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The Fat Girls' Guide to Marathon Running
Thinking about running your first marathon? Or maybe you already have a place for an upcoming race and are now wondering what the hell you have done. And ladies, if you are carrying some extra weight and don't look or feel much like a marathon runner right now, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed by the wealth of marathon training advice out there...none of which seems relevant for you.
DO NOT PANIC!!!! You have plenty of time to get yourself organised and prepared for the biggest adventure of your life....and plus size marathon runner and life coach Julie Creffield will walk you through every stage of the process with her unique mix of humour, realism and practicality.Covering everything from chesticle chaffing, to mingeries...swamp arse, to blister popping.
This book goes where no other book dares to go, with its warts and all account of training as a larger lady.Julie committed to running her first marathon back in 2005 weighing in at 20 stone and unable to run to the top of her road. She has gone on to run 4 marathons, a 40 mile ultra marathon and hundreds of other races as well as inspiring and coaching thousands of women around the world to survive and thrive in the world of long distance running.
As the creator of the award winning blog The Fat Girls Guide to Running she has transformed the landscape of plus size running, and has worked closely as a coach with more than 100 women to help them train for their first ever marathon. She knows the kind of doubts that women have about their own abilities, and the complexity of marathon training while working and raising a family. Many of the marathon training books out there are great in an ideal world, but let's face it, how many of us live in that ideal world.
This is a marathon book for those of us in the real world...and you won't find a more honest account of what preparing for and completing your first marathon feels like.
The book will cover everything from
- Deciding if the distance is even for you
- Securing your race place
- Reviewing your habits and deciding your approach
- Creating a robust and doable plan
- The types of running sessions you need to include
- How to get rid of the negative voices in your head
- Avoiding injury
- Fuelling your marathon journey
- Building your support team
- What to expect on race day
- How to deal with the aftermath...and what to do with your medal
This book will give you the confidence, know how and common sense to see you through what is sure to be some of the toughest months of training you will ever do. It will also help you see that so many of the skills and behaviours you pick up during marathon training are applicable to other areas of your life too.
If you want to get to the start line and the finish line in one piece...this is the book for you.
DO NOT PANIC!!!! You have plenty of time to get yourself organised and prepared for the biggest adventure of your life....and plus size marathon runner and life coach Julie Creffield will walk you through every stage of the process with her unique mix of humour, realism and practicality.Covering everything from chesticle chaffing, to mingeries...swamp arse, to blister popping.
This book goes where no other book dares to go, with its warts and all account of training as a larger lady.Julie committed to running her first marathon back in 2005 weighing in at 20 stone and unable to run to the top of her road. She has gone on to run 4 marathons, a 40 mile ultra marathon and hundreds of other races as well as inspiring and coaching thousands of women around the world to survive and thrive in the world of long distance running.
As the creator of the award winning blog The Fat Girls Guide to Running she has transformed the landscape of plus size running, and has worked closely as a coach with more than 100 women to help them train for their first ever marathon. She knows the kind of doubts that women have about their own abilities, and the complexity of marathon training while working and raising a family. Many of the marathon training books out there are great in an ideal world, but let's face it, how many of us live in that ideal world.
This is a marathon book for those of us in the real world...and you won't find a more honest account of what preparing for and completing your first marathon feels like.
The book will cover everything from
- Deciding if the distance is even for you
- Securing your race place
- Reviewing your habits and deciding your approach
- Creating a robust and doable plan
- The types of running sessions you need to include
- How to get rid of the negative voices in your head
- Avoiding injury
- Fuelling your marathon journey
- Building your support team
- What to expect on race day
- How to deal with the aftermath...and what to do with your medal
This book will give you the confidence, know how and common sense to see you through what is sure to be some of the toughest months of training you will ever do. It will also help you see that so many of the skills and behaviours you pick up during marathon training are applicable to other areas of your life too.
If you want to get to the start line and the finish line in one piece...this is the book for you.
166 pages, Paperback
Published October 25, 2017
179 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 2, 2023
2.5* the lack of proof reading and constant errors got very annoying!
October 30, 2019
Great motivation!
I’ve wanted to run a marathon for years and years and have always given up. This book helped me understand that even I, the life long far girl Can and will run. It provides practical advice and relatable experiences that help me think differently about my approach to training. I haven’t started yet, but am looking forward to applying the lessons in this guide when I do!
I’ve wanted to run a marathon for years and years and have always given up. This book helped me understand that even I, the life long far girl Can and will run. It provides practical advice and relatable experiences that help me think differently about my approach to training. I haven’t started yet, but am looking forward to applying the lessons in this guide when I do!
June 9, 2020
As other reviews have pointed out, the book is horrendously littered with punctuation and spelling mistakes. I was quite taken aback when at the end of the book the author says "I forget, I'm a writer, this is what I do". Wow, if she'd said "I'm not a writer" I'd be able to forgive some of the badly written paragraphs and terribly cliched motivational speeches!
