It’s about the lessons she learned from her parents and coaches and herself during hard times over the years that helped her seize the opportunity that April day five years ago. But the book is about much more than that.

In her new memoir “ Choosing To Run,” she offers a mile-by-mile account of her historic victory. She kept coming back to Boston and won the race in 2018, in what was basically a monsoon. To see an American woman contending in the final miles when none had won the race since 1985 was newsworthy. For all readers, it grants a peek at what goes into building that endurance.I must admit Des Linden (then-Des Davila) wasn’t on my radar when she ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2007, but she sure was after finishing second by just two seconds four years later in 2011. The challenges she meets along the way include when she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a potentially fatal condition that nearly derailed her distance running career.įor seasoned runners and beginners alike, Linden’s book offers plenty of inspiration about the power of endurance in the face of obstacles. Sprinkled throughout the book are passages from the songs that helped keep Linden going throughout her journey.Īlong the way, she provides a fascinating look at the training and culture of professional running. She offers a look at the grueling conditions that distance runners face as they prepare for such races, from injuries to unbearable weather conditions. Her memoir alternates between vivid descriptions of running the famed point-to-point Boston Marathon route in 2018 and her upbringing as a runner. “My typical meticulous checklist was down to one item: survive,” she writes. Linden starts her book describing an all-familiar place for anyone who’s completed or attempted a marathon: the dreaded 22-mile mark when many runners hit the “wall” of the race, where their training is tested by the exhaustion of running that many miles. Preparing for running those 26.2 miles is also absolute torture for anyone who tries it.ĭes Linden captures that sentiment perfectly in her memoir, “Choosing To Run,” as she chronicles the winding road that led to her winning the Boston Marathon in 2018 - the first American woman to do so in 33 years. Running a marathon is a remarkable achievement for any runner, no matter the skill level or pace. “Choosing To Run,” by Des Linden (Dutton)

Choosing to run des linden