Honey, Do You Need a Ride?

Confessions of a Fat Runner

This laugh-out-loud comedic memoir of life as an overweight runner moves along at a five-minute-per-mile pace. Jennifer Graham doesn’t run to lose weight – she runs for the joy of endorphins. But life’s not always easy when the blubber hits the road. She must endure not only her self-made exhaustion and lactic acid, but the bemused stares of neighbors, offers of car rides from strangers, and the disdain of the dominant strain of runner – those long, lean “shirtless wonders.”

The challenges of being a fat runner, however, disappear faster than a pint of whisky-pecan ice cream when Graham’s marriage implodes and she finds herself a single mom with four children, two donkeys, and a really bad attitude. To cope, she registers for a half-marathon she ran 10 years ago, to see if she’s made any progress, or if she’s just been running in place. She is rejected by the big-name coaches she contacts, but finds grudging assistance in the spirit of the late Steve Prefontaine. “Yeah, I know he’s been dead 35 years; it’s a minor metaphysical challenge.”

Graham’s irreverent, hilarious, and brutally honest story will appeal to runners and non-runners alike, fat or thin. It’s fast-twitch meets slow witch, with an outcome that’s out of this world.

--- Praise for “Honey, Do You Need a Ride?” ---

“Jennifer writes like an old friend speaks, in a voice you know and love. Her descriptions of running heavy, whether with added weight or added burdens, make her experience universal to runners and non-runners alike. Her overcoming spirit makes you want to cheer for her, run with her, or eat a pint of ice cream with her! Ultimately, it’s not the size of the body but the size of the heart that counts. And this runner’s heart is huge.”
—Kristin Armstrong, mother of three, Contributing Editor for Runner’s World, and author of Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run

“Here’s to the mid-pack runners, the back-of-the-pack shufflers, the start-slowly-and-taper-off champions. Just remember: there’s a lot more of us than there are of them (those tall skinny Shirtless Wonders). And Jennifer Graham tells our story beautifully, with unflinching honesty and laugh-out-loud humor.”
—John “the Penguin” Bingham, author of The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, and An Accidental Athlete

“Jennifer Graham might be surprised when the sinewy running tribe she longs to conform to becomes readers of her book, because you don’t have to be a ‘fat runner’ to enjoy this moving memoir. If you’ve ever fallen in love with running; if running is a constant companion; if running has been a lifeline through bad times, then you’ll identify with Graham’s story. Okay, maybe not the donkeys or the paranormal coaching, but when you’re done reading you’ll wish you could join Graham on a run, just so you can hear more.”
—Kara Douglass Thom, author of Becoming an Ironman and Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom

“Jennifer Graham is the hilarious, pee-your-pants running partner you wish you had. She’ll make you want to move to Boston just to pound out a few miles alongside her and slam down a ginormous hot-fudge sundae with her post-run. If you love running, laughing, eating, and reading in equal measure, you’ll love this book.”
—Eileen Button, author of The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life’s Little Delays

“Jennifer Graham may think she’s different from the skinny Shirtless Wonders she sees trotting at a faster pace, but she’s not. She knows that running, like a good book, can help you to live, and she’s every bit as serious, dedicated, and impressive as the folks at the front of the pack. She may, however, be funnier and more fun than most of them.”
—Rachel Toor, author of Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running