Running Like a Girl - Tapa blanda

"If you've ever wept "Why do I want to run?", your answer is here." (Caitlin Moran, author of HOW TO BE A WOMAN)

"Her honesty is winning: her first run is a disaster; on another, she has to dash into a pub lavatory to avoid soiling her pants; she completes a marathon and then immediately slips back into slobbishness, running half-heartedly, without enjoyment, gradually losing her fitness and her mojo. Her sketches of her family members are witty. I loved her mum, dramatic and highly polished, shouting: "Darling, keep going, you laugh in the face of pain!" as her daughter struggles through the 11-mile mark on a marathon. What's truly excellent about this book, though, is its generosity. Heminsley wants to help other women to run and she has provided a practical section at the back, where she explains how to overcome injury, how to buy the right gear (particularly the correct bra), exactly what you will need if you build up to running marathons – surprisingly fascinating even if, like me, you have no plans to do so." (Miranda Sawyer Observer)

"The new memoir from Alexandra Heminsley is a meditation (slash romp) on running, life and love. Penned in her own inimitable style, the book is a funny tread through the raft of body insecurities and mental anguish we all go through when we put on our trainers." (Grazia)

"This book is an emotional whirlwind split into two perfect halves. First is the story of Heminsley’s own running journey – from being certain that she wasn’t a runner at all, to completing five marathons . . . The second half offers the most practical advice on ‘how to run like a girl’, invaluable, as once you finish the book, even the most unenthusiastic of sportswomen will be longing to pull on the Lycra and run for the hills." (Psychologies)

"Running Like a Girl is a no-bullshit book about running for women that is candid about the realities of hangovers, marathon corsetry, bad runs, and other neglected matters. It's great." (Guardian Online)

Very funny, very honest and very emotional, whether you're in serious training or thinking about running for the bus, this book will make you want to put on your trainers.

Alexandra Heminsley had high hopes: the arse of an athlete, the waist of a supermodel, the speed of a gazelle. Defeated by gyms and bored of yoga, she decided to run.

Her first attempt did not end well.

Six years later, she has run five marathons in two continents.

But, as her dad says, you run with your head as much as with your legs. So, while this is a book about running, it's not just about running.

You could say it's about ambition (yes, getting out of bed on a rainy Sunday morning counts), relationships (including talking to the intimidating staff in the trainer shop), as well as your body (your boobs don't have to wobble when you run). But it's also about realising that you can do more than you ever thought possible.

Very funny, very honest and very emotional, whether you're in serious training or thinking about running for the bus, this is a book for anyone who after wine and crisps for supper a few too many times thinks they might . . . just might . . . like to run like a girl.