After a successful college running career at Rice University, Becky Wade won a Watson Fellowship, which enabled her to travel the world experiencing distance running cultures in a wide variety of countries. First of all, what a fabulous, one-of-a-kind opportunity! You'll be a bit envious of Wade's adventures and travels as you read Run the World: My 3,500-Mile Journey Through Running Cultures Around the Globe.
England to Switzerland, New Zealand to Japan, to Sweden and Finland and points between, Wade meets up with local runners, watches and competes in races of a variety of lengths, and hangs out with running club members. While she gathers tips and training practices from the runners she meets, Run the World is really more of a travelogue. There's lots of running, but also lots of food (she includes recipes in each chapter), the ins and outs of travel, and the many friends she makes along the way.
Her observations about running are more cultural than technical. In Ethiopia and Kenya, for example, she finds that they have "a culture that breeds many of the qualities that happen to make distance runners: discipline, resilience, self awareness, and most of all, a desperate drive to succeed." Each culture teaches her a little something about running, which she put to work in her training. Wade's ultimate goal is to run the marathon at the Olympics. She has certainly put in the miles, and, as you get to know her while reading Run the World you'll become a fan, cheering her on.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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