That aside, there are some good tips on running plans and race etiquette etc. Can't say that there is anything monumentally mind blowing in regards to being a fat girl running - surely you already know about chafeing etc?? - but I have come away from it with some ideas of how to make runs easier to get through
That aside, there are some good tips on running plans and race etiquette etc. Can't say that there is anything monumentally mind blowing in regards to being a fat girl running - surely you already know about chafeing etc?? - but I have come away from it with some ideas of how to make runs easier to get through
February 15, 2018
A friend posted about this and the title caught my attention. That it was in Kindle Unlimited sealed the deal. Although I have no intention of doing a marathon, nor am I as large as she is, I found this a helpful read. It's more story telling and anecdotal than how do, which is nice. She's right: there's no universal advice. This is good mix of food, training advice. Main issue: she admits late in the book that she'd written this three weeks before it went on sale, and it shows. Lots of typos. Still overall enjoyed
November 25, 2022
I loved this book! Truthful and motivating, it feels like a long blog rather than a book so you have to be a bit forgiving of the writing style in places, however it gave me genuine guidance and support whilst striking the perfect balance of mushy and inspirational. It makes you feel proud of yourself before you’ve even run the marathon, teaches you about things I did not even know when training, but more importantly pushes you forward. Every time I finished a section I felt the urge to go for a run
April 7, 2019
This book is a nice short guide to marathon running. The best parts of the whole book is her own history. How she came to running, what she expirienced and what races she did and what where the positive and negative points of those.
I was pumped after I read it and I decided on doing a marathon. So I think that is already a nice point. But I thought she often doesn't go into the depth I would expect of a guide like this.
I was pumped after I read it and I decided on doing a marathon. So I think that is already a nice point. But I thought she often doesn't go into the depth I would expect of a guide like this.
February 22, 2019
At this point in the year I am ready to do something in an attempt to get fitter and not fatter. Despite having no immediate goals to run a Marathon I do want to try the couch to 5K programme and thought this might pass on some tips for a plus size girl who wants to run. I found it funny, inspiring and down to earth
June 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this book, lots of practical advice for us mortals (the 1st running book I opened spoke about our washboard stomachs and lean legs, ummmm I don't have those....) I only knocked a star off for the typos and grammar, it was a bit distracting. Julie has still inspired me to aim higher with my running though!
November 8, 2019
Highly recommend!
I’ve just finished the fat girls guide to marathon running and it’s the best book I’ve read on running! I’m a slow runner and I find all the plans, books and articles etc that I’ve read since getting a London Ballot space have left me feeling lost and the target unachievable - until now!
I’ve just finished the fat girls guide to marathon running and it’s the best book I’ve read on running! I’m a slow runner and I find all the plans, books and articles etc that I’ve read since getting a London Ballot space have left me feeling lost and the target unachievable - until now!
January 19, 2020
This book has a lot of good information from someone who has actually gone through it. Still not convinced that I want to run a marathon, but at least I have a solid foundation to start from, should I choose to do so.
February 2, 2020
I read this book as I am planning on doing just this. It is a really good read. written for a lady who isn't totally athletic.
It was great, made me feel that it was achievable, however it was still going to be a lot of hard work.
I've recommended it to a number of my running friends.
It was great, made me feel that it was achievable, however it was still going to be a lot of hard work.
I've recommended it to a number of my running friends.
January 14, 2022
Inspiring :)
I feel more empowered than ever to continue my running training. A lot of the principles the author discusses in the book are specific to Marathon training, but just as many apply to becoming a runner at any distance.
I feel more empowered than ever to continue my running training. A lot of the principles the author discusses in the book are specific to Marathon training, but just as many apply to becoming a runner at any distance.
November 27, 2024
One would think the numerous errors would have been fixed the second time through...also the repeated stories...and the overall negative "feel" of the book was off-putting. The book felt "thrown together."
May 16, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Being new to running myself it was lovely to read another larger lady’s story!
January 8, 2020
Amazing
An inspirational and honest read. Loved this book and I feel ready to take on the London marathon this year
An inspirational and honest read. Loved this book and I feel ready to take on the London marathon this year
May 8, 2020
This is a cool book. Very motivational,...down to earth and real.
January 3, 2021
Ok. But if you want to run a marathon, likely you should consult a professional.
This is a memoir of sorts.
This is a memoir of sorts.
February 9, 2021
motivating whatever size runner you are
February 9, 2024
AMAZING!!
I dont even know how this book got to my kindle! But whoever done that thank you so much!! Running london in April and this has helped my motivation soooo much!! So good!!
I dont even know how this book got to my kindle! But whoever done that thank you so much!! Running london in April and this has helped my motivation soooo much!! So good!!
April 8, 2024
This book was fine, the spelling mistakes were rather distracting. And there was some ED content that should’ve had a trigger warning
March 26, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ - as a once fat runner myself, and still a bit of a slower runner - this book was much more inclusive for me than many others I had read which I greatly appreciated.
August 22, 2025
inspirational 🌟👏
April 22, 2024
This is a great book to read if you are a fat girl planning on starting your running journey. Specifically the section about things that no one will tell you is pertinent. I thought that the anecdotes were relatable and funny and I appreciated the candour.
December 28, 2017
A fantastic, honest view of training for and running races with a plus size body. The writing is so honest and funny it's like having a chat with your best friend; your best friend who can help you get the best out of those 26.2 miles and turn it into the most positive and rewarding experience. A great read for anyone feeling inspired to run a distance or anyone who thinks they'll never make it past the first 26.2 seconds!
August 5, 2020
I loved the spirit of this book. Super inspiring, funny and relatable. Lots of grammatical and spelling errors, but hey, that happens. This motivated me to start jogging, and gave plenty of good tips.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews