Once a Runner

I've read dozens of books about the sport of distance running, but Once a Runner by John L. Parker is my favourite by far. Parker's novel gives an inspiring view into the world of the serious competitive runner. As a former university level distance runner myself, I recognized many of the inside jokes and situations common to competitive track clubs and serious athletes.

Once a Runner tells the story of Quenton Cassidy, a talented collegiate miler who falls under the wing of Bruce Denton, an Olympic gold medallist. Through Denton, Cassidy begins to realize what it takes to go from a solid college runner to a world class performer. The price of success takes a toll on Cassidy both physically, mentally and in his relationships.

Just as he begins to show promise, Cassidy's world collapses around him as he is suspended from the college track team and loses his relationship with Andrea, a fellow college student who is his love interest and confidant. With his world seemingly in tatters, Cassidy considers hanging it up until Denton challenges him to leave his life behind and move out to a cabin in the woods to train full time and once and for all find out if he has what it takes.

The genius in this book is not so much in the narrative itself, it is in the periodic vignettes that describe Cassidy's experiences and feelings as a runner trying to approach the sport at the highest possible level. As Kenny Moore, Olympic marathoner and writer for Sports Illustrated put it, Once a Runner is, "By far the most accurate fictional portrayal of the world of the serious runner." Parker does an outstanding job of getting inside the head of a competitive runner and expressing the thoughts and feelings that are universal to those who strive to compete at the highest level.

The book is a gold mine of information for aspiring runners. Nuggets of wisdom such as the importance of consistency, mileage and the need to completely empty the tank when racing are key to learning what it takes to get the most out of yourself as an athlete. My favourite quote from the book - "What was the secret, they wanted to know; in a thousand different wasy they wanted to know The Secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared, to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heart rending process of removing, molecule by molecule the very tough rubber that comprised the bottom of his training shoes. The trial of miles, miles of trials, how could they be expected to understand that?"

As Ed Ayres of Running Times magazine says, "There is a remarkable paralell between the pacing of this novel and a well run race." It starts cautiously, building through the middle and ending with a frantic finish. This pacing adds to the excitement as Cassidy prepares for the biggest race of his life.

The result is a book that is equal parts informative and inspiring. As David Langlais of Runner's World says, "Beg borrow or buy a copy and you'll never need another motivator."