Happy Thursday! Today is a rest day from running so I took a little walk and am going to hit up the gym for some strength training later. 
Last night I used crockpot salsa chicken to make enchiladas. I don’t know where it came from, but I’ve had a mean craving all week!
I also finished off the last of the cinnamon crunch cereal. Yep, that lasted me all of 2.5 days. I should be ashamed, but I’m too busy licking the delicious cinnamon sugar off my fingers to care. 
Breakfast…
I opened the biggest can of pumpkin a few days ago and need to make a dent in it, so I made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.
I have really been wanting to go out to breakfast for some fancy restaurant pancakes though!!! Hopefully, I can make it happen this weekend!
Pam, my fro-yo eating partner in crime (in between Janae and Skinny Runner),
let me borrow Kara Goucher’s Running for Women. I finally finished it last night and LOVED it. 
Let me preface this with the reminder that I have a hard girl crush on Kara <3
I think the book is written for newer runners, but appeals to life-long runners too because Kara starts off with her running story which is super interesting.
(source)
She has had a lot of problems dealing with injuries all through college and into her professional running career. It really puts getting injured in perspective to think this is her job. If anyone should be upset and depressed over getting hurt it’s her! Even though she shares her disappointment, she was smart about getting healthy and didn’t let it destroy her.
She stresses listening to your body and pulling back when you need to. I think we all need that reminder, especially when we have so many awesome blogging runners to compare ourselves too! But, think of all the super amazing runners she is comparing herself to?! If she can take a break running with the big guns, we can take a break running around the block.
Kara is very practical about putting running in perspective. In the chapter about Balancing Running and Life Goucher says, “I am not a runner. I am a person who runs. Running is an important part of my self, but only one part.”
Loved: The book seems to be written in her voice and it’s really down to earth. The advice is sensible and helpful reminders to all runners.
Didn’t Love: That I haven’t met her in person. I need to get my own copy so she can sign it after she finds me camping outside her house in the bushes!
Question: Read the book? Wanna read it? Need to learn how to read?
So happy you enjoyed it! Read “Mile Markers”…soo good! It’s my favorite running book!! 🙂
Yes, thank you so much for letting me borrow it! See you soon to return it 🙂
I have Kara’s book and it is amazing! I love it! She is so inspiring!
When I ran college cross country, at one of the meets she was in the starting box next to my team. My team-mate stretched and “accidentally” bumped hips with her.
I read/ skimmed over the book. It looked just like any other beginnger running book; I don’t like books with those weird side captions with um weird titles; the “Ask Kara” or what ever it was. To me it kills the seriousness, and makes it more kiddy like..That and since it is a beginner book mostly, all people can do is basically say the same things about running so many times (not saying everyones view on running is the same,but for the most part all the subjects are excatly the same) it does add her own personal touch to it though and I find that is good; I did especially like that quote saying that she is a person who runs and not defined by running. I don’t know…I think for me it was because I expected straight out running talk but her story was mixed in, I prefer Chris Bergland’s style of his story and then his kind of “how to” in the second part. Just my opinion/ preference though 8]
I actually really liked her book and it helps the fact that I have met her (she signed my book too). She’s amazing.
I like how she gets a massage like every week. Lucky duck. I want that.
You’re lucky for meeting her!!!
Have you read Mile Markers? I just downloaded it and Kara’s book to read on a long flight I have coming up!! It looks really good.
Mile Markers is on my list!
Hmmm haven’t read that one! Love her style though…it is really important to keep exercise (or any part of you life) in perspective…sometimes it’s tough to not be consumed with one aspect of your life and start abandoning other parts…
I’m going to go request it from my library right now! 🙂
I read Kara’s book earlier this summer and I really enjoyed it too. I like the tried and true advice and learning more about her running background.
I read the book! I went to a book signing and she autographed it. She also did a Q&A and then her son ran around for a while. I agree with you on the girl crush. I always wonder if I’ll ever see her out running since I live in the same city as Nike. Every time I drive past the campus I keep an eye out. Generally I look for any skinny person running faster than I am driving.
Very cool!!!
Ok so I will say move on over and make some room for me in the bushes por favor bc I will be there too. She is totally my girl crush as well. She never runs the same marathons as I do…..prob a good thing bc I would prob slow her down as I lunge towards her to try and force her to be my friend…would want it to be funny but prob just be scary.
She was at RnR AZ when I did it and I couldn’t find her. Probably for the best…
Is it more of a memoir or a training manual?
It’s not a memoir, but the beginning starts off with her running background all the way from when she was a kid to post-college professional running.
It’s not a training manual either. She has a few casual training plans, but doesn’t get into details like most books. It’s kind of like a Q&A about all things running and racing.
I’ve been wanting to read that!! I’m definitely going to get it 😀
I actually just finished reading it last night! I’ve got a review coming up on my blog this weekend, but overall I really enjoyed it! 🙂
I’ve been meaning to go out and find a copy… Everyone I know that’s read it has raved about it. Kara’s pretty much a superhero.
YES, I also have a raging girl-crush on Kara. Glad I’m not the only one 😉 I love this book; as a beginning runner her advice really made an impact on me, and her reassuring tone and personal stories are very inspiring.
I read it in rapid speed form. I am a ‘new’ runner, so I found it very helpful. It wasn’t preachy. I liked it a lot. Plus, the fact that she is a mom made it easy to relate to her. I borrowed it to my bootcamp trainer because I also think there is something in there for everyone. I just finished Run Like a Mother last night. Today will be starting UltraMarathon Man. Yeah for running books!
Yes! It wasn’t preachy – that’s what I thought too!
I’ve read it… in fact, I blew through it very quickly because she writes casually and is very relatable. I can’t imagine what it’s like to run as a job… and yeah, I shouldn’t get too upset when I get injured, as long as it’s not in my arms because THOSE I need for my job.
My full review:
http://www.acaseoftheruns.com/2011/07/kara-gouchers-running-for-women.html
Thanks for this great post. I hadn’t even heard of the book but now I really want it. I would also LOVE to meet her — think I would be more starstruck than for a celebrity! (guess she is a running celebrity!). My mom loves her even more — guess I Just found one Christmas present to buy 🙂