Choosing to Run: A Memoir
Des Linden
Featuring both the story of an historic, unforgettable win and insight into the life of an indelible champion, Choosing to Run is a truly inspirational memoir from Boston Marathon winner and Olympian Des Linden, sharing her personal story and what motivates her to keep showing up. When Des woke up on April 16, 2018, the morning of the Boston Marathon, it was 39 degrees and raining, with high, gusty winds. The weather didn’t bother her. more
272 pages, Hardcover
First published Dutton
4.31
Rating
8250
Ratings
835
Reviews
Des Linden
1 books 74 followers
Community reviews
Great book. Found the pic I took when Desi won and I was so inspired. Read her book and was again inspired. “Run the mile your in. ” She had plantar fasciitis and recovered and did awesome. more
Loved it so much. I have interviewed Des for my podcast several times and there was so much here I didn’t know yet. It was beautiful and honest. I’m so glad to know more of your story Des. Thank you Des and Bonnie for writing this. more
Not a lot of depth in this memoir. I was thinking to myself, this retelling of her life as an athlete is like reading her training logs. . . and then she read from her training log. more
Loved this book and can’t imagine a better read during a Boston build. I’ve been feeling like the race won’t go my way due to Achilles soreness, but reading Des’ trials and grit is inspiring. I loved the way the book opens with the 2018 marathon and the splicing between is effective. The narrative is punchy at times but you’re never lost because there is such good flow. I really admire Des’ principles and her asides about being into bourbon and still enjoying St. more
5 Stars for Choosing to Run (audiobook) by Des Linden and Bonnie D. Ford read by Des Linden. I wasn’t familiar with Des Linden before I started this book but I thought her story sounded interesting. I enjoyed the way she broke up chapters with bits of her Boston Marathon win, that helped to make it feel less like a training journal to me. I especially liked her taking about some of the training she did in Phoenix when she was going to ASU. more
Fast, easy read. TBH, there were several times that Linden came across as cocky and better than "mediocre" runners. which I assume means anyone who isn't an elite runner. IDK. Congrats on winning Boston, but also, from someone who will never win and is only "mediocre", we still suffer the same. more
This book follows two timelines (the historic Boston Marathon win and her life leading up to it). In format, it reminded me of Gwen Jorgensen: USA's First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete. These two timelines built suspense and kept me turning page after page. I am a running/track & field fan and still I learned so much about Des Linden. YOU MUST READ THIS book if you haven't already. more
IM SORRY i love des as a person and a runner but she can't write. more
Not going to lie, at the part when Des Linden crossed the finish line to become the first American woman to win Boston in 33 years, I cried a little. Current and former distance runners of any level would connect to Choosing to Run, which packed more of a punch than I was expecting from the description. I really became invested following her journey of rebuilding after a medical diagnosis. Published just before the 2023 Boston Marathon, it also provided some personal motivation and inspiration for me as I train for my first half marathon in four years, a bit of a rebuilding journey for me as well. I would dog ear pages with sentiments and feelings that resonated with me personally, and found myself folding more pages than I expected (which I can’t quote directly as I had an advanced, not final copy of the book):- wanting to feel like you are on your A game while simultaneously trying to temper your expectations during a rebuild- typically thriving on routine and consistency but having to learn to embrace how you feel that day and finding an upside to every run; not hitting planned splits can still be a win- getting back into shape sucks, but being in shape is awesome- running unfamiliar distances and terrains to avoid comparisons to past results while also not exposing that you’re not in prime conditionWould recommend this book to anyone who loves a good comeback/underdog story, particularly distance runners of any performance level. more
“Featuring the story of a historic, unforgettable win and insight into the life of an indelible champion, Choosing to Run is a truly inspirational memoir from Boston Marathon winner and Olympian Des Linden, sharing her personal story and what motivates her to keep showing up. ” (GoodReads)I sprinted through this (pardon the pun). Part memoir, part play-by-play of the 2018 Boston Marathon, this was completely enthralling. But then, I enjoy reading about runners and running (Want proof. Check out my “book stack” from 6 Mar 23. more
I have a different set of rules for writing reviews when it comes to memoirs. I think it takes a lot of courage to put a personal piece of ourselves out there for all to see. So with that said, this one didn't really work for me. I could appreciate her journey but this one felt slow going. I wanted more thought exploration and feeling. more
She wrote from her experience and brought the reader to another world of elite running, but I couldn't help but feel this book was not relatable to the average runner. I think she could have used her story more to inspire and empower. more
I have always admired Des Linden and so I was extremely excited to read her memoir. However, after reading, I felt like I wanted more. My absolute favorite thing about the book was the recap of the 2018 Boston marathon. I loved hearing about the different emotions and how things changed for her leading up to and during the race. I remember watching her win in 2018 and being ecstatic that an American had finally won after so many years so I loved listening to what was going through her mind during that race. more
I didn't know anything about Des Linden prior to reading this book, but absolutely loved this story telling. Chapters bounced back and forth between her running career and her historic 2018 Boston Marathon win. I love this type of storytelling, which I enjoyed even more because I didn't even know she won that marathon, so I was on a roller coaster throughout. This book was easy to read and is a great memoir of an elite female athlete. . more
I vividly remember where I was on the course running the frigid torrential downpour of the 2018 Boston Marathon when they announced that Des Linden won, the first American woman to do so in 33 years. It was an incredible burst of sunny inspiration during a very tough race. I love how this book was structured with the reflections of that race spliced among other parts of her memoir. It made it feel real to revisit the intense emotions of that historic day. It was especially meaningful knowing all that was going on in Des’s life and health leading up to that crowning achievement. more
This book sounds like a book that Des Linden would write and I love it. Her voice and her approach to life carry through all aspects of the narrative and give the book an authentic feel. I also greatly appreciate and commend the decision to name the ghost writer on the cover - something that feels much more honest to me than other celebrities/personalities who choose to conceal that they've worked with one. As a marathoner myself (though nowhere near at her level. ), I thoroughly enjoyed the snippets of her most famous race tucked alongside the wider story of her life and career. more
I'm not a fan of the Boston Marathon after reading "Running While Black" and this book is mainly about Des Linden's long history with it. I have some big thoughts on this book. First, I think it's super important representation for the female running experience in publishing. Second, this book only covered her experience chasing Boston. That was it. more
Absolutely loved this book. I’ve run over 100 marathons but I never get tired of hearing someone else’s story of their running life. I met Desi a few times when I worked at Hansons and saw her running at Stony Creek all the time. She’s pretty much a local celebrity of sorts in that area. Her book really shared the back story of her running life. more
Love Des, love this book, which confirmed why she is my favorite pro runner. No nonsense, level-headed, all grit. I struggled with some of the same issues and appreciated her candor about that. And it was a fun, thrilling read. . more
My favorite nonfiction book of the year most certainly gets its own review. (I recognize it's only May and I had a huge bias going into this book but nevertheless, it will be hard to beat. ) "Choosing To Run" confirmed everything I believed to be true about @des_linden. She's extremely intelligent, insanely tough- physically and mentally- and she holds loyalty, hard work and ethics in high regard and expects everyone within her circle to as well. I've always admired how she keeps her nose down and grinds. more
3. 5 stars And don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book. Even though I knew the outcome already, I was still on the edge of my seat. I couldn't get enough. She really set the stage for the Boston Marathon 2018 run. more
super quick and easy read/listen. des linden was a big name i knew from running competitively but not one whose story i heard in the media. really interesting memoir and im conflicted on my feelings. i admire her so much for everything that she went through and persevered through. i also really respect her for standing up for what she believes in, consequences and people’s feelings be damned. more
The book read more like a summary rather than a story. I didn’t mind that, but it wasn’t as motivational until the end when she got into the ultra running. I felt like the entire time she was trying to hide bitterness toward the running world. It could’ve been the audio book and how it was read. Even when she talked about winning Boston, it was like she wasn’t happy with winning. more
Really enjoyed that - easy to get into and kept me engaged. Love Des’s authenticity and irreverence - it’s refreshing in a space where people seem to take themselves entirely too seriously. Highly recommend. more
Oh boy, I did have to pace myself in reading this book. Very motivating as I start again on this marathon training journey. Got goosebumps when we got to the final mile of the Boston marathon 2018 journey. I remember what a wonderful race this was. And this book was a reflection of it. more
Hands down my favorite running book yet. I would have finished it in a single sitting if I didn’t have a one-year-old explorer in the house. So good. more
incredible story - give me all of the running memoirs. more
I love Des Linden. Great inspiration before a race. more
Libby audio. Narrated by the author. She does a good job narrating, especially for not being voice trained. Damn. This woman is fast. more
ups and downs of marathoning from one of the best to ever do it. I got chills listening to her race recaps. definitely should be on a runner must read list . more