (although it is that too). It's part biography, part training diary, and part step by step account of the events of the day. As such it covers a huge amount about running, both to Paul but also to most runners. He eloquently identifies 'why' he (and many people) runs. Fans of Paul's humour will love this book. Fans of running are also very likely to enjoy it a lot. Non-runners will gain an understanding into the mindset of a person who has a difficult goal on their horizon (whether running related or not), and why attempting it (successfully or not) could be life changing.I actually got a little teary reading the acknowledgements at the end, clear as it is how important this project was to Paul. I will be rereading it again as I begin to look towards my own marathon goals in the autumn.

A very good, non-pretentious read. Chapters about the physical and emotional rollercoaster of running a challenging (aren’t they all?) marathon, are interspersed with the equally fascinating story of the how and why Paul happens to be doing it in the first place. I enjoyed this book, even if it did take longer than 3 hours for me to finish. If, like most of us, you’re a runner who works hard, tries their best, and has all too predictable battles (and losses) with the Demon of Stop, then you’ll recognise this story. If you’re the bloke who frequently gets to see his more naturally talented friends run off into the distance, seemingly without effort, then you’ll easily identify with the author. If you’re one of those friends to who the laws of physics don’t apply to, then read it too, and see how the other half live. Inspiring without being remotely intimidating, if you’re a fan of the authors Runners World columns, then you’ll no doubt like this book. And if you’re not, well, you’ll probably like it just as much too.

A great laugh and valuable sub-3 training advice for anyone wanting to attempt such a feat. A real adventure tale.