Runner biographies: Kara Goucher got me thinking

runn wrote:

samcallan wrote:

Kara Goucher has a book coming out. I have met Kara a couple of times. Seems nice enough. Her accomplishments are certainly impressive.

At the same time, nothing of what I know about her (or almost any other elite runner) would compel me to buy a biography on any of them. Aside from her medals she is mostly known for being part of the Salazar scandal. A scandal that is pretty well documented already.

In thinking on this, I was trying to think of the runners whose lives I think are interesting enough to warrant a book. I came up with Roger Bannister, Billy Mills, and Louie Zamperini. I have had the great luck to have met all three although I cannot say I spent a ton of time with any. Bannister is interesting in part because he was the first to do something, but to me it was what he did after and even the idea of being in medical school (and doing some research that interests me while there) is part of the appeal. I will say Perfect Mile to me is a great read but I also did not see enough about Santee or Landy to warrant a book just about as individuals.)

Mills gets in for his being a Native American. I almost added Jim Thorpe, but I do not think of his as a "runner". Track athlete yes (and the greatest American athlete of the 20th century in my book).

Zamperini---my fondness for him cannot be measured. But my interest in him is more because of his experience in WW2 and also the life he led after more than his track accomplishments. If WW2 never happens and Zamperini goes on to win a lot of medals and maybe set some WRs, I don't think I would be interested in an entire book on him.

Again, I enjoy reading about runners. A chapter in a book or a long form article about an individual runner, but a book? Not many are going to reach that threshold for me.

As soon as I hit "Create thread" I will probably think of another runner or two who might fit the bill for me.

Anyone come to mind for you? And this needs to be someone well known and regarded as a runner, not a well known person who runs.

Runner's World (when it was a real running magazine) used to have Biographies come out every once in a while in their Booklet of the Month Series. I remember reading one about Jack Foster and I Ernst Van Auken. Maybe Percy Cerruty?

You'd have to be pretty old to remember these. I'm 64 and I was in middle school at the time.

They were short and inexpensive. Excellent reads. I lost them and every RW magazine from when it first started as Distance Running News in a basement flood.

ioane wrote:

Aouita 84 wrote:

Yep!

It amazes me that someone and or some people actually suggested to Kara that she should write a book. That being said, maybe there's a story and or "Hook" in this book that is appealing. If so, I haven't heard about it. If someone suggested to me to write a book about myself, I would have to SERIOUSLY consider why. How will my story impact someone's life. There needs to be a message, a plot, something that goes beyond the obvious subject matter (Pro Runner).

Again, Kara doesn't know when to shut up and stop seeking the spotlight.

I completely disagree with this. Unlike Lauren Freshman, Kara actually WAS at the center of some serious controversies and I believe she has a lot of story to tell and wisdom to pass on.

Maybe I had been living under a rock but I was completely in shock in 2015 when she came out against Salazar. She gave no indication that there was any issue before. To go from America's Running Sweetheart to whistleblower is quite a transition, and I think it warrants a story.

I think there's a lot of stories she can tell about the pro running world from the inside since she's started just as it was building up.

Also be careful about the "she doesn't know when to shut up" dreck. There are a lot of running influencers and attention seekers out there, but Kara is a bona fide runner. Ask yourself some critical questions before tossing that out there. Are you mad that it's someone who craves attention or are you mad that it's a woman saying something you disagree with?

ioane wrote:

ioane wrote:

I completely disagree with this. Unlike Lauren Freshman, Kara actually WAS at the center of some serious controversies and I believe she has a lot of story to tell and wisdom to pass on.

Maybe I had been living under a rock but I was completely in shock in 2015 when she came out against Salazar. She gave no indication that there was any issue before. To go from America's Running Sweetheart to whistleblower is quite a transition, and I think it warrants a story.

I think there's a lot of stories she can tell about the pro running world from the inside since she's started just as it was building up.

Also be careful about the "she doesn't know when to shut up" dreck. There are a lot of running influencers and attention seekers out there, but Kara is a bona fide runner. Ask yourself some critical questions before tossing that out there. Are you mad that it's someone who craves attention or are you mad that it's a woman saying something you disagree with?

one more thing to add to dismiss, "Kara is an attention seeker"

Kara doesn't always do things I agree with, but keep in mind not only was she a successful pro American distance runner, she is also continuing to have a successful career as an announcer. A lot of influencers get criticism for just taking stupid pictures and trying to gain attention that way, but Kara actually has a job.

samcallan wrote:

Kara Goucher has a book coming out. I have met Kara a couple of times. Seems nice enough. Her accomplishments are certainly impressive.

At the same time, nothing of what I know about her (or almost any other elite runner) would compel me to buy a biography on any of them. Aside from her medals she is mostly known for being part of the Salazar scandal. A scandal that is pretty well documented already.

In thinking on this, I was trying to think of the runners whose lives I think are interesting enough to warrant a book. I came up with Roger Bannister, Billy Mills, and Louie Zamperini. I have had the great luck to have met all three although I cannot say I spent a ton of time with any. Bannister is interesting in part because he was the first to do something, but to me it was what he did after and even the idea of being in medical school (and doing some research that interests me while there) is part of the appeal. I will say Perfect Mile to me is a great read but I also did not see enough about Santee or Landy to warrant a book just about as individuals.)

Mills gets in for his being a Native American. I almost added Jim Thorpe, but I do not think of his as a "runner". Track athlete yes (and the greatest American athlete of the 20th century in my book).

Zamperini---my fondness for him cannot be measured. But my interest in him is more because of his experience in WW2 and also the life he led after more than his track accomplishments. If WW2 never happens and Zamperini goes on to win a lot of medals and maybe set some WRs, I don't think I would be interested in an entire book on him.

Again, I enjoy reading about runners. A chapter in a book or a long form article about an individual runner, but a book? Not many are going to reach that threshold for me.

As soon as I hit "Create thread" I will probably think of another runner or two who might fit the bill for me.

Anyone come to mind for you? And this needs to be someone well known and regarded as a runner, not a well known person who runs.

samcallan wrote:

Kara Goucher has a book coming out. I have met Kara a couple of times. Seems nice enough. Her accomplishments are certainly impressive.

At the same time, nothing of what I know about her (or almost any other elite runner) would compel me to buy a biography on any of them. Aside from her medals she is mostly known for being part of the Salazar scandal. A scandal that is pretty well documented already.

In thinking on this, I was trying to think of the runners whose lives I think are interesting enough to warrant a book. I came up with Roger Bannister, Billy Mills, and Louie Zamperini. I have had the great luck to have met all three although I cannot say I spent a ton of time with any. Bannister is interesting in part because he was the first to do something, but to me it was what he did after and even the idea of being in medical school (and doing some research that interests me while there) is part of the appeal. I will say Perfect Mile to me is a great read but I also did not see enough about Santee or Landy to warrant a book just about as individuals.)

Mills gets in for his being a Native American. I almost added Jim Thorpe, but I do not think of his as a "runner". Track athlete yes (and the greatest American athlete of the 20th century in my book).

Zamperini---my fondness for him cannot be measured. But my interest in him is more because of his experience in WW2 and also the life he led after more than his track accomplishments. If WW2 never happens and Zamperini goes on to win a lot of medals and maybe set some WRs, I don't think I would be interested in an entire book on him.

Again, I enjoy reading about runners. A chapter in a book or a long form article about an individual runner, but a book? Not many are going to reach that threshold for me.

As soon as I hit "Create thread" I will probably think of another runner or two who might fit the bill for me.

Anyone come to mind for you? And this needs to be someone well known and regarded as a runner, not a well known person who runs.