Book Signing Tomorrow!

Last week I mentioned that we just hit the 2 year milestone for We Are Girls Who Love to Run. Tomorrow I'll be celebrating that in style with a book signing. I'm already getting that excited fluttery feeling in my stomach thinking about it because it is a joint event with the co-author of Run Like a Mother, Sarah Bowen Shea. Sarah writes for Runner's World and Shape Magazine. I cannot tell you how totally wound up I am to be part of this experience with her!

I'll likely be too excited to post anything tomorrow night, but I do promise to do a posting ASAP with photos of the two of us and a run-down of the whole thing. I've had a few book signings before, but really folks, this is a big one for me.

If you live in the Seattle/Eastside area of Washington State, come on over to Title Nine in Bellevue to meet Sarah and me, buy our books and have us sign them! Here are all the details you need:

Who: Runners or friends of runners, parents, girls . . . the list really is endless.
What: A fabulous book signing event
Where: Title Nine - Bellevue
When: Sunday, April 11th, 3-5PM
How: Bring a friend!
Why: You don't have many opportunities to meet 2 running authors at once, especially one who wrote for moms and one who wrote for daughters.

Will I see you there? I hope so!

I ran this morning, weeded half the yard (BIG chore) and chased kiddos, but still have plenty of energy. I'm off to put it to good use by getting the books ready for tomorrow and laying out all of the clothes in my closet to see what to wear. I might work on my sister-in-law's wedding quilt some, too, for some distraction. I'll likely "sneak in" a longer run tomorrow morning to make sure I have my jitters out. How appropriate that this whole thing is running-centric.

Happy running & happy reading!

Born to Run Like a Mother

On Sunday I finished Christopher McDougall's intricately-woven masterpiece Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. McDougall's style of writing is so powerful that I actually convinced myself that I, too, can become an ultra runner and that I should run barefoot. OK, so the first idea was a fleeting one, but I did give the second one a try. Barefoot running is great - my "easy trial run" quickly turned into a rabbit-speed 5K and I've penciled in regular barefoot runs into my running schedule. I'm not crazy enough to go all-out barefoot, but I like the concept and the reasoning behind it. I'm also seriously considering eating salads for breakfast. Those of you who haven't read the book will now have to head out to your local library or bookstore to read for yourself what the heck I'm talking about and that I haven't lost my mind . . . entirely.

This week I'm starting the NEWLY RELEASED - that's right, HOT OFF THE PRESS . . . Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving - and Not Lose Your Family, Jo, or Sanity by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea.

In true mother form, I absorbed the first 50 pages last night while I was "setting a good example for my daughter" by reading next to her in her bed while she was supposed to be doing the same. In other words, Run Like a Mother was just the distraction I needed to keep my sanity while she did everything BUT read a book and stay in her bed. Bedtime has become a HUGE struggle with my favorite little redheaded girl (she's 3 - need I say more?), but with this book in hand, this phase of her might actually seem so bad. With Dimity & Sarah at my side, I know I can conquer this challenge and still get up in the morning for my runs. These women are real moms, real runners, and just plain real. And funny. I'd run with them any day. Another great thing about Run Like a Mother is the blog that goes with it. The blog seems to pick up where the book ends (presumably, though I haven't gotten to the end of the book yet). The gals also do giveaways every Wednesday. I can attest to the fact that these are REAL giveaways, since I had the sheer pleasure of winning last week's and already received the goods in the mail. Sweet stuff.

I'll post a real review of Run Like a Mother once I finish it. This could be very soon, at the rate my daughter is going with her anti-bedtime antics. On a related note, with any luck I will be running with author Sarah Bowen Shea next month when she's in my neck of the woods promoting the book. Count on another review of sorts after THAT amazing experience. The week after that I'll be heading down to California for a hula hooping teacher training. I kid you not! I'll be realizing two life goals of mine within a two week time period. Life is becoming more colorful, in an awesome kind of way.

Don't sit and wait around for me to finish and post my review, though. Go get your hands on these great books now! And why not round out your purchase with a kids' running book, too? I know of one or two good ones you could add to your cart - and you don't have to take MY word for it. See what Rachel from A Closet of Her Own has to say about them.

Wishing you happy reading and running . . . and reading about running!