Running through My Mind: Confessions of an Every Day Runner
In
2007 I compiled 100,000 miles worth of running education and experience into an
autobiography of sorts I titled Running
through My Mind: Confessions of an Every Day Runner. To be perfectly honest the original
subtitle was going to be A Quarter
Century of Thinking on My Feet (I do my best writing in my head while I’m
running), but when Dean Karnazes’ book Ultramarathon
Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner was published I couldn’t help but
make the change. I literally had run
every single day since November 30, 1978.
Besides, the book wasn’t quite ready after a quarter century of running. It took almost 29 years to finish writing my
first book, something I had dreamed about doing even before I started with my
consecutive-days running streak (I actually started running in the summer of
1978).
Here’s
a brief outline of the book, solely to pique your interest and subliminally get
you to check it out on Amazon.com (is it still subliminal if I spell it out for
you? Regardless: DO IT!):
- How I became a runner (in the nick of time, no less as I was on the doorstep of John Candy-Land).
- How running became an addiction/obsession (decide for yourself).
- Streak running (running every day, not running naked…although I did that, too).
- Running competitively (At least as competitively as a non-genetically gifted runner can be. Genetically-gifted I was not, but competitive I sure as hell was. As you might imagine, this was a very humbling time in my life.).
- My evolution into marathons and my love/hate affair with 26.2 miles that led to...
- My evolution into ultra marathons and my love/hate affair with 31 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles.
- The How and Why Book of Beating Bovines to the Finish Line (perhaps fiction, perhaps not).
- The formation and evolution of the Darkside Running Club.
- My running partners through the years, including my beloved black lab Magic who had a streak of her own for several years.
- The crown jewel of my running career, the 2003 Badwater Ultramarathon (a 135 mile race through Death Valley and over three mountain ranges).
- My few successes and many failures at trail running that led to my ‘forced retirement’ from running off road.
- The aches and pains I accumulated after 29 years and 105,000 miles of running.
- The statistics I accumulated after 29 years and 105,000 miles of running.
The
Foreword was written by my younger son Josh, a member of my crew at Badwater
and quite the runner in his childhood days.
The
cover photo is an oil painting Al Barker did for me after being inspired by
serving on my support crew as we ran across Death Valley. Al’s impressive work of art is titled
‘Badwater 2003’ and to this day is proudly displayed in the center of Cindy and
I’s bedroom as a constant reminder of our adventure in the summer of 2003.
The
author photo is of me running in the 2006 Shamrock Marathon in Virginia
Beach. This particular race meant a lot
to me as it started about 10 miles from my parents’ home in Chesapeake,
Virginia. My dad passed away less than a
month before this book was published. My
mom passed away 24 days later. My mom
had always encouraged me to write a book and I had high hopes she would hold a
copy of my book in her hands one day.
Ironically my author copy was delivered on the day I buried my mom. While she never had the chance to hold the
book in her hands, she took it with her to read in heaven.
As
for the reviews, here are two with diabolically opposed viewpoints of the
book. First the one written by the ‘good
cop:’
I was recommended this book
and I thought, "Great, ANOTHER running book. I hate books about running.
They're all the same. Run more, eat better, try this, try that."
But I was about to drive
down to Disney for a marathon, and thought at the very least I could flip
through it in the car, and maybe get a couple one-liners of inspiration.
Boy was I wrong.
I read the first half on the
way down, and the second half on the way back.
If you can appreciate dry
humor and benevolent sarcasm then this book is a real treat.
Scott Ludwig is that guy in
line behind you at the supermarket, who strikes up a conversation, and just
talks to you. He doesn't brag, he doesn't preach, he doesn't coach, he doesn't
teach. He just talks. In this case he was talking to me.
Everything everyone has said
is true. Take it to heart. This man is an incredible runner, a humorous writer,
and an interesting story teller.
Treat yourself, and let him
talk to you.
Now
for the one written by the ‘bad cop:’
An ultra runner with an
ultra ego.
While at times amusing and
entertaining, the author's primary goal is to remind the reader (over and over)
that he has run more miles, marathons, days in a row, etc., than anyone dumb
enough to purchase this book thinking they will get any solid running advice or
inspiration.
The scope of the author's
running career is exceeded only by his expectation that anyone cares.
If
you know me, you know I always do my very best to have the final word. In this particular case I had a few of
them.
I just read the 2-star
review (the reviewer gave it 2 out of 5 stars on Amazon) about my alleged
'ultra ego.' To be quite honest, I documented a lot of statistics more as a
historical reference point for generations to come--including my two sons and
at this time one grandson. I won't be around forever, but I wanted to make sure
I had a 'place in history,' whether the reader finds it significant or
less-than-significant. Personally, I'm proud of what I've done. In hindsight, I
wish I had placed all of the statistics in an appendix at the end of the book.
However, I was trying to beat a self-imposed deadline by finishing the book
before I lost my parents (they always wanted me to write a book). In a tragic
twist of fate, the book was published the day I had to tell my mother (who had
been in and out of a coma for three weeks) that my father--her husband had
passed away a couple weeks earlier. One week later my mother passed.
Ironically, I received the author copy of my first book in the mail the day of my
parents' joint funeral. I spoke at the ceremony, and the book was buried with
my mother. Sure, I would have liked to have more time to proof read the
manuscript a few more times, but I knew time was running out.
So, using the phrase 'ultra
ego' to describe me is far from the truth. Proud of what I've done? Yes.
Egotistical? Not in the least. There are many runners all over the world who's
numbers, performances, etc. dwarf anything I've ever done, or anything I've
even THOUGHT about doing, for that matter. I know that, and I talk about that
in the book.
At least the book wasn't
rated as a one-star...
I
have to think this particular person merely flipped through the book. Had he actually read it, he would see that he
missed my point entirely. It’s times
like this that I have to remember that opinions are like a**holes: everyone has
one.
Read
the book, and then judge for yourself.
The
cover is a sculpture, ‘Marathon Man’ made by the amazing Bobbi Gibb, the first
woman to run the Boston Marathon. The
author photo is of my dad and I taken at my parents’ surprise 50th
anniversary party in 2002; it is the best—and last photo of the two of us ever
taken.
A Passion for Running: Portraits of the Every Day Runner
In
2009 my second book A Passion for Running: Portraits of the Everyday Runner was
published. The book chronicles the
amazing stories of 18 runners I had grown to know, respect and admire during my
first three decades in the sport. Each
of them has their own unique story to tell: how running became a part of their
lives; their individual approaches to the physical, psychological and emotional
demands of running; and their special advice and insight into the sport. Among those you will meet are Bobbi, the
first woman to run the Boston Marathon during a time when ‘women weren’t
capable of running more than 1 ½ miles’ and Lloyd, a beginning runner at age 59
and holder of various age group records once he reached the ages of 70, 75, 80
and 85.
Some
other people you’ll meet in this book include:
- Anne, a couch potato at 40 and 100-mile runner a little over a decade later.
- Elizabeth, legally blind yet regularly completing runs of 50 and 100 miles (the latter with the assistance and guidance of her husband Jeff, also a very fine runner).
- Kelly, who was first across the finish line in the first four 50-kilometer races she ever ran.
- Janice, the holder of countless ultra running records and a major player in the promotion in the world of long distance running.
- Sarah, the overall winner of the 2007 Arrowhead 135-mile race in frigid International Falls, Minnesota.
- Bob, setting age group records well into his 50’s with no apparent signs of slowing down anytime soon.
- Gary, a good friend who was on my crew at Badwater in 2003 and just so happens to be one very talented runner, race director, writer and spokesperson for the sport of running.
- Jerry, who ran 200 marathons in the year 2000 due to a momentary lapse in judgment…and because he was talented enough to do it.
- Al, the only man I know with a sub-five minute mile, a sub-three hour marathon, 100 lifetime marathons and a 100-mile run finish in less than 24 hours.
The
book is dedicated ‘To mom and dad, who worried I might run with the wrong
crowd. I didn’t.’
The Foreword was written by Al Barker, who happens to be not only Chapter 18, but my closest running partner and friend and the person responsible for the title of the book.
I
always referred to my first book as a labor of love. This book was a labor of passion. It was my great honor writing about some true-to-life
heroes and ambassador of our sport.
As
for reviews, I’m proud to report every one I’ve seen has been favorable. Here’s one intended to get you back on
Amazon.com real soon:
As I browse the
shelves of my local bookstore I see maybe 50 books on running. Amazingly, the
vast majority are the typical 'how to' books. How to run your fastest 5K.
Fastest marathon. Speed work, long runs, intervals. They all seem to want to tell
us how to be better at our sport, but have you ever noticed that they never
seem to agree on anything? There's got to be something more interesting on the
subject of running.
Well, it's here.
The author has found a fresh new approach. Eighteen runners are profiled, a
chapter devoted to each one of them. An equal mixture of men and women, each
one has a unique story to tell. What's it like to be the first woman to finish
the Boston Marathon? Or to be the first legally blind woman to finish a 100-mile
ultra? These are stories of real passion, a quality that each one of them
shares. The chapters include background information as well as little vignettes
written by both the subjects and the author. They are very personal accounts--
glimpses into the lives and minds of some very interesting people.
Most readers
will discover that these subjects are just ordinary folks. Many will say
"Hey, I could be like they are if I tried." Inspiration at its best!
The
book ends with chapters devoted to four people who were very close to me and
had recently crossed the Eternal Finish Line:
Betty Mae Burrell (in a chapter titled ‘Heaven’s Aid Station,’ a testamonial
one of the greatest volunteers ultra running has ever known), Bill McBride (‘Life
in the Fast Lane,’ a tribute to one of my very first mentors in running), my
dad (‘Running at Altitude,’ describing how I felt when I lost the man who
raised me) and my mom (‘Lifelines and Deadlines,’ chronicling my rush to publish
my first book so my mom would be able to hold it in her hands before she was
gone).
If
you’re looking for a book to inspire you to run, this would be it. I know 18 people who have my back on this
one.
You
should get to know them.
A Few Degrees from Hell: White Hot Tales from the Badwater Ultramarathon
My
third book, A Few Degrees from Hell: The
2003 Badwater Ultramarathon was published in 2010. Badwater, as it is known in the world of
ultra running is touted as ‘the toughest footrace on the planet.’ The book chronicles the stories of 25 runners
who competed in arguably the absolute toughest Badwater ever as they faced
covering the 135 miles between Badwater and the portals of Mount Whitney. Their journeys would take them through the
hostile environment of Death Valley and subjecting them to temperatures ranking
among the highest ever recorded on earth.
Defending
champion Pam Reed, Dean Karnazes, Badwater legend Marshall Ulrich and 22 other
competitors (including yours truly) tell of their adventures and experiences
which included tales of heat exhaustion, dehydration, nausea, blisters,
hallucinations, fatigue and ultimately success…or in some cases failure.
The
rights to the book were acquired by Meyer and Meyer Publishing (they are
responsible for the long line of books by Jeff Galloway) in 2013 and
republished under the title A Few Degrees
from Hell: White Hot Tales from the Badwater Ultramarathon.
The
book is dedicated ‘For those with the passion to pursue their dreams…’
I
was honored to have the Foreword written by Al Arnold, the first person to
successfully trek from Badwater, Death Valley (the lowest point in the Western
Hemisphere) to Mount Whitney Summit (the highest elevation in the contiguous
United States), a route covering 200 miles with a total vertical elevation of
25,000 feet. His journey took 84
hours. In 2002 Al Arnold was the first
inductee in the Badwater Hall of Fame.
The
cover of the book was a photograph of fellow Badwater competitor Luis Escobar
running through the desert with Mount Whitney in the distance.
The
author photo was me wearing a Florida Gator blue polo shirt standing next to my
Florida Gator blue truck that once belonged to my dad. On the back window is an oval ‘134.4’ decal,
representing the actual distance in miles of the Badwater Ultramarathon. I had several made just for the occasion and
have sent one to every Badwater finisher from the southeastern United States
since 2004.
