Confessions of a Fat Marathoner

by Kristina Burkey

Running sucks. Take it from me.
Thin people think it sucks too but they don’t have an ass like mine or twin double-D’s to control.
My name is Kristina Burkey and this is my book. It started as my blog when I was training for the Boston Marathon in 2011. It became a grown-up book after I had crossed that most prestigious of finish lines and wondered to myself, “Well, NOW what?”
You see, most people take a few years to build up to a marathon. Boston was my fourth race EVER inside of 2 years. I guess I jumped ahead. So I went back. And I did my first 5k a year later. Then a 10k. Then I tried to get faster so I wasn’t always looking at everyone’s back or being followed by a giant bus ordered to pick up the people who can’t finish.
Confessions of a Fat Marathoner is my journey through a lifetime of being overweight and my decision to change my fate. In these pages I run, I eat, I complain. I learn about running, I push my fat body past its comfort zone (WAY past). I remove the limitations I was only putting on myself, and I dig around to try and find the reason why I was hanging onto the weight. Now don’t get all excited. This isn’t one of those books. I’m still fat. Sometimes there’s more to a journey like mine than just getting “fat to fit.”
Also, if you think this is another piece of inspirational fluff, think again. Along with all my stories about the weird crap (and occasional wild animal) I see while I’m on training runs and the odd people I meet, I will randomly go off on subjects like, “Why don’t they make exercise clothes for fat people? Don’t we need them the most?” and “Why are you snooty salesgirls so rude to me? So what if you think I can’t fit in your clothes? Are you or are you not still getting your paycheck?” and the unfortunate practice of prejudice.
Plus, there is the deliciously cringe-worthy subject of the truth about running. Every smelly, sweaty, steaming, gory, squishy, burning detail. It’s all here. You’re welcome. So grab your favorite snack, find a fresh, un-used Port-o-Potty, strap in and read my adventures. They say a journey of 1,000 miles (or 26.2) starts with a single step.
Here’s mine.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2013

Reviews

[Haizle The Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want to get anything from this review, let it be this: I would not recommend this book, but if you do read it, get it from the library or amazon unlimited.

I had high hopes for this book. I am a fatty who sometimes enjoys running, and was hoping for some insight and inspiration into training for my first half next year. Insight and inspiration is not what I got from this book.

First of all, Kristina Burkey thinks she's funny, when really she's just a jerk. I mean, she says it a lot in the book- "I know I sound like an asshole but"- there's no "but" about it lady. You can just stop the sentence right after asshole. She is so judgmental about everyone. It's not cute. It's not funny. It's annoying.

She has a lot of- other people look stupid, do stupid things, think stupid thoughts- until she does it. Then it's great. Other people look dumb doing planks so I just laugh at them in my head at the gym, but then it's my turn to do it, and it's really hard, so it's ok.

She also shames the rest of us who haven't done a marathon and then follows it up with something trite and annoying. She's like that annoying guy at work who says something like- "Should you be eating that cake? But hey, I heard you spin after work." It's none of your business dude. I didn't ask you for your judgement. But Burkey is like "Those losers only run a 5k. They won't get any marathon bling like me. But hey, it's better than sitting on the couch!" Heck, I didn't have a desire to do a marathon before I read the book, and now I really don't. Some people work pretty damn hard to run a 5k and she belittles it like it's nothing because *she* has run 26.2 miles.

The best part of the whole book is her last two sections. I wish the whole thing was her tips and tricks. That's what I thought the book was about. But no, it's about her whining because she doesn't train for her races and belittling other people.

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sense of humor actually cures more then people think. This is a great read for anyone who aspires to running who is not the picture perfect Nike Ad Model with a size 2 body and 32A breasts (that probably don't even need a sports bra anyway). This chick tells it like it is - or how she feels and experiences things. As someone who would like to run a 1/2 marathon next year I found it very inspiring and very realistic. She goes over the things you know you want to know and stuff you (trust me on this) want to know but you don't know you need to know. Capish? Funny story - the only thing that kept popping in the back of my head is that there was a bit of defensiveness every time weight came up - which is the whole point I do get it...but I felt the book was so much more than that. It really (deep down) is not about being a fat marathoner so much as it is a book for the rest of us who woke up one day or had a life episode that leads us to want to put on the shoes and venture forth into the night!

