This laugh-out-loud comedic memoir of life as an overweight runner moves
along at a five-minute-per-mile pace. Jennifer Graham doesn't run to
lose weight - she runs for the joy of endorphins. But life's not always
easy when the blubber hits the road. She must endure not only her
self-made exhaustion and lactic acid, but the bemused stares of
neighbors, offers of car rides from strangers, and the disdain of the
dominant strain of runner - those long, lean "shirtless wonders."
The challenges of being a fat runner, however, disappear faster than a
pint of whisky-pecan ice cream when Graham's marriage implodes and she
finds herself a single mom with four children, two donkeys, and a really
bad attitude. To cope, she registers for a half-marathon she ran 10
years ago, to see if she's made any progress, or if she's just been
running in place. She is rejected by the big-name coaches she contacts,
but finds grudging assistance in the spirit of the late Steve
Prefontaine. "Yeah, I know he's been dead 35 years; it's a minor
metaphysical challenge."
Graham's irreverent, hilarious and brutally honest story will appeal to
runners and non-runners alike, fat or thin. It's fast-twitch meets
slow-witch, with an outcome that's out of this world.
Praise for Honey, Do You Need a Ride?"
"Jennifer writes like an old friend speaks, in a voice you know and
love. Her descriptions of running heavy, whether with added weight or
added burdens, make her experience universal to runners and non-runners
alike. Her overcoming spirit makes you want to cheer for her, run with
her, or eat a pint of ice cream with her! Ultimately, it's not the size
of the body but the size of the heart that counts. And this runner's
heart is huge."
--Kristin Armstrong, mother of three, Contributing Editor for Runner's
World, Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run
"Here's to the mid-pack runners, the back-of-the-pack shufflers, the
start-slowly-and-taper-off champions. Just remember: there's a lot more
of us than there are of them (those tall skinny Shirtless Wonders). And
Jennifer Graham tells our story beautifully, with unflinching honesty
and laugh-out-loud humor." --John "the Penguin" Bingham, author of The
Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, and An Accidental Athlete
"Jennifer Graham might be surprised when the sinewy running tribe she
longs to conform to becomes readers of her book, because you don't have
to be a 'fat runner' to enjoy this moving memoir. If you've ever fallen
in love with running; if running is a constant companion; if running has
been a lifeline through bad times, then you'll identify with Graham's
story. Okay, maybe not the donkeys or the paranormal coaching, but when
you're done reading you'll wish you could join Graham on a run, just so
you can hear more."
--Kara Douglass Thom, author of Becoming an Ironman and Hot (Sweaty)
Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom
"Jennifer Graham is the hilarious, pee-your-pants running partner you
wish you had. She'll make you want to move to Boston just to pound out a
few miles alongside her and slam down a ginormous hot-fudge sundae with
her post-run. If you love running, laughing, eating, and reading in
equal measure, you'll love this book." --Eileen Button, author of The
Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays
