Why On Track? Part 2

Yesterday, I shared some of the ideas and events that led to writing my first book, On Track: Life Lessons from the Track & Field.

To continue the topic, I’m sharing the introduction to the book today.  I think it provides explains why I wrote On Track, and I think it will also explain why I think you should read it and share it with your friends.

Here goes:

I haven’t always been a runner.

In fact, there were many moments when I utterly despised running.

Somewhere between college and my early thirties, I discovered running, or maybe it discovered me. I began pounding a couple of miles at a time around my neighborhood after I came home from work one night and realized I was starting to develop a bulge around my midsection. My love for food and my slowing metabolism had to be counterbalanced, and running seemed like the natural cure.

Despite running cross country for a season in high school, along with a season of winter track, I was not a confident runner. Now in my thirties, I jogged around my neighborhood trying to go as fast as I could for as long as I could. I ended up running two or three miles, and I was done.

Then a good friend of mine invited me to join him in preparing for a half marathon. This was an utterly crazy idea in my opinion, but somehow he convinced me to join him on a nine-mile training run one Saturday morning. I had never run this far in my life. This nine-mile run flipped a switch in me. I suddenly wanted to run more. I was now looking forward to running the half marathon with my friend.

Writing has been a similar journey for me. I wasn’t a bad writer in high school. In fact, I somehow managed to survive four years of high school honors English. But my first love was always math and science. These two subjects pushed me into the world of engineering.

I wrote several papers in college as a requirement for classes, but writing was not something I considered fun. I graduated and entered the real world of construction and engineering, where I stayed away from long writing assignments unless absolutely necessary.

And then another good friend introduced me to the world of blogging. He helped me set up my first blog, and I was off and running (I mean writing).

Blogging, like running, became a refuge from the demands of work and raising a family. It became a place for me to reflect on life’s stretching moments and to stretch readers. As the years went along and the blog posts began to pile up, I began to receive encouragement and confirmation that my writing was connecting with readers.

My blogging took me down roads I never imagined. I’ve written about life from many different angles. Somewhere along the road my interest in running, my interest in writing, and my faith started to intersect.

This book is the product of this intersection.

This book isn’t just for the runner or athlete. I believe it provides practical life lessons we all can embrace.

If you’re stuck in a rut or need a little guidance in finding your way, I’m hoping this book will help you get On Track!

Let’s get started!

If you have read On Track, I hope you’ll leave a review on Amazon, and let me know what you think right here in the comments.  If you haven’t read the book yet, click the link below to purchase the book at Amazon, or pick up a digital copy for FREE by subscribing to the Stretched Newsletter.

Thanks!