[Haritha]

Couldn't stand the rants and the complete lack of editing.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but towards the middle of it, the book needed to be done with. Confessions of a Fat Marathoner, could of easily been made into two books, which would of made sense. This book is about Kristina who is an over-weight runner who runs the Boston Marathon for a charity. This just goes to show you, a runner can be anyone and have any kind of body. That was the positives about the book. Now for the negatives....she whines a lot because she does not put in the time for training so naturally she is not going to be ready for her races and she makes fun of EVERYONE, but if someone makes fun of her weight, that is a no-no. Listen, what you put out in the world is what you get back. Do I think people should go around making fun a bigger people? No. If you are constantly judging and making fun of other people, what do you expect. A few times in the book she was funny, but mostly she was an immature person trying to run races without putting in the "work". This book could of been so much more, but sadly the author lacked substance and probably instead of writing a book, should of laced up her Brooks and hit the pavement.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star simply because I finished it. I don't rate books that I don't finish.

Why did I finish it?
Because it was about running and from the perspective of a regular runner.

Why did I dislike it?
The majority of the book was taken directly from her blog WITHOUT EDITING OR PROOFREADING. It's just not an enjoyable read, especially with many words completely missing. The first and last chapters are the best, so don't let a sample trick you like it did me.

The other reason has to do with the author's voice. She's not likable and comes across as mean. Much of the book is also whining. Again, just not an enjoyable read from this perspective either.

[Charlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

She's funny but the book isn't very good for my purposes. I'm looking for inspiration and/or tips--she's starting the book with a discussion of when she ran the Boston Marathon. Admirable? Yes. Interesting to me looking for a book about starting out running and dealing with running while fat? Nope. If I read the introduction right, most of the book is just straight from her blog and she's delightful but this isn't a good fit for me.

[Trisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

It should have stayed a blog, where I would have read it. My expectations were too high.

[Ida · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book solely because of all the bad reviews, thinking "it can't be that bad"...

It was that bad.

Bad writing, bad content, bad (non-existing?) editing, and, to be frank: the author comes off as a bad person. Which is strange since she could have portrayed herself in any way she would have liked.

There are many great books on running. I recommend you spend your money on those instead.

[Felicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like that this book was basically repurposed blog posts the author wrote rather than a book. Also her attitude toward other women who aren’t over weight is shit. I don’t care what size you or the other girl is. Girls should support other girls period.

[ASHLEIGH Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I loved loved loved reading this. She inspired me more than I can explain. I can't wait to keep up my running and set goals that are larger than I ever thought I could actually accomplish. Here's to a marathon in 2019

[Kim Stringfellow Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's ok.

Seemed a little condescending in places. If she didn't live in Boston and hadn't run the Boston Marathon I probably would have stopped reading.

[Pamela Parham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Read

I am glad I decided to read this. The author is candid about her running and she is very relatable to a lot of us.

[Paul Mashack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written and she comes off kinda bratty.

[Kristi Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Read

I enjoyed this one. The CrossFit talk in the last chapter has me hoping for a sequel. This fat marathoner highly recommends.

[Kate Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistically, this was more of a blog transcript than an actual book, but the summary says that it's from her blog so that's what I expected. It could have been made into a better "real" book if it were edited more and stitched together differently. Also, I knew ahead of time that this wasn't a "How To" book, but that it was one person's story. I'm currently at the beginning of training for a half marathon and have started reading running related books to psych myself up for it, rather than looking for a path to follow. A lot of what she had to say resonated with me, although she is definitely a little harsh and elitist (although she owns it, so for me I didn't mind it so much). I disagree with some of her opinions, but not to the point where it was distracting and she was pretty funny, so I found it an enjoyable read. I'd prefer to give it a 3.5 star rating, but I'd round it up to 4.

[Jenn Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely funny book about a woman's journey completing the Boston Marathon and running in general. It is not a "How to train for a marathon" book, so if that is what you are looking for, pick another book.

I am a runner and I do not have the typical runners body. I could relate to the author and laugh at/commiserate with her experiences and feel better about my own as I trained for my first half marathon. She talks about the realities of running, everything from the horrible chafing to the joy of purchasing a shiny new pair of sneakers and the feeling of crossing that finish line and getting the coveted medal.

