Book Review: Your Pace or Mine? by Lisa Jackson

This month's book club selection, Your Pace or Mine?: What Running Taught Me About Life, Laughter and Coming Last by Lisa Jackson, could not have come at a better time. Feeling a little down on running lately and stuck in the winter doldrums, I needed a pick me up, and reading this book was like having my BRF giving me a pep talk.

Lisa Jackson shares her personal stories and experiences as a self-proclaimed "least likely runner you'll ever meet". At the end of each chapter, she also shares the stories of other regular runners--people like us--whom she all says are "equally amazing".

Because, as she says, "running isn't about the time you do, but the time you have while doing it".

Even though Lisa Jackson has run over 90 marathons in her running lifetime, she'll tell you that she's come in last in 20 of them. Her dream is to become part of the 100 Marathon Club (US link). Your Pace or Mine isn't a training book. This is a book that will remind you of why you run. It's really all about the journey, and Lisa has plenty of journeys to share.

Each chapter of the book centers around lessons learned from running. I found myself nodding throughout the book and reflecting on what I've learned through running on every topic.

A few of my favorite topics:

-Fear: As in overcoming the fear of running a marathon. Lisa took on London, because "go big or go home". Yep, got that. I felt as though I failed after my first marathon and it took me 3 years to get over the fear and run the big one again. I smiled when I read that running taught her that she would never let fear of failure stop her from doing something again. Right?

-Perseverance: Some call it stubbornness, some call it digging deep, some call it resilience. Whatever you call it, I think we all can agree that running teaches us to never give up. "More painful than pushing forward is the pain of regret". Who wants that?

-Laughing: Running is fun! And even if you're not having fun, there's something fun in every run. I was reminded of that lesson yesterday when I slogged through my tough 6 mile run. After the run, I prepared my daily IG running picture and busted out laughing when I saw what the camera had caught. Yep, never stop having fun!

-Dreaming big: What's your BHAG? (Big Hairy Audacious Goal--Marcia's term, not the book author's) Lisa Jackson's BHAG was the Comrades Marathon, which is actually an ultramarathon--91K (54.5 miles) through South Africa. That recap alone is worth the read. Oh, and by the way, she's run it more than once. Best quote of the book: "Don't snort when someone shares their dream with you."

The author also addresses the topics of lifesaving, death, and nudity. Yes, she ran two nude races. She finishes up the book with some of her favorite advice culled from her experience on the road. At the end of the book, Jackson invites the reader to develop their own Running Curriculum Vitae.

Clearly, Lisa Jackson has learned that running gives so much if the runner is ready to receive the gifts. Your Pace or Mine is an absolutely wonderful ode to running. Upon completion of the book, I felt a sense of satisfaction as if I'd just had lunch with a friend who completely gets me. Your Pace or Mine was an easy, quick read and it is a book I can turn to again if I need a laugh or just a nudge to put on my shoes and go.

One last nugget of wisdom from the book:

"Vaseline everywhere. Chat-run walk. Have fun. Chocolate when you need an energy boost. Graciously accept medal. Whoop (out loud). Sleep wearing medal. Repeat."

What nuggets of wisdom would you offer runners? What is your proudest running moment? What's your running dream? This is a no snorting zone.

Readers: While I'm going to continue to do monthly book reviews, I'm no longer going to host a link up for the book club. If you write a review, please share your link in the comments and I'll add it to the post. I'd love it if you'd link back to this post in your review. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks to everyone for your interest in the book club.

Check out Kim's review of Tim Tebow's autobiography! http://kookyrunner.com/book-review-5-reasons-to-read-shaken-tim-tebow

Next month's book is The Road to Sparta: Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run That Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace by ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes. This is the tale of the journey that inspired the modern-day marathon, recreated by Karnazes. I'm really excited to read this one! I'm also excited that Dean has offered to share photos and answer questions on the blog. Please let me know if you have anything you want to ask him! This review will be posted on April 21.

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