Another
book with favorable reviews, here’s one to give you an idea as to what’s in
store:
I could not put this book
down and consider it one of the best books I've read to date. I am struggling
to find other books on running that are as engaging as this one. This book had
me totally inspired and motivated to put on my shoes and run... not to the
extent that these people do, but it was so interesting getting an insight into the
mindset of such mentally strong athletes. I am shortly heading off on a trip to
the States and Death Valley is one of the places I have decided to visit and
stay thanks to this book. On the top of my to-do list during my visit is to run
a few miles of Badwater!
See
you all in Death Valley real soon!
The author photos: me finishing one of my all-time favorite races, the Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic and Vanessa pausing for the camera during a run on one of her favorite trails on Ruffner Mountain.
In It for the Long Run: A Decade with the Darkside Running Club
My
fourth book, co-authored with the talented Vanessa Stroud of Birmingham,
Alabama was published in 2012. In It for the Long Run: A Decade with the
Darkside Running Club is a history
of the club founded in 2002 by Al Barker and myself.
As
Vanessa so eloquently states on the back cover, the Darkside Running Club ‘is a
place where runners meet to express their love for distance running and
camaraderie by spending countless hours and miles committed to doing what they
enjoy most. They share a singular focus
towards achieving goals far off in the distance, both literally and
figuratively. With their dedication and
commitment you may believe the Darksider to be a professional athlete, or
perhaps an Olympian. But you would be
wrong: they are simply ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the sport
they love: running.’
The
book chronicles the history of the club: how it came to be, the guiding
principles and the absolute no-no’s for membership. Also included is a history of the club’s
annual events (Peachtree City 50/25K, Darkside 8-Hour Run and the Free Marathon
Series) and annual awards (Best in Performance, Mama Betty and Forever Young
for the outstanding runner, volunteer and over-50 runner of the year).
The
first decade of the club is detailed by the members themselves, discussing in
their own words their running adventures and experiences that any runner would appreciate
and enjoy, including: the Boston Marathon, the JFK 50-Miler, the Western States
Endurance Run, the Badwater Ultramarathon, Across the Years 72-Hour Run and the
Comrades Marathon, to name a few.
The
cover of the book is a drawing by 10-year old Nathanial Yang, a talented
illustrator and the son of a former work colleague of mine, Yenny
Darmajaya.
The author photos: me finishing one of my all-time favorite races, the Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic and Vanessa pausing for the camera during a run on one of her favorite trails on Ruffner Mountain.
The
book offers two Forewords, one by me and one by Vanessa…the way God intended.
The
book is dedicated ‘For Angela Ivory, running’s number one ambassador’ (Angela
lost her battle with breast cancer in 2012).
‘Her (Angela’s) smile will be missed on the roads and trails, but her
spirit will always be in our hearts.’
The
reviews have been very positive and supportive, such as this one:
I've ordered and
read all of Scott's books and I've gotta say I'm tremendously satisfied with
all his work. He (and in this case, Vanessa) is a friendly, down to earth
writer that really brings to life the positive side to running, and manages to
motivate you to get out the door for another few miles. In this book,
specifically, you can feel the camaraderie, humor and good vibes that must
reign in the Darkside running club, the group of adventurers that make up the
bulk of the stories. I'm sure you'll like them (as I did) regardless of your
running ability. Make sure you check out this streak runner's other titles too,
he's a man that loves and lives the sport!
I encourage you to cross over
to the Darkside. You won’t be sorry.
But if you are, it might be
the best ‘sorry’ you’ve ever felt.
Distance Memories: Reflections of a Life on the Run
My fifth book, Distance Memories: Reflections of a Life on
the Run was published in 2013. If I
had to categorize it I would call it a memoir, as it is a compilation of the
experience, wisdom and insight gained from running for almost 35 years and
running more than 130,000 miles. My wife
Cindy calls it my best work yet, which I find a bit of a stretch seeing how
she’s only read my first book and half of my second.