It was a very light and quick read. I recommend it to all of my running friends

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, I really did. However, the author came off as a whiney bitch who complained non stop about being fat, a fat runner and well being fat. She had the nerve to piss and moan about working the water station with a guy she called Awkward Man. She said all he did was talk and talk and she wanted him to do was go away. Much like this book. I skimmed the last half and just wanted her to shut up and go away. I too am training to run a marathon and I do not share her thoughts on most of the points in her book. As a runner I do not recommend this book, the book by Jeff Galloway is much better and helpful.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most of this book, including several typos, was probably taken right from her blog. I say "probably" because I can't find her blog online, plus she didn't bother to change the tense or add transitions that would help create a cohesive story. Instead it comes off as multiple diary entries. Why did she take the blog down? So we would pay 6 bucks to buy the book/blog? I was shocked toward the end of the book/blog when she comments that a half marathon is "just" a half, and that nothing is as good as the marathon. Considering that most of her audience is likely composed of runners looking for inspiration, I thought those comments were insulting, and certainly not inspirational.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel that the book was (as the author admitted) just a re-hash of her blog and, as a result, the format of the book was blog-like. I think some editing could have really helped to take this book places. I value the subject matter and chose to read it because I was training for my first half-marathon. The author's sense of humor was great, and I appreciated it. However, I agree with what some other readers have said, which is that the book could have ended about 35% of the way through. I downloaded the book as a once-a-month freebie through Amazon Prime. I'm very glad that I did. Rough around the edges but worth a quick read perhaps.

[Leslie Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book--it gave me lots of insight into the experience of marathon running. I can run a mile...but this book made me wish I could do more. But I probably won't.

Of course the other half of this story is that the author is fat. She wishes to be thinner, and she's surprised that even after training for a marathon and running constantly for a couple of years, she's still fat. She spends time justifying it, but doesn't tackle her real problem, which is food addiction.

There was a lot of repetition which is why I gave it only 3 stars.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable! As a big gal myself, who has done some running and biking and triathlon-ing, I can attest to the truth of her training posts. I have never gotten past the 5K level, though, without my knees threatening to cut themselves off - or at least that's what my knee pains feel like. I congratulate the author not only on her sense of humor, but on her half-marathon and marathon completions. Wonderfully funny!

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I'm not fat and only a half marathoner, I could relate to the stresses and travails of training for a long distance run. Kristina's writing about her preparation for the Boston Marathon ensnared me, but after that her book was tedious and centered too much on her weight, shopping, and redundant training difficulties. Yes, I continued to chuckle in a few places, but this book should have been much shorter.

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I'm a jerk." She wrote in her book, and I have to agree. I picked up the book to be inspired to run, appreciating her ability to not let being overweight deter her from running. She is so judgmental and mean (and bible thumping too). So overall, a pretty lousy read. Look elsewhere for running inspiration.

[Amanda Abdallah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and...

Funny and...

Kristina made me laugh throughout the book. Her tail of running Boston had me in tears.
She is a bit scattered in her thoughts but I love it. I resonate with her on many levels. Maybe that is where the tears come from? I hope to run a marathon some day.

[Daree Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much--it truly was a diary of training for different races in Boston, including the Marathon. It also gives insight regarding running and being overweight. There is more to weight loss than just exercise or running, and the author explains with complete candor and humor that was very entertaining and relatable.

[Rachel Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

If it had stopped when she got to the Boston marathon it would probably be 4 stars. While I didn't agree with everything she said to that point, and it read a little too much "blog-like", it felt like there was a purpose and it was still inspirational. From after the race onward it just kept going downhill.

[Kimberly Mccargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I really enjoyed this book. it made me laugh and I felt connected to the writer through shared experiences being a runner. I hope she succeeds on her journey to better health.

[Christine Fagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some merit. I enjoyed the struggle, the heartaches and let downs during training. But her rants about sales clerks, or the awkward man (who was volunteering for a good cause with problems of his own), put me off. She was alternatingly self-conscious and smug.

[Jessica Abell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that was taken straight from a blog. I did enjoy rooting her on as she trained and completed her marathon but after that I had no more interest in what she was writing about. But it is encouraging to see her go! It gives me hope as I am in the beginning my own running journey.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an easy read and actually made me laugh out loud in some places because I could relate to her story. I miss running very much and look forward to getting back into it this summer. Bravo for something talking about the REAL side of running as a heavy girl.