Once a Runner

Not the greatest book on running there is...

I thought it was okay. I'm not sure why Runner's World is making this book out to be like its the greatest book on running ever to be published. The chapter on Interval training brought back a lot of memories from my competitive swimming days. It's not something I do a whole lot of as a runner - but the way its described in the book is the way I remember the intensity of when I was kid - particularly distance interval training. The writer is very adept at describing accurately what goes through an athlete's mind during all types of training and gruelling races.

The plot was okay - I wasn't too fond of the main characters - they irritated me for some reason. Probably because none of them realized that there is much more to life than running a sub four minute mile. I guess its the difference between being 20 and 40. I always say I'm a 20 year old living in a 40 year old body. After reading this book I'm not so sure.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Once A Runner

I got this book because Runner's World said it was the best book about running ever. It may be, but that means that everything else is garbage! This book wasn't bad, but it was not even close to the best book I've ever read, and makes me not want to read any other book about running besides the monthly Runner's World. The writing style was hard to get accustomed to in my opinion, the characters and plot were too rushed and then too slow at times, but the ending was perfectly written. I wouldn't recommend this book for just casual reading. If you want to read a book about running, then you need to be driven to read this. It's got an interesting plotline, but like I said, seems to go too fast, and then too slow at times.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Runner's Cult Classic

ONCE A RUNNER offers an insightful portrait of the competitive runner that remains as true and relevant today as it was when originally published, over thirty-five years ago. Non-runners may feel like outsiders when reading this, but any runner (recreational or competitive) will be spellbound.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Always a Runner

As a runner, the book Once a Runner captures my every stride. Written by John L. Parker, Jr. this fictional novel tells a story about one man's journey in competitive running. The author makes the book seem very realistic as he includes runners of the time. High prestige names combined with a fictional story line makes the book very interesting, a plausible story line. As an athlete in college, the author has a very good background in competitive running and is revealed throughout the book.
Although the book takes a little bit to get going, the beginning provides a sense of suspense that something is going to go wrong. Once the book starts to pick up, I found it hard to put down as it kept leading me on to more happenings. The ending of the book, I found, was extraordinary. Well worth the wait.
I found the book very interesting with a very memorable ending. I believe I found this book interesting mainly because I can relate to the main character as a runner. It also provided an interesting plot with solutions out of the box. Throughout the book, I didn't really spot any major opinions. I did, however, disagree with the solution to the problem but provided an interesting plot.
The book had an impact on me. It showed me a side of that caliber of running that I have never experienced before. The intensity of the races and workouts really caught my attention and provided me with a new view of running. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially with an interest in running.

ok

I was a bit let down by the book. It was at times slow moving and hard to follow. There are a few great places, but overall not what I was expecting.

Makes you want to run

Fantastic book about running. For those who run, reading about his training runs and passion for the sport make you want to get out there and run the way you did when you were 20! It reminds you that running does feel good and can bring you that inner happiness you miss.

Awesome

Great book for anyone who enjoys running & a great story. A classic!!!!!

A gold medal!

A must read for runners who love fiction. A compelling story, beautifully written. Can't wait to read the sequel. Keith Donnelly, Author The Donald Youngblood Mystery Series

Excellent

Great read, even for those of us new to running and racing.

HOLY COW! I've read this book 3 times!

If you're even considering purchasing this book, don't think twice about it. JUST BUY IT! As a runner myself, I feel as though Quenton Cassidy could have been my best friend or teammate! If, after you finish the story you don't feel like busting your gut doing 60 quarter mile repeats, you're impossible to motivate. John Parker is a mindreader. It's as if he took every runner's pain and joy and put it on paper! At certan points he gets a little adjective-happy, but do yourself a favor and read this wonderful novel.

you experience this book, not read it!

