The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training

Even if you're not into running, you'll still appreciate the humour in this book (she may even turn you into a runner!). If you ARE into running then you'll find this extremely entertaining as well as informative. I love that it's written from the perspective of a non-addicted, non-competitive runner ... someone I can truly relate to! As someone who has yet to do her first marathon (and has no real talent for running but enjoys it anyway!), I found this book inspired me so much more than any of the other running books I've read. I read it from cover to cover in one day as I just couldn't put it down! Advice delivered with great humour is much easier to remember than boring dry facts and the author conveys her training experiences (mistakes and successes) with self-effacing wit. I'll be re-reading this book again and again!

Having read a few other books on running, this one was a breath of fresh air! All the other ones were very stuffy and well... boring!!! This one was funny, witty and full of sarcastic jokes! It gave you need to know info whilst also telling you it in a way that ANYONE could understand! With pieces of her journal and cartoons of stretches dotted about there was no way to lose interest! I read the whole book in two afternoon sessions!!!Definately well worth a read!

I quite liked this book (Kindle edition) in that as I am training for my fourth marathon and not doing too well, it was reassuring to know that I am not the only one that suffers with the training and the monotony of it at times. It is a lighthearted approach to running a first marathon and I do not think it is seriously intended as a training guide. I don't agree with reviewers that she says its ok to run whilst taking Advil or Ibuprofen, she took it to get through the marathon in the face of ITB pain having completed the first 13 miles. I understand why she completed it regardless of pain as she was doing it for charity and the thought of wasting 16 weeks of training and disappointing not only herself but her sponsors was the spur. I did actually look up her finishing time (which she omits to state and seems very reluctant to talk about pace) which was 8.08 hours. I think to be on your feet for that amount of time in a hot climate and in pain is deserving of respect.

I'm like the author in that I too am a non-runner though I reckon I could give her a run for her money in the couch potato stakes (shameful, I know). Her writing style may not be to everyone's taste but I enjoyed it, especially the bits about coming back from a Saturday run and lying on her kitchen floor to cool down and attempting to drink water while doing so (not a success). The serious runners may not like her tales of various mishaps but I think that they give encouragement to those who need a prod to get out of the armchair and do something they never did before. Go read!

I wanted this book to be so much more than it was! I wanted to hear about the authors first steps out of the door and how she found her first few runs.....but it skipped right from zero to full on running! I wanted to hear her tell me how impossible her first run was and make me feel better that I thought I would never run more than 60 seconds, but it all got a bit serious a bit quickly!Then, I wanted more detail about her Marathon run....I wanted to feel the excitement, the nerves the experience, but it was all rushed through and I didn't even get the time she finished (unless I missed that bit).It could have been so much better, but it was funny in certain parts and interesting in others......but I was still feeling frustrated!

I loved this book! It has definitely helped me through my marathon training and reassured me that I am not alone in the pain I put myself through! I hope it has set me up well to complete my first (and last!) Marathon in London in 6 weeks time!

I felt a little misled by this book - I am a non-runner and, while I didn't necessarily want to do a marathon, I did think this book might help me get started in running. All the spiel on and in the book is about how the author was not a runner but got herself trained up for a marathon. Great, I thought, a non runner like me.However, the book does not tell you how to start running. The training schedule at the beginning of the book is neatly set out but then it tells you that you need some running/jogging experience before undertaking the training 'which means you should have started running a few months ago'.Do not let this book fool you - the author must have had more than a certain level of fitness otherwise, how would a true 'couch potato' account for the fact that, in week 4, she writes that, the previous weekend, she had run '9 consecutive miles'? I may have got her wrong but , to me, you would have to be amazing to run 9 miles after only 3 weeks - the author says her previous running history amounted to throwing a shoe at the TV.To be honest, I quickly got utterly fed up with the unremitting references to her lack of fitness and yet she starts training with running a mile then walking for a minute. I have to say, she was very fit couch potato.

This book had made me realise that I can, despite not being the fittest person on the planet, I can with training run a marathon. This book gives you all the information that you need to know about clothing, trainers and all the practical stuff that most books only give a short mention to. Inspired by Dawn I have started blogging my jouirney from couch potato to running goddess! It has bceome my bible and a pick me up when I feel that it's impossible.For training plans there are better books but for motivation this can't be beaten.Thanks Dawn and I'll let you know how I get on!

This was a gift. She had been talking about this book for some time so I got it for her. She says its very good.

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:VitaminsBefore: 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.

First of all, I must say that I've recommended this book to all my beginner friends. It is a good mix of hilarious stories, preparation&training advices and schedules. It reads very well and fast! The author is pretty straightforward about all the difficulties she encountered (and how she got out of them) and you probably will encounter those difficulties as well...It is informative enough without being overwhelming. The training schedule is well made and easy to follow. If you want a detailed book about training strategies, schedules, nutrition or gear ; this is not it...this is a very good beginners book about all the basics. If you end up loving to run, you'll want to buy one or many other books about training, but this is THE book for the women who are non-runners/beginners!

I've read a few of the reviews here and wanted to clear up a few things. First of all, some people need to relax and find a sense of humor. Dawn writes about her experience, advice she received before her marathon, and sprinkles humor throughout the account. If you're a runner you know that running a marathon can painful. So, you either hate every minute of it, or try to laugh at the insanity of it all. Dawn did the latter.Second, and most importantly, Dawn is not a doctor. Do not read this book and take it as a marathon runners bible. If you are serious about running a marathon I would hope you do a lot more research than just one book. Dawn never states her way is the only, and right, way. She frequently states you should go to your own doctor if you experience intense pain.The book as a whole is excellent. It is funny, a good beginner's book and provides a personal account of a marathon experience. Not everyone will have the same running experience, but if you're thinking of running one then this is a good start. Every part of your body will hurt, the long runs take up a lot of your time, and you can eat vast amounts of food and not gain weight....Dawn describes all of this in her book.

I was just your average couch potato who felt stuck in a rut when I came across this book. I had already made the decision to run a half-marathon and was looking for something that would help me achieve that goal. This book inspires you with its light-hearted approach and funny anecdotes, asks you to examine the reasons why you want to run, and provides a great training schedule for both the half-marathon and full marathon.But I am now in Week 10 of the training schedule and am finding the book a bit light on the psychological aspects of training. It addresses motivational factors, but not the mentality of running and potentially hitting the dreaded "wall". So I am having to refer to another book for that. It is also light on the suggested stretches (if I only did the ones recommended in the book, which only focus on the legs, I wouldn't be able to move after a 10 km run), nutrition, and common physical ailments/solutions runners might encounter (other than the generic "knee pain" the author keeps referring to).So, I really like the easy-to-follow training schedule, and am still using it, but feel I have progressed beyond the scope of the book. This book *will* get you running, but you likely will need something else to help round out the other aspects of your training.