Trail runner Laura Clark reviews North: Finding My Way By Running the Appalachian Trail, by Scott Jurek with Jenny Jurek. Published by Little, Brown and Company, 2018. Folks who set out to hike the 2,189 mile Appalachian Trail are most likely on a quest to discover their inner selves. If they have no compelling reason… Read more »
Book review by Laura Clark for the Spring 2018 edition of our Trail Times Newsletter. Not all ultrarunners are humans. Meet Gobi, a sturdy, sandy-colored mutt with Chihuahua-style ears, a flagship tail and the focused stare of a runner determined to put in the miles however difficult they might prove. Incredibly, this resolute dog materialized… Read more »
Reviewed by Laura Clark and originally published in the Winter 2017/18 edition of our Trail Times newsletter. Running the Long Path: A 350-Mile Journey of Discovery in New York’s Hudson Valley, by Kenneth A. Posner. “There lies before me a long brown path, leading wherever I choose.” — Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road… Read more »
Book review written by ATRA member Laura Clark and originally published in the Fall 2017 edition of our Trail Times newsletter. The Tao of Running: Your Journey to Mindful and Passionate Running, by Gary Dudney. Meyer & Meyer Sport, 2016. The keys to The Tao of Running are contained in the subtitle: journey, mindful and… Read more »
American Trail Running Association (ATRA) president Adam W. Chase and executive director Nancy Hobbs have joined forces again to coauthor a series of four trail running guide books. These “where-to” guides follow on the heels of their successful “how-to” book, The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running, first published in 2001, with a second edition published… Read more »
The Way of the Runner: A Journey into the Fabled World of Japanese Running, by Adharanand Finn. Pegasus Books, 2015. Reviewed by Laura Clark for the Fall 2017 edition of the Trail Times newsletter. Upon his return from Kenya (Running with the Kenyans), A. Finn posted an impressive series of PRs in a variety of distances…. Read more »
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, by Peter Wohlleben. Greystone Books, 2015. Reviewed by Laura Clark for the Fall 2017 edition of the Trail Times newsletter. Deep into a difficult trail race, I always seem to recall this common quote: “I ran by the trees as if they were standing… Read more »
Book review by Laura Clark Base Camp Las Vegas: 101 Hikes in the Southwest, by Deborah Wall. Imbrifex Books, 2017. Fly nonstop to Las Vegas (as easy as flying the tourist nonstop to Disney World), take in a few shows and then escape to the desert trails. What a deal! Described public recreation areas are… Read more »
The Brave Athlete: Calm The F*uck Down and Rise to the Occasion. Velopress, 2017. By Dr. Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson. Book review by Laura Clark. Photo above by Nancy Hobbs. I must admit my initial difficulty in dealing with the title of this book. Outside of exceptions like Terry Fox, the cancer amputee who… Read more »
Book review written by Laura Clark for our Summer 2017 Trail Times Newsletter. The Trail Runner’s Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, 5Ks to Ultras, by Sarah Lavender Smith. Falcon, 2017. The first thing I do when I approach a book is admire the jacket, glance at the table of contents and… Read more »
© 2018 American Trail Runner Association. All rights reserved.