An Accidental Athlete: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Middle Age
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Known by fans as “The Penguin” for his back-of-the-pack speed, John Bingham is the unlikely hero of the modern running boom. In his new book, the best-selling author and magazine columnist recalls his childhood dreams of athletic glory, sedentary years of unhealthy excess, and a life-changing transformation from couch potato to “adult-onset athlete.”
Overweight, uninspired, and saddled with a pack-and-a-half-a-day smoking habit, Bingham found himself firmly wedged into a middle-age slump. Then two frightening trips to the emergency room and a conversation with a happy piano tuner led him to discover running—and changed his life for the better.
Inspiring, poignant, hilarious, and heartbreaking, An Accidental Athlete is a warm and engaging book for the everyday athlete. Bingham tells stories of the joys of running—the pride of the finisher’s medal, a bureau-busting t-shirt collection, intense back-of-the-pack strategizing. An Accidental Athlete is about one man’s discovery that middle age was not the finish line after all, but only the beginning.
John "The Penguin" Bingham
John “The Penguin” Bingham is author of several books about running and featured columnist for Competitor magazine, spokesman of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, and race announcer of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series. His popular column The Penguin Chronicles ran for 14 years in Runner’s World magazine. Learn more about The Penguin at johnbingham.com.
Related to An Accidental Athlete
Related ebooks
An Accidental Athlete: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Middle Age Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Courage To Start: A Guide To Running for Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Joyful Athlete: The Wisdom of the Heart in Exercise And Sports Training Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRun for Your Life: Living Life Athletically Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Book Of Running For Women Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5WRESTLING DEPRESSION IS NOT FOR WIMPS Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond the Finish Line: What Happens When the Endorphins Fade Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDrinking from My Leg: Lessons from a Blistered Optimist Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThriving in the Storm: 9 Principles to Help You Overcome Any Adversity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Long Distance Fly, Spin, Bait, and Surf Casting Techniques and Getting Started with Spey and Scandinavian Casting Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn My Shoes: An Unlikely Runner's Guide to Running... and Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCrossing the Finish Line: Life is a journey, it's like a marathon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrizophrenia: Inside the Minds of a Triathlete Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Distance Memories: Reflections of a Life on the Run Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTaimak The Last Dragon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRunning Marathons in 50 States and 7 Continents: A Runner's Inspirational Adventure Around the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings7 Weeks to a 10K: The Complete Day-by-Day Program to Train for Your First Race or Improve Your Fastest Time Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEncounters with Life: Too Many Ah-ha Moments and Still Counting Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPro Cycling on $10 a Day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spiritual Two-By-Fours and Other Wake-Up Calls: What to Do When Life Hits You Upside the Head Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUp and Running: The Jami Goldman Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRise Above: Surviving Depression and Living a Better Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDon't Stop Me Now: 26.2 Tales of a Runner’s Obsession Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Last Marathon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDear Baseball Gods: A Memoir Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Working Out Isn't Working Out: A Mind/Body Guide to Conquering Unidentified Fitness Obstacles Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elevate Your Game: From Athlete to Corporate World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Personal Memoirs For You
I'm Glad My Mom Died Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mediocre Monk: A Stumbling Search for Answers in a Forest Monastery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Diary of a Young Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Glass Castle: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Stolen Life: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stash: My Life in Hiding Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Solutions and Other Problems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: the heartfelt, funny memoir by a New York Times bestselling therapist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dry: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Choice: Embrace the Possible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for An Accidental Athlete
9 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I'm waffling on whether to give this two or three stars. Two seems low, but the description "it was ok" matches it better than "I liked it."
The good: Bingham has a great storytelling voice and he offers a lot of encouragement and enthusiasm. He is a great counterweight to the idea that running must be an elite activity for only the very fit. He tells us that runners are people who run, no more, no less. There is a lot of encouragement, empathy, and folk wisdom inside these pages. As a fatass who in his late 30's is trying to leave years of sloth, smoking, and overeating behind, I am encouraged by Bingham's personal stories.
The not-so-good: this is more of a self-help book than a running book. That is not necessarily a problem, but Bingham knows how to tell a story and he knows how to work a crowd. As an end result, I don't trust his words as much as I might. Have you ever talked to a really excellent sales-person and then not be certain whether you want to buy the product because you don't trust your own enthusiasm for it? I get that feeling after reading Bingham. Does he make me feel better about running because running is a great thing or does he make me feel better about running because his words convey enthusiasm convincingly?
I like this book and I'd love to buy Bingham a beer, but I'm left feeling like I've just heard a particularly skilled evangelical preacher give his testimony and make an altar call. I'm buying what he's selling, but I don't fully trust the surge in enthusiasm I feel for it. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I'm not a runner, but I have friends who are. I found this book to be interesting, but a bit repetitive at times.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5John Bingham is what he describes as an “accidental athlete” or an “adult-onset athlete”. At 43 years old, after years of eating, smoking and drinking too much, he started running. I think I enjoyed this book so much because I could relate to so much of what the author experienced in his life. He was a kid who wanted to play sports and had fun playing sports but wasn’t very good at them. When the day came that he figured out he wasn’t very good, he didn’t want to play anymore.He had a lucrative career, great house, several motorcycles – all the trappings of success. He thought he has happy. It wasn’t until one day when he decided to move more that he realized life could be better. He started with biking and then decided to try running. When he first started, he ran a 30 minute mile! Even now he is a middle of the pack runner, which I can totally identify with. I really appreciated his philosophies on running; that it’s okay to be slow and the goal really should be to have fun.The author does get a little repetitive at times, mentioning things in later chapters that he’s already said in previous chapters but it wasn’t enough to get on my nerves. I’m still recovering from surgery so I can’t run right now but after reading his book I really want to get out there again. I’ll probably re-read it when I’m able to actually run again. If you are an accidental or adult-set athlete or even someone who’s been running for most of your life, I think you will really enjoy this book.