A refreshing, funny book on starting at (not quite) nothing to running a full marathon. I was nodding along to lots of the tips (and telling myself between sucked in lungful of air that 'the first three miles are the worst' as I try to break the 4 mile mental barrier!) and thinking, 'here's a guy who runs like me, and he did a marathon, maybe...'. Then I noticed he wanted to pit himself against Oprah as other celebs who'd run marathons were too slow! He lost me a bit then, as I'd definitely be seeking to emulate a 6 hour celeb, not a 4 hour one! I like marathon books that don't presuppose the physique and endurance of a Kenyan, and overall I'd definitely recommend it for people who are just wondering 'could I?...'

As a 3-time marathoner (I lost every time), I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this book! It was hilarious and true!

Fast and easy, but if you're looking for running advice, it's pretty light on it. At times I felt like the author was taking the joke too far, to a type of humor that is so overdone as to be a turnoff, but it much of it was still fun and amusing. I am training for my first marathon, and I really hoped for more useful information than I found here.

This is a a lovely quick read for me as a casual runner stuck in an airport- the author is self deprecating but just the right amount, and tells a very honest story about running his marathon. It's inspiring in the sense that this is an ordinary man who pushed himself to his own limits and beyond, with a sense of humour that lit my life up for a few hours. The story, the doodles and the little internal tips and lists were a good inspiration to get back to the grind and pick up some new races!

Joel Cohen was an out of shape, lazy guy who got winded climbing the stairs. In How to Lose a Marathon: A Starter's Guide to Finishing in 26.2 Chapters, he tells the story of becoming an out of shape, lazy guy who successfully finished a marathon. Cohen, a writer for The Simpsons, fills every chapter with lots of laughs, but he actually gives a pretty decent guide to training for and running a marathon.

I relate to him on so many levels. He's a guy who couldn't imagine getting up at five something to run. ("Wait there's actually a 5 in the morning?") He loves his junk food. He doesn't have much patience for pretentious runners and their pretentious gear. He'd rather run alone. Knowing how hard it would be to find "the perfect match in pace, distance, and disposition," he (like me) chose to "run on my own, lonely and ignorant."

He says he wrote this book because he couldn't find any books for the "beginner grinder runner." I'm pretty sure if he'd spent ten minutes at Amazon.com he would have found a few dozen. Nevertheless, Cohen's book is unique. It's hilarious to read, yet provides actual informative content. Short of giving a detailed daily running plan and meal plan, Cohen's book is a great starting point for training for a marathon.

The humor is solid and wide-spread. It's even clean; I wouldn't have problem with kids reading it. Some pages had as many as three laugh-out-loud lines. Some just had a chuckle or two. On average, there were about two chuckles or one laugh-out-loud per page. But the important measure is the one I use for any running book I read: Does How to Lose a Marathon inspire me to get out and run? Yes, it does. Let's go!


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I am not sure what the intended audience for this book is and that was my biggest problem with the book. If you are a seasoned runner, there are some funny bits and cheesy drawings that are funny. But these and counterbalanced by bits that just aren't funny and in some cases, I believe, incorrect information. So, if you aren't a seasoned runner and read this book as an introduction to reading, you may be lead a bit astray and, at the same time, miss some of the humor. Overall, this book was like having a long conversation about running with a sarcastic friend where their attempt to be funny starts to become a little too much.

As a sports book, this isn't all this good, because the advice and training isn't the type that one will usually find. HOWEVER (caps mine), it IS a very funny and entertaining book so if the reader is looking for humor, this is highly recommended. But for serious help or advice for marathon running and training, not really. Hence, it gets a passing grade as once I figured out this was better for humor, I read it with that in mind.

How to Lose a Marathon: A Starter’s Guide to Finishing in 26.2 Chapters by Joel H.Cohen is one of the funniest, humorist, nice and sunny books you can find around soon. It will be published by Abrams at the beginning of April and it is a very wonderful read for sure.

Plenty of good humor, you will discover from the beginning to the end an accurate, super-ironic tale of what it means a good and bad preparation at one of the most prestigious marathons of this world: the one of New York City.

26 chapters spectacularly funny, captivating, hilarious. I can tell you that you will be refreshed by this book because I can assure you that there are a lot of smiles and many laughs as well.
Funny drawings of Mr.Cohen - himself - during the various phases of preparation at this important appointment.

Mr Cohen is part of the team of The Simpson, humor is his food.

The author tells, that courageously decided to participate and lose the New York Marathon arriving at the 26.782 position. Surely as he add, he didn't arrive first. But he arrived at some point and it's a lot.
That's why also that he decided to write this book: for explaining to all of us how to lose a marathon with humor, smile and a good laugh.

From food to training, from the guidelines for joining all the most important marathons to the equipment for running successfully a marathon, without to forget the problematic of running, and the problems of the body under pressure like also the benefits for the body.

Joy and sufferance of a sport. You will appreciate the team of Mr. Cohen (Mr Cohen joined a charity donating some money to it) in NYC focused in carbohydrates meetings with pasta before the marathon and the memorable day: the marathon one, suffered and told for the joy of everyone.
I enjoyed the most reading this book for its lightness, good humor. It is a refreshing book.

It's for all of you: sedentary and sportive human beings and this book released this April 4th will wait all of you. It will present you great humor, a sunny reading, good mood in this arrival of spring.

Oh, and in case you would be tempted at the end: Happy Running! of course.

I thank NetGalley and Abrams Books for this book.

I've always wanted to be a runner but never have had the wind for it. I remember back in grade four or five when we had to do athletic tasks to qualify for Canada Fitness Award Program badges, I'd have a hard time with the running part ... and I was a skinny kid back then.

