Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this review copy, given in exchange for an honest review.

Running With a Police Escort is the true life memoirs of Cleveland librarian Jill Grunenwald. After being shamed by her sister, Jill decided to lose weight and to also do something which she didn’t even do at school – running. Surprisingly she realised she liked it that much that she decided to run her first 5k at the Cleveland Metropolitan Zoo. After this, the bug had bitten her and she continued to run. Six years on, she’s lost the weight and is still running, albeit at the back of the pack – hence the title “Running with a Police Escort”.

It’s an inspirational book that just proves you can do anything if you put your mind to it. As the author points out, it’s not about fast or slow but taking small steps to achieve your goal. The book, whilst inspirational, was probably slower than the author at times and I did lose interest at some points in the book. But….fair play to the author, she did it, is still doing it and nobody can say any different. Well done!

I picked up this book because of it's title. Jill Grunenwald could be any number of people. She is a woman who has struggled with her weight all her life. She talks about her sedentary lifestyle from the time she was a child and the kickstart she received from her younger sister to get her to start some kind of exercising program. This is a body positive book, but in a very real story and way that many people will be able to relate to. I did not expect to read this book as fast as I did or enjoy it as much as I did. Jill's writing style is very conversational. It felt like we were friends talking about our successes and failures. She does use some profanity in the book so be prepared for that. Jill tells about her struggles to start a running program and her challenges along the way. She is not apologetic about being a slow runner, and gets angry at one point when the finish line of a race is basically torn down, they are running out of medals, spectators are walking all over the course and there are still people to finish, including herself. The point she makes about it being okay to come in last, at least you ran and finished the race is so empowering. Yes, she loses her mojo at times, yes she actually gains back some of her weight and yes, maybe her goals are not as lofty at others, but she kept at it, she did not give up and she makes the reader and others feel that it is okay to be slow, to come in last and to have a normal, not perfect body. I learned a lot about running and found myself feeling a bit enthusiastic for a topic I never found interesting. While this book isn't exactly focused on body size, there is a body positive message to this book: no matter what size you are, you can accomplish your goals. I enjoyed this book very much and think maybe even I might be able to start a running program.

This books combines two of my favorite things: librarians and races. The title brought me back to my first 10K, which took me almost 2 hours to finish, and my last marathon, in which my ankle injury had me at the back of the pack for the last 6 miles and the race felt as if it was against the sweeper buses. There are many parallels between Grunenwald's story and my own as I've never let my weight prevent me from completing physical challenges and how those challenges inspired me to make small changes that improved my health. Overall, an interesting read.

This is a great book about Jill Grunenwald, a quirky, cat-loving librarian who is overweight. Having always struggled with her weight, Jill was currently hitting the scales at more than three hundred pounds. Right then, Jill looked in the mirror and decided that she needed to make a life-style change, pronto. She enrolled in Weight Watchers and did something else that she—the girl who avoided gym class like the plague in high school never thought she’d do; Jill started running. And believe it or not, it wasn’t that bad. Actually, it was kind of fun. This book is for anyone who has ever struggled with their weight. This book is also motivating me to do something about the weight I need to lose.

Running with a Police Escort chronicles Cleveland librarian Jill Grunenwald's journey from being the girl who used to hate physical education classes to becoming a dedicated runner. She regularly finishes races right at the back of the pack - hence running with a police escort as organizers are closing the course behind her - but as she points out it's not about being fast or slow but about taking small steps to achieve your goals. I really enjoyed the author's candor and wit. Parts of the book were quite inspirational, and it was nice that she didn't focus on weight issues but it really was a book about running. However, it just turned into a series of race reports and as such became repetitive. I've learned an awful lot about Cleveland and its geography. The structure of the book wasn't always clear, which I think may be due to the fact that it is based on the author's podcast and blog content. Compiled into a complete book, it could have done with some more editing to avoid repetitions and establish a more accurate chronology. On the whole, an easy and enjoyable book, though, mainly due to the author's great personality. This should appeal to people who are looking to take up running for the first time or anybody who enjoys fitness blogs.