Its so easy to identify with thr characters and moments in this book. if you have ever had dreams in competitive running, youll love once a runner

Awesome

Once a Runner, by John L. Parker, is about Quenton Cassidy, a fictional and elite college miler who at the beginning of the book has a personal best of 4:00. Quenton ends up breaking 4:00, running 3:52 to beat the fictional world record holder in the book, New Zealander John Walton (based off John Walker). It's a great book for any elite level runner, but probably not anyone else. If you're not a dedicated runner, you're a new runner, or you're not very good at running, you probably won't like this book. If you don't run at all, and you're looking for a good read, you won't find it here. You'll have no idea what's going on, at all. In my opinion, Once a Runner is one of the best running based novels available. I finished it in three days, and the only times I put it down were to eat, sleep, run, or talk about running and the book. My team and I have had many conversations about the book, and how we relate to it. We compare our workouts to Cassidy's, we compare our races to his, and we compare ourselves to Cass himself. It's safe to say that my team, like many other distance teams across the world, have adopted this renowned "cult classic" for ourselves. Parker makes you want to put your shoes on and go for a nice five mile tempo when he describes Quenton's races and the build-up to the races. And when it illustrates him and [Bruce] Denton, his coach and running partner, running through the forest near Bruce's cabin you just want to go for a nice ten miler in the park. The book goes through different stages runners go through during their training, including breaking down and the pre-race feeling. Any and all competitive distance runners will think to themselves "I know exactly what he's going through." It just relates so much with any dedicated distance runner that if you are one it's impossible not to find this book one of the best pieces of literature you've ever read.

A Great Gift for the Runner in your Life

I have a 17 year old nephew who runs cross country. I gave him this book as a gift and he said he read it in two days. Another friend's son who is now 25 and continues to run after attending college on a cross country scholarship told me he was inspired by Parker's story. I strongly recommend this book for any young person who has a passion for running.

Triple-tasking

"Once a Runner" has become a classic among serious runners. Not necessarily elite runners, but runners of any caliber who take their running seriously.

It's a book that triple tasks. It's a superb novel with a strong story line: a young athlete sets a goal of achieving a record in the mile run.

It's a training manual. In the story of the central character's training schedule, readers will learn how to train mentally and spiritually, as well as physically.

And finally its a motivational tool. This book will make any couch potatoe want to run. And any runner proud to be a runner.

A must read for all runners!

I had heard and read alot about this book before I actually got around to reading it. I was pleasantly surprised that it totally lived up to all it's hype. Although I'm not an elite runner (most runners aren't), I thought Parker completely captured essence of running and training.

There are beatiful passages in the book that capture the depth of character and desire that it takes to be a competitive runner. Any distance runner will immediately relate to the descriptions of training runs and rituals. Parker's perspective of an elite runner seems to be dead on.

The last race scene near the end of the book is tremendously well written with a great detailed perspective from the competitor. He captures the thoughts of a runner beautifully while still moving the scene along and maintaining the suspense.

Also his descriptions of college life in the 70's is accurate and hilarious!

Very well written

If you run regularly, and are sort of hardcore, then you will absolutlely love this book. I cannot recommend it enough. I feel like when you read it, you almost become the charecter. I read it in honestly a day. It is so suspensful. It fits in extremely well with other stories about running. If you have ever watched "the four minute mile" (book the perfect mile) or any other stories like that- its a similar mindset.
It may not have the most challenging or thought provoking charecter development, but honestly, I find that would not suit this kind of running novel well. Its more like you learn about the charecter, and how he reacts to the challenge imposed upon him and him fulfilling that challenge rather than a life long legacy. I read this book when I was injuried and couldnt run. It definitly made me feel better, because it was almost like I could run through the book. Its a silly idea, but if you read the book you will see what I mean.
If you know a runner, who might be laid up because of an injury, or if its too crazy outside to run, and your feeling kind of down, consider picking up this book

A must read for competitive runners.

All runners must read this book!!!

Stunned

Why on earth is this book out of print? I just read a copy from my campus library and I seriously thought about stealing it :) Perfect depiction of a race, set my adrenaline pumping so hard I had to stop and calm down before finishing, then went for a run.

Motivational

HOW IS THIS OUT OF PRINT?!! I borrowed the book from my brother when I was having a slump in my training. It motivated me to get back out on the trails and PRed by nearly 2 minutes in my 5k time. Whenever I am struggling I think of Cassidy to push me past that wall he was forever tearing down. SOMEBODY PLEASE REPRINT THE BOOK!!!!

Gets to the heart

I have read this book several times and each time it brings me back. I first read it when I was a 'serious' runner, trainng for marathons and other road races. It really gets to the heart of what goes into a runner's psyche and personality. Sometimes when we, as humans do things, we can get lost thinking or feeling that we are alone in how we feel about what we are doing. With something lik running, by nature a solitary pursuit, this is even more evident. Not only is 'Once A Runner' a classic and great novel but it reminds you that no matter what you feel, you're never really alone. It's a fabulous book and a must for runners and non-runners alike.