Anyone out there NOT like Once A Runner?

I thought it was pure crap. Maybe I need to read it again, but not holding out hopes of changing my mind.

Magic 8 Ball wrote:

I thought it was pure crap. Maybe I need to read it again, but not holding out hopes of changing my mind.

I tried to read it once and then failed to finish. I then tried a swing at it again and did read it cover to cover... And it was a complete waste of my TIME! I was so pumped before reading it both times, Runner\'s World adores it, a camp director considered it a must read, and I always see on forums how \"great\" it is. However the only great parts were 2 chapters and finishing it. If it wasn\'t for the interval chapter and the final one it would be the mostly poorly written and boring book I ever read. Seroiusly how can care for any charecters except the Elitest Quinten and the annoying Denton. The female charecters are sterotypes with poor diolouge, the rivals are stupider than the author, and some of the plot points have no point being there (like the woods, really?). If you want a good running book read Born To Run, which makes John L. Parker Jr.\'s writing seems like a middle schooler\'s. Plus it\'s mostly fiction anyway.

Andrew A. wrote:

notafan wrote:

It has some endearing moments ruined by tacky details like Quentin's heartbeat shaking the bed or the 60 quarter workout that is so impossible that its more comical than inspiring.

Um, my heartbeat has shaken chairs I have been sitting in and beds I have been laying in.

I've had my headboard rattle from my heartbeat in bed. I had instant flashbacks to OAR when I noticed what was happening.

I liked both of them. I also enjoyed Trail Runner Gary's interview with John L. Parker on his website. He sounds like a guy you would want to get a beer with and talk about running back in the day.

After reading Once a Runner, I developed a fetish for gimps on Portapits.

My HS coach considered it a must read. Pure rubbish. But its kinda of like required reading if your a runner. Someone in the group is eventually going to make a reference to it. Its like the Prefontiane movies.

Running with the Buffaloes is much better because it closer to reality than OAR or the Pre crap.

fgfg wrote:

the first page makes fun of joggers... "doing their 90 seconds quarters !"

WTF

Dude, that's the marathon pace of a lot of people on the board here. Joggers indeed.

I probably write more than you do and I loved it. And its sequel.

Mrr82 wrote:

How much you want to bet, that half the posts on this thread are from the same person.

Yes and it's prolly the OP- I can't stand those snob types- I'm a writer first.

Yeah right.

I enjoyed it. I liked the purple runner better. Purple runner I couldn't put down. OAR had some really boring parts in it. I skim read those parts. Overall, a great book.

I'm a writer and former runner. Read it years ago as I try to read all books on running. I don't understand it's popularity. I found it rather juvenile. Best running book was Peter Snell's: "No Bugles; No Drums," which unfortunately is now out of print.