We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection. ~ Anais Nin
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down in front of a typewriter and bleed. ~ Ernest Hemingway
These quotes are favorites of mine, and they resonated with me this past year when I wrote an especially personal essay for Tales From Another Mother Runner, a book released this week.
As the first quote attests, there’s a certain kind of savory satisfaction that comes with re-visiting times of your life through writing. It’s also a process that can teeter toward the painful — in that bleeding-at-the-typewriter, healing kind of way. Ultimately, there’s the finished piece you’ve worked hard to complete, and in this case I am really, really happy with how it all turned out (even as I also feel exposed and vulnerable and a little scared, too). My piece is among 22 essays featured in Tales From Another Mother Runner, the third book authored by my friends and mother runners Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea. (If you aren’t by chance familiar with their previous books — Run Like A Mother and Train Like A Mother — definitely check out their site Another Mother Runner. They’ve created a vibrant, engaging community on Facebook, too.)
It makes sense, though, doesn’t it, that an essay for a running book could be so personal — I imagine that many (all?) of you reading could share stories of the ways running has impacted your life, changed you for the better and set you on a course toward the very best version of yourself. All of this is what you’ll find in this new book. As for my essay? It centers on my marriage, specifically a tough time in our marriage and its aftermath, but really it’s about how running played such a critical role in a challenging season of my life … how this sport has transformed me in unexpected and life-altering ways. I’ll leave it at that. I’d love for you to read it yourself (and send me a note to let me know what you think, if you’d like).
Which brings me to this: I’m happy to have a copy of Tales From Another Mother Runner to give away. (You can also order copies here — great gift for your best running friend!) To enter to win a copy of the book, I just need one thing from you: a comment at the end of this post about what running means to you, and if you’re willing to share, how it’s changed you for the better. One winner will be announced next week here on the blog. The giveaway starts today, March 5, 2015 and ends Wednesday, March 11.
When I received my copy of Tales From Another Mother Runner, I couldn’t put it down–it’s packed with heartfelt, inspiring, honest and brave stories by talented writers and runners. As the subtitle states, it’s also filled with “triumphs, trials, tips and tricks” from the entire mother runner community. You’ll laugh, you’ll nod your head in agreement, you’ll feel lucky to be part of such a life-affirming sport.
I know you’ll all love this book.
—
You can read a bit more about my running and writing journey in this post featured on Another Mother Runner »
