Dear reader, life is too short for crap books.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Women Who Run With the Elvis Impersonators



Today, I ran the Los Angeles Marathon. Now, I hurt everywhere. It took me 4 hours, 44 minutes, and 52 seconds. Also much to my surprise, I finished with the top 5000 runners (out of about 25,000), and was the 1100th woman to cross the finish line.

Mad props to Brady, coach extraordinaire, who got up early every weekend for the past 2 months to drive me to the beach for my long runs, and who always had a taco waiting for me at the end. And sometimes flowers.

These guys ran, too. And it was really hot outside, so my heart went out to them. I saw one of them around mile 15, and he had sweat clean through his jumpsuit.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the marathon!

I wanted to leave you this inquiry here since I didn't see your email address:

Hello!

Hi, I’m Jennifer, and as an avid reader myself, I’ve come across your book blog and thought you might be interested in a new book that’s launching on March 1st. It’s a new young adult novel from Oscar® winning Songwriter of FAME and FOOTLOOSE – The Big One-Oh, which is a fantastic look at growing up and is truly a novel for anyone “who is….ever was…or ever plans to be…10.” It’s the first novel written by Dean Pitchford, who is already an Oscar® winning Songwriter, and has written songs for recent movies like “Shrek 2” and “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”, in addition to the writing songs and screenplays for the movies FAME and FOOTLOOSE, to name a few. If you’d like to read and review this funny and touching novel, we’d like to offer you a chance at a sneak preview before it hits bookstores on March 1st. I’m sure your time is valuable, and so I’ve included a bit more about the book, and the author, and some preliminary reviews. I’m attaching a sample chapter, and if you are interested in reading the whole book, we can arrange to have a free copy sent to you for you to read and review on your blog – and the author is also available for interviews with enthusiastic readers of the blogosphere! The book itself has just launched an accompanying website, geared for kids and young adults, at http://www.thebigoneoh.com/.

The Big One-Oh

Catalog information:

http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399245473,00.html

The story: Now that he’s turning ten – the big-one-oh-friendless and fatherless Charley Maplewood bravely decides to throw himself a birthday party with a House of Horrors Theme. But one disaster follows another until Charley’s big day ends up a total, complete, utter, full blown catastrophe….and yet, somehow, the best birthday a kid could ever hope for.

Already lauded by Kirkus Reviews as “Sure to be a big hit with readers…” we’d love to share the attached sample chapter with you and the opportunity to interview Dean about the book and his storied and exciting career.

“This book is captivating, hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking. What fun!”
- John Lithgow, actor and author of Micawber and I’m a Manatee

“The Big One-Oh is a wonderful literary equation: add some birthday party anxiety with a little movie monster magic and it equals a funny and triumphant journey of self-discovery.”
- Jaime Lee Curtis, actress and author of Is There Really a Human Race? and I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem

A little about Dean: DEAN PITCHFORD has written screenplays (FOOTLOOSE, SING) and lyrics to hundreds of hit songs, including FAME, FOOTLOOSE and LETS HEAR IT FOR THE BOY; he has won an Oscar® and a Golden Globe, been nominated for many more Oscars, Grammys and Tonys, and has sold over seventy million records. The Big One-Oh is his first novel. More information about Dean can be found at http://www.deanpitchford.com.

If you’re interested in receiving a sneak preview copy of The Big One-Oh, or scheduling an interview with the author for your blog, I can be reached directly at (310)821-6100, ext. 112 or jfader@terpin.com. I look forward to hearing from you, and thanks for reading!

Very best regards,



Jennifer

Jennifer Fader
Terpin Communications Group
Director of Social Media/Account Supervisor
jfader@terpin.com
4333 Admiralty Way, East Tower Suite 200
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
AIM: jenniferlfader
tel: (310) 821-6100 x112
mobile: (310) 922-7507

fax: (310) 577-9646

Kjersti said...

Wow Mary. You've been publisher-spammed. And run with Elvis. I'm not sure which is more exciting for you, but congratulations on both.

jeremy said...

Congratulations on the marathon! (I don't have a book to urge you to promote, though.)

Brady said...

The secret to coaching an ubersuper marathon runner?

Bring a book.

Next on TBiFY! Books I read while Mary was running: The Neon Bible, Interaction Ritual Chains, Thunderball, The Big Knockover, The Hacker Ethic and the New Spirit of Capitalism, and more!

Stay tuned, gentle readers.

Gwen said...

Ok, I can TOTALLY get into reading books while other people run. Brady, I will be your marathon-coach partner any time you want.

Shannon Salmon, Teen Librarian said...

1100th!!!! I'm so impressed! So do you think you'd do it again?

mary_m said...

Thanks Shannon! Will I do another one? Uh... ask me in a few months.