Runner as Hero

The inner quest of becoming an athlete or just about anything...at any age

By (author) Jay Kimiecik, Doug Newburg

Publication date:

23 September 2009

Length of book:

164 pages

Publisher

University Press of America

Dimensions:

232x154mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780761847953

In Runner as Hero, Jay Kimiecik becomes an athlete again—in his case, a masters runner—as a way to revive his life. Kimiecik explores the world of aging, training, and performing through a self-experimental, self-reflective lens— merging science, mythology, and performance psychology. On his heroic journey, Kimiecik talks to aging experts, scientists, top-performing athletes, and the ghost of legendary Steve Prefontaine. Kimiecik's keen observations of everyday living and irreverent style take him on a journey to find the hero within. The result is a fascinating, inspiring tale about how the life as an athlete can serve as a motivational metaphor for feeling alive and achieving nearly anything.

Chapter 1 Illustrations
Chapter 2 Foreword
Chapter 3 Introduction
Part 4 WARMUP
Chapter 5 The Big Idea
Chapter 6 The Adventure of Feeling Alive Begins
Part 7 LAP 1: ENGAGING IN PREPARATION
Chapter 8 1. The Little Voice of Feel
Chapter 9 2. Why Athlete
Chapter 10 3. The Weakest Link
Chapter 11 4. Paying Attention in Preparation
Chapter 12 5. Water World
Chapter 13 6. Getting to the Core of the Matter
Chapter 14 7. I am Lady Hear Me Roar
Part 15 LAP 2: EMBRACING PAIN AND DISCOMFORT
Chapter 16 8. The Summer of Pain
Chapter 17 9. The Feel
Chapter 18 10. Easy Speed
Chapter 19 11. The Feel Wakes Up After Forty Years
Chapter 20 12. Breakthrough at the Brewery
Chapter 21 13. I am Superman and I Can Do Anything
Part 22 LAP 3: SLAYING DRAGONS
Chapter 23 14. Testing, Testing
Chapter 24 15. The Muscles at the Heart of It All
Chapter 25 16. Then and Now
Chapter 26 17. Back in the Rehab Saddle Again
Chapter 27 18. Desire Greater Than Fear
Chapter 28 19. My Longaberger Mile
Chapter 29 20. Waiting for Spring
Chapter 30 21. Living on the Side of the Mountain
Part 31 BELL LAP: TRANSFORMING TO MYSELF
Chapter 32 22. Shock the System
Chapter 33 23. The Joy of Deliberate Practice
Chapter 34 24. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to, During, and After the Race
Chapter 35 25. Wanted Dead or Alive
Chapter 36 26. Aligning Goals with a Dream
Chapter 37 27. Training Tracks
Chapter 38 28. Track Town USA
Chapter 39 Acknowledgements
Chapter 40 References
Chapter 41 About the Authors

A magical memoir of a masters athlete in search of his inner track star…expertly weaves in state-of-the-sport research.