Scott Jurek tells about his personal life, running career, and adventures in food, with lots of small tales about friendship, hardship and perseverance. He gives tips on life, cooking and running. A blend of three different things, this book feels more balanced and REAL than all other books on running I've read. ( )

one of the more enjoyable books I have read about running. Scott Jurek is a remarkable athlete but he also seems to be an interesting person who describes his thoughts on life, relationships and how that relates to his ultra running. He is also a committed vegan and preaches that philosophy in an occasionally heavy handed way but mostly by sharing the benefits he has personally seen AND by sharing recipies. I am a happy omnivore but there are many recipies in this book that I hope to try. ( )

I can see why objectively I've been told this one is better, but I preferred NORTH. I felt this one lacked the driving storyline and momentum that the other had, but hey, I'm a plot-driven fiction person, who's surprised? Also wanted more on the relationships and friendships he built over the years, which came across far more in NORTH. Did love all the stuff about growing up--I think that was the strongest part. But am glad I read this, and do recommend, if at least for the treasure trove of vegan recipes. ( )

Hmm, hmm

This isn't exactly a great piece of literature, but I always love reading about running, and in that sense it was inspiring. As a vegan, I also appreciatedt the recipes!

As a vegan, I also appreciated reading about someone who does incredible physical feats on a vegan diet, since people always assume we are near-starving protein deprived shells of human-beings (yes, still, in 2019). Obviously that's not the case.

Fun fact: it didn't occur to me until I read this book that I got a lot better at running, running more and longer than ever before, feeling more motivated than ever, around the same time I became a vegan. I'm also blessed to be mostly injury free, even when I run long distances.

But here's the thing ... that's anecdotal. The same was most of what Scott Jurek says is anecdotal. I don't know if a vegan diet makes you run faster, I absolutely believe it can be healthier, and if he's inspired people to become vegan with his book, that's great. But nowhere in the books does he talk about the ehtical aspects of veganism (there's a very brief mention of it early on, but not in depth), and for me that's a more important angle than health. Especially since he claims there's science behind it being much healthier and better for runners, but I didn't find any source for that science.

The book also ends on a depressing note, which made me lower the score. It's so much about how he runs different races, feels pain, then keeps going, and then when you get to parts with more substance it just sort of ends. We never get to know Scott Jurek on more than a surface-level.

But as always after reading a book about running, I really wanna go for a long run right now. And I need to attempt an ultra-marathon at some point ... ( )

It was an odd experience to find the book simultaneously so inspiring and yet find the author so irritating. Fiercely competitive in the way that turned me off anything athletic for 90% of my life, sexist (eff anyone using the word "Chicked" to describe the humiliation (*eyeroll*) of being passed by *gasp* a woman), and not without at least one racial slur.

Still, for some reason I persisted, and I did really resonate with the idea of "doing what needs to be done" and pushing through challenges instead of giving up.

Would I recommend it to others? Probably not. I bet there are way more inspiring books out there by people that wouldn't bug me as much. Still, I suppose that having found this on the side of the road in a free box it was worth every penny. ( )