Running Tide

Running Tide is the autobiography of Joan Benoit (with Sally Baker's help). The book starts in Maine, with the end of Benoit's dreams of being an Olympic skier, and carries us through winning Boston in 1979 and of course, winning the Olympic trails in 1984 just a few weeks after surgery, followed by being the winner of the first women's Olympic Marathon. Benoit tells it all with her unique, determined style. She addresses the pain, the energy required, the taxing routine, all with a matter-of-factness that makes her incredibly likable. Benoit is focused, down-to-earth, and rather self-reflective. It was entirely enjoyable, and I finished feeling energized and ready for my next run. Though the kind of dedication and talent required for Benoit-style running is not something I will ever possess, I admire her tenacity and appreciate her love for running and athletics. And oh boy do I want to go to Boston now!

A short example of Benoit's self-reflective tone: "Looking back on it now, I can see how this setback helped me. When you have an occupation like mine-- self-contained, lonely work that allows you to call yourself boss--you have to make a solid commitment to it. No one in this world would be adversely affected if I stopped running tomorrow; I might get a few calls from people wondering what happened, but I'm not part of a giant corporate machine...nobody relies on me to do my job except me: I had to learn to rely on myself."

And of course, her thoughts as she neared the finish line at the Olympics: " When I got close I could hear the crowd rumbling inside--they had been watching the race on a pair of giant screens and knew who and where I was. As I ran into the tunnel the noise was muffled and I heard my own footfalls. I thought 'Once you leave this tunnel your life will be changed forever.' I fastened my eyes on my shoes and kept running."

Feeling inspired yet?