Running to Learn by Julia Armstrong
The highs and lows of an international running career
Running to Learn tells the compelling story of Julia, an international marathon runner – her struggle to reach peak performance, her battle with an eating disorder and the challenges of her personal relationships.
Through the many highs and lows of her life, Julia discovers the skills necessary to perform at the top level and learns how to manage herself effectively in times of difficulty or triumph. Written with openness, that can at times be startling, everyone who reads this book will identify with it on some level – a controlling relationship, a fear of abandonment or a desire to please.
Julia reflects not just on a personal level but also from the perspective of a highly experienced therapist and lifecoach, giving the reader an insight into not just Julia’s world but also to many issues which effect us all day to day. Each of the 26.2 chapters begin with Julia’s ruminations on life’s journey, and she has a unique ability to see how all our journeys fit within the bigger picture.
Reality is what you create, not what you look around and see. You can change your view of reality by altering your perspective and altering your position, and so it must follow that you can alter your own reality by altering the way you think and feel.
Running to Learn describes Julia’s unique approach to life, marrying the story of her running career with the wisdom she has gleaned from her therapy and coaching, this book shows you how you can take control of your own hopes, fears and dreams and reach a place where you are happy with who you are.
I felt like I had found answers that I’d been searching for. I felt like at last I knew how to do this running game, and even tentatively started to think that I may have got more of a handle on the living game too. The next morning, as I prepared to leave for the start, I looked in the mirror and thought how well I looked, how rested, and I told myself that this was my choice. It was my choice to spend Sunday morning running 26 miles. I could choose to stay at home, have a cooked breakfast and read the Sunday papers if I wanted. This was my choice and I was going to own it fully – so we set off, and I ran the marathon.
Running to Learn is available from amazon.co.uk, selected bookshops, and juliaarmstrong.com, priced £9.99
Julia Armstrong’s accolades include winning the Dublin City Marathon, coming in as 3rd British female in the London Marathon (with a time of 2:36:31) and representing England in the 1986 Commonwealth Games.