I have a couple friends who do 5km runs and marathons, which I find inspiring, and a couple weeks ago I decided I'd try to become a runner. Even if I never go into a 5km run, I figured it would be a good cardio workout. I found a "Couch to 5km" running program and downloaded the app ... it takes eight weeks of training three times a week. I got through the three days of week one. Because of my work schedule last week, I didn't get to the gym at all so I'll get back at it and do week two this week.

In 2012, Joel was overweight, lazy and approaching middle age. One day, he decided he was going to start running. Rather than doing it in an organized manner (like I am), he just started running and eventually he was running faster and longer distances. Then he was inspired to run a marathon and that's when he started following a program.

I liked the writing style as Joel wrote about his experience starting to run and eventually being in the New York Marathon. There was valuable information and it was presented in an amusing manner (rather than dry and boring) ... Joel is a writer on The Simpsons, among other things, and that comes through. There are also his doodles throughout the book. The book covers why he started running right up to the mile-by-mile description of when he was in the New York Marathon in 2013. There is an explanation of the various terms, essential items you need (and those you don't), etc.

The author admits he doesn't enjoy running ... he does enjoy having run, though. I'm finding it boring (I need to be stimulated and haven't gotten into "a zone") but I find listening to tunes helps (I can run the running app and my Spotify app at the same time). I had thought about downloading books and listening to them to keep me distracted and this is what Joel did so I'm going to try that.

I would recommend this book for those wanting to get into running so you'll know what to expect, what you need to do and yes, you can do it! Runners will also enjoy it because they will be probably be able to relate to Joel's experiences.

The longest I have been able to run thus far is a 10K without feeling like I was going to die. I’ve gone up to a 15K but that was only because I promised my soul to the Devil if he kept me alive and I didn’t care how embarrassing I looked going that extra while hobbling and gulping air like a fish out of water. I got into running because I have Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome which is a very long and fancy way of explaining I inherited a crappy heart that won’t beat the way cardiac experts say a heart is supposed to if you want to stay alive. I wanted to prove I wasn’t going to let bad DNA run my life so I chose to run from it instead.

I even joined a mom’s running group, which I became co-leader of, when I stopped working to do the Stay at Home Mom thing after my oldest daughter was diagnosed with autism. It became another thing I was running from then running became the way I dealt with stuff as it let me clear my head and think about how I could make my daughter’s life about her instead of me.

I ran in some area 5Ks and 10Ks but after a while I quit because it always felt like I couldn’t get past the 10K mark without my heart reminding me I could never run away from my DNA. I put on weight when I gave up exercise completely which of course made the problem worse so now I’m back to needing a way to get healthy again. So in that journey I found this book hoping it’d be the encouragement I needed.

Right away I knew it was the very thing that would help me. Joel Cohen is absolutely hilarious and despite his claim of bad writing I think he deserves an award for one of, if not THE best, books on running. He admits to not being a professional runner or trainer which is exactly what I need and anyone else like me who wants to run for the sake of loving it not to show off how “great” I am. I need real advice and inspiration, not some size 2 wearing a glorified bikini telling me if I follow her advice completely I can look just like her and finish the New York Marathon in under 4 hours.

His writings about himself, which of course bring a new level of hilarity to a sports book, just make it even better because he comes off so relatable; he’s the guy who I could see myself training with, running alongside. The kind of guy who could make me feel good about hitting a 10K instead of feeling lousy that I’m not marathon ready after 3 weeks.

Cohen gives really sound advice using both humor and practicality. He literally starts with the most basic of needs like should you run indoors or outdoors while giving the pros and cons of his ideas. He talks about what you need to run; let me give you a hint, there are laws against public nudity. The way he describes his ‘training’ had me about to fall on the floor laughing one minute and being eternally grateful for him the next because he could’ve been describing my early attempts and a little bit how I am now that I’ve lost my pre-running build when I fell into that “I’ll never run a marathon” depression. My new goal, thanks to Cohen, is to “feel a little less like I’m dying” as I return to my training sessions because that is an achievable goal and one that does NOT bring down my self-esteem.

For those who have never entered a race he provides some nifty little definitions, advice and his own personal stories so when you go to run your first race you can fit in rather than sticking out. Having run in some races I can tell you his advice is sound particularly if you don’t have much experience.

When he gets into a history lesson about marathons, when you aren’t laughing, you should pay attention because it’s actually very educational and even though running was once a huge part of my life I never knew this stuff so it was fun to learn. He goes on to name a few marathons you could try both in the US and around the world; the Disney is on my bucket list provided I don’t die in training to get there.

I absolutely loved his sections on training because they are realistic and self-esteem empowering for those of us who aren’t going to be on the cover of a running magazine any time soon. His ‘nuggets’ of wisdom are going to get put on posters to display around my house as mantras to keep me going in case that frustration starts again when I have trouble trying to hit that dream marathon goal. He even provides information on nutrition to help keep your energy levels up which becomes very important as your distances increase.

Just when you think there is NO WAY he can get funnier he gives you a rundown of his New York Marathon story. Be prepared for the day of the marathon story as he talks about what he was going through nearly hour by hour then mile by mile. I was laughing so hard my formerly waterproof makeup couldn’t handle the nonstop waterworks anymore and completely failed. Note to Revlon, use Joel Cohen’s writings as a test for how ‘waterproof’ your makeup is.

For me, and anyone else who can’t help but measure themselves against “runners” and feel like they come up short, the pièce de résistance is the chapter about coming to terms with failure. Really the only failure is sitting on the couch when you could be out in the world whether that’s moving at the pace of a turtle or a cheetah, just get out and move.

This book isn’t just about how to run a marathon, it’s about building your self-esteem and being okay with the goals YOU can hit, not your fellow runner. I absolutely love it and it’s provided me with a bunch of inspirational quotes to live by so I can return to running for the right reasons.