While traveling to Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012 last month I decided that I’d spend my time on my flights to SLC reading some running related material. I had just recently purchased a Kindle Fire and brought it along for the trip. While waiting for my flight to board I quickly found the $1.99 section of Amazon’s Kindle library.

Right at the top of the list, like it was calling out to me, was Mishka Shubaly’s ‘The Long Run’. I quickly paid the $1.99 through the one touch button option on the Kindle Fire (the book is also available for free to Amazon Prime Members as your Monthly Borrow) and downloaded the book before boarding the plane.

A quick read about how Mishka

The book is not long and didn’t take me much time to finish. If it wasn’t for the New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers playoff game that I listened to while flying home, I would have finished the entire book during my flights to and from Outdoor Retailer. The book is well written, is an easy read, and while it does start and end with a bit of running, the majority of the book focuses on something entirely different.

The book is essentially a story of Mishka’s journey from youth to adulthood and how it took something entirely unexpected to turn him from an addict struggling with life to an individual excelling in life and as a person. He had a true transformation as he began to understand the human condition. Most of the book focuses on Mishka’s abuse of alcohol, drugs, and his failed attempts at relationships. He tells his life tale of living on both sides of the country before ending up in New York City and the events that lead him to start something new: running.

While the book doesn’t focus on any one particular style of Running, Mishka shares stories of his participation in short and long races, including helping a friend with his 100 mile in 24 hour journey. He does mention his wide range of running equipment, the different style of shoes, and even calls out his experience with Vibram FiveFingers. Mishka doesn’t claim to support nor argue against the minimalist toe shoes in his book.

Overall, I enjoyed his story because I believe that no matter what our story is we all can relate to someone struggling in life and finding a way to overcome it. I usually rate a running book based on how often it inspires me to put it down and get out on a long run. The Long Run didn’t give me a sense of urgency to get out running every few pages but it was successful in doing so towards the end. I honestly put the book down, put on my Merrell Trail Gloves, and set out on a 4 mile run.

If you’re looking for a running story to help you push overcome your trials and give you another source of inspiration to keep moving on your long distance runs, then be sure to check out “The Long Run”.

Got a suggestion for the next book we should read? Let us know about it in the comments!