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The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training | 
| Author: Dawn Dais
Publisher: Seal Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.44
You Save: $6.51 (44%)
New (36) Used (16) from $7.43
Avg. Customer Rating:  53 reviews
Sales Rank: 6184
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 220
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 1580052053
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.42082
EAN: 9781580052054
ASIN: 1580052053
Publication Date: January 3, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20080725212931T
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Product Description
Dawn Dais hated running. And it didn't like her much, either. Her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? It was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon.
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women is a fun training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless. It opens with a realistic training schedule and is chock-full of how-to's, quizzes, and funny observations, which Dais felt were lacking in the guides she had consulted.
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women also integrates entries from Dias' journal, sharing everything would-be marathoners need to know about the gear, the blisters, the early morning workouts, the late-night carb binges, and — most important of all — the amazing rewards.
Anyone can do a marathon. This book just makes the experience a little more bearable and a lot more fun.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 48 more reviews...
 I thought it was a 5 star until.... July 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read the 10th spandex joke. Geez, the jokes were funny at first but by the time I made it not even halfway through the book they were SO annoying. She kept repeating the same things and about how much she HATES running. Enough already. I do not get the point of writing a running book if you hate running so much. I have run marathons before so I guess it is my fault for reading a non-runner's marathon book.
I just wanted something motivating to read. I did not realize she hated running though. I want to read Chipper Jen's journal. Now that would help me!
Yes, this book is definitely for beginner marathoners BUT definitely join a running group for your marathon training. My training schedules were completely different than the one's in her book so I do not care for those either. Jumping from week 5 at 60 mins to week 6 at 90 minutes is almost a 3 mile jump. How can that be right? For a newbie no less?
If you join a marathon training group for the first time and read this book you will probably find many similarities and enjoy the book.
OR if you HATE running and are running a marathon (which is pure stupidity to me--why torture yourself if you do not like running????) this book would be perfect for you.
For seasoned marathoners you might find the jokes stupid and annoying after awhile..
Fantastic Realistic Hilariously Inspirational! June 20, 2008
Perfect for any woman considering (or having committed to) the daunting task of moving your rear off the couch and on to the track! So funny, so honest, so motivational and realistic everyone who reads this book will finish it just as I did, totally inspired and ready to start the journey! I've already purchased my Water-Holder Butt Thingy and modeled it to the laughter of my family... Thanks Dawn for showing me I can actually do this!
A wonderful read and great for moral support June 11, 2008
I picked up The (Non)Runner's Marathon Guide for Women last month after finishing Claire Kowalchik's book about running for women (you can read the review here). I wanted a running book with which I could better relate. I'm a super slow runner and didn't even make it onto any of the charts in Kowalchik's book, which was a little defeating for me. So when I read about Dais' book, which tracks her struggle through training for a marathon, while also giving great tips for people who have never really run before, or haven't run much at least.
I loved this book because I related so well with the things Dais talked about. She talked about feeling discouraged because every time she went out for a run she would end up right back where she started. She also describes her first trip to the running store where she learned about the importance of shoe fit, spandex and bodyglide (which I had never heard of until reading this book). She includes some great stretches, as well as a 20-week training schedule for both a marathon and a half marathon. She also leaves space for journaling, and for answering questions she poses, such as "Why are you running this marathon?" and "What was life like before you began training and after"?
An example before and after from her book:
Vitamins
Before: Do the rainbow of fruit flavors in Skittles count?
After: Pills the size of marshmallows washed down with one of my thirty-two gallons of water.
For me, the best part of this book were the personal journal entries from when Dais was training for her own marathon. Dais' perspective is so true to how I think most new runners feel that it's hard not to laugh out loud (I couldn't read this book in public because I kept snorting at her writing). Here's a sample:
"This weekend my little calendar o' runnin' said that I had to run sixteen miles. Is it me or is this number just getting ridiculous? Sixteen miles. What possible reason could one ever have for running sixteen miles? After about Mile 10, just call a cab and save yourself a lot of effort. Hell, call me. I'll give you a lift. Believe me, it's just not worth it. One fun fact about sixteen miles - that's about how far away hell is. I know you'd think it'd be farther away, at least as far as Fresno. But you'd be wrong. Actually, I think I hit hell around mile 14, so it's an even shorter trip."
If you're new to running, or even if you've been running a long time, I highly suggest picking up Dais' book because it'll remind you of what it was like when you started and why you run. It'll also remind you that you're not the only one who suffers for running. If you are training for a marathon though, I suggest picking up some other books as well. Dais' book is great for moral support, but I think there are some others out there that would add a little more technical support, unless of course you have your own personal trainer.
Running in spite of myself June 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had not run a race in 10 years. This did not bother me at at all. Until about 6 months after I was diagnosed with a serious kidney condition and my doctor uttered the words " Well, you'll probably never run a marathon, but you can still exercise." A few days later I saw Dawn Dais's book The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women in REI, and picked it up. As I started to flip through the pages I knew then that my little Asian doctor was going to be wrong, oh so very wrong.
Dawn Dais's book not only encouraged me to train and finish the 2008 San Diego Rock and Roll marathon, it also just plain made me laugh out loud every step of the way. Too many runners take themselves so seriously it intimidates all the rest of us flailing along the trail. If you love sarcasm and have a gift for laughing at yourself you will love this book. It makes even more sense if you've ever trained for a really long race as an adult, having never really done anything more strenuous than Spanish club in high school.
OK! I am on my way to 26.2 and it is all Dawn's fault June 5, 2008
As usual I came up with a great idea... I will run a marathon! This latest idea was met with the usual roll of the eyes and "just letter have her little dream" attitude. I started looking for information on running and came across this book. I headed on down to the bookstore (because wild ideas and inpatients are some of my most charming qualities) and I couldn't wait to have it shipped. I had to have it NOW! I read it cover to cover and about 80% out loud to the whole family. We were all cracking up and it has motivated me to get off my A double snakes and really do this. Now... I have run in the past... but not the last 5 years so we will see how it goes but this book is a true inspiration and a joy to read... even if you're not going to try something insane like run for 26.2 miles. READ IT READ IT READ IT... Aloha and see you on December 14th at the finish line... Hopefully not on a stretcher!
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