But having written all five
books and proofreading them all several times, I’m inclined to agree with
her. I essentially bare my heart and
soul in this book, making sure I acknowledge just how much running has meant to
me in my life, and taking the time to explain how.
Some of the chapters include
my life in Gainesville, Florida as a college student, a newlywed and ultimately
a runner; the impact that Virginia Beach had on my life; how turning 50 changed
me physically, mentally and psychologically; and how completing my lifetime
bucket list of running events literally became a matter of life and death. Virtually a lifetime of running memories is captured within the covers of the book.
The cover of the book is me
running in Garmisch, Germany in the fall of 2011 while vacationing with Cindy
and our good friends Chuck and Jan. I
was out for an early morning run through the countryside and was carrying my
camera with me—just in case. Well, ‘just
in case’ happened when I was enjoying what I consider my ‘rave run’ when I met
up with a small German lady on a bicycle.
She couldn’t speak a word of English but she did understand my nonverbal
cues as to what I was asking of her…and she took the most magnificent
photograph I could have ever dreamed of.
The author photo was taken
during that same run. I stopped to take
a photo of myself in the countryside with the cows in the background when, just
as I snapped the photo a cow head-butted me in my side, resulting in the what-the-hell expression on my
face.
I wrote the Foreword; I believed
it to be appropriate as this may well be the last book I write about my
personal experiences as a runner.
The book is dedicated ‘To
Cindy, who has been with me every step of the way.’ If you’ve read any (or all!) of my books, I
know you understand.
The early reviews have been
favorable, including this one:
This is not only
the best book By Scott Ludwig of his Fantastic Five, but it's also the best book
about running I've ever read! This is my 37th year of running and my 60th year of
reading! One of the best of the bountiful reasons is the way that he
"speaks" directly to the reader! It's as if he was simply chatting
away while the two of you were removing shoes after a lovingly long run! Enjoy that
chat!
Comments
like this are the reason I write. I don’t
intend to stop anytime soon.
My Life: Everything but BUY THE BOOK!
Last year I
had the idea of recording the best and the worst things that happened to me
every day for an entire calendar year.
‘If I’m going to be writing every day,’ I thought, ‘why not simply WRITE
EVERY DAY?’ So I’ve been doing just
that, every day since January 1, 2013.
The first 181 days (chapters) that conclude on June 30 are featured in My Life: Everything but BUY THE BOOK! (Part
1 of 2). Part 2 or 2 will follow
along about six months from now and feature the final 184 days of the
year.
‘So,’
you’re wondering to yourself, ‘what on earth could the book possibly be about?’
I’m glad
you asked.
Every day
features a small vignette of what ran
through my mind on that particular day.
It could be based on a real event: something that happened to me
personally, or someone close to me, or something on a national level and
occasionally even on an international level.
It could be based on something that happened on that particular day in
my life or in some cases, history. It
could be something that made me laugh, or inspired or excited me, or motivated
me or frustrated me and in some cases, what pi*ed me off. Whatever the case may be I thought it worthy
to put it down on paper.
*I use the word ‘vignette’ to describe a chapter because even if you
don’t appreciate it’s literary use, it also sounds like a French pastry and
just might appeal to a potential reader
on another level.
I’ve given
out a few copies of the book to test the waters, so to speak. From what I’ve gotten back from the members
of my test audience, they all agree on one thing: The book is a real
page-turner. Each chapter, ranging in
length from one to three pages is just the right length when you’ve got a few
minutes to spare. Whether it be with
your morning coffee, during your ‘morning ritual’ or right before you turn off
your bedside reading light and call it a day, the book is just what you need
for those few minutes of ‘me time.’
Each
vignette has a purpose. It might be to
touch your heart. It might be to get
your blood boiling. In most cases it’s
simply to put a smile on your face.
If you’ve
been enjoying the blogs found on www.scottludwigrunsandwrites.blogspot.com,
I feel comfortable saying you’ll enjoy this book.
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