Best beach bag reads for runners

Into running? Into reading? Why not read about running (when you’re not running)? Check out our picks for this week.

It’s a cooler weekend in parts of Canada. For some, that means staying cozy indoors but for others, the beach is still calling. Either way, a good read to see the weekend through might be just what you need. Here’s our running book picks for the week:

What Makes Olga Run by Bruce Grierson 

This book takes a look at Olga Kotelko who, at the time of publishing was in her late-nineties and fitter than ever. Kotelko set 34 track records in her lifetime before her death in June 2014.

This book explores her running and fitness and how she keeps it up despite her age. In doing that, readers learn about her diet, personality and sleeping habits to learn the impact each of these has on a person’s running. Grierson’s work is a study not just of running but the DNA we are born with, how that affects health and longevity and what we can do to control that.

It’s an inspirational personal tale that will motivate runners to stay on top of the sport as well as their health. West Vancouver runners share a home city with Kotelko. She worked much of her life as a teacher having settled there.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami 

The well-known and much-adored author Haruki Murakami writes a touching memoir about his life as a writer and runner.

Originally hoping to focus on his work as a writer, Murakami sold his jazz bar. As he became more serious about writing, he started to run as a way to keep his level of fitness healthy. Fast forward years later and the sport had become a major part of his life with countless races and triathlons under his belt. In this memoir, he reflects on what it all meant and how taking up the sport influenced himself as a writer.

Runners will appreciate learning about his preparation for the New York City Marathon as well as scenes from running in Boston and Tokyo. The avid reader will appreciate getting a glimpse into his life especially if they have read other books by Murakami.