
Choosing to Run
A Memoir
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $20.40
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Des Linden
-
Written by:
-
Des Linden
-
Bonnie D. Ford - contributor
About this listen
Featuring both the story of an historic, unforgettable win and insight into the life of an indelible champion, Choosing to Run is a truly inspirational memoir from Boston Marathon winner and Olympian Des Linden, sharing her personal story and what motivates her to keep showing up.
When Des woke up on April 16, 2018, the morning of the Boston Marathon, it was 39 degrees and raining, with high, gusty winds. The weather didn’t bother her. In fact, she thought it might be a blessing. She was far from peak form—recovering from illness and questioning her running future—and didn’t expect much of herself that day.
But as she ticked off mile after mile in the brutal conditions, passing familiar landmarks on the course she knew by heart, something shifted. Opportunity unexpectedly presented itself. Des tapped into her inner strength and remembered all of the reasons she loved to race.
Coming off Heartbreak Hill at Mile 22, Des took the lead and never relinquished it, becoming the 2018 Boston Marathon champion and the first American woman to win the race in thirty-three years.
Her career has always been defined by tenacity and an independent spirit, stretching back to her first competitive race in San Diego, when she beat better-outfitted, more experienced kids. Des was a two-time All-American at Arizona State University, and as her collegiate years wound down, she decided she wasn’t done with the sport. Des gambled on herself and moved to Michigan to give professional running a try. As she rose through the elite ranks, she became increasingly determined to do things her way in an industry often bound by the status quo.
In her first book, listeners will learn the story behind that resolve: the way Des trains, the way she thinks, her relationships with other great runners of her generation, and how much she values her family and friends. They’ll hear about her deep connection to the most famous marathon in the world, her two very different Olympic experiences, and how she defined new goals and set a world record at the 50-kilometer distance.
Most of all, they’ll learn what makes her get up and run every day.
©2023 Des Linden (P)2023 Penguin AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
The Incomplete Book of Running
- Written by: Peter Sagal
- Narrated by: Peter Sagal
- Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the verge of turning 40, Peter Sagal - brainiac Harvard grad, short, bald Jew with a disposition toward heft, and a sedentary star of public radio - started running seriously. And much to his own surprise, he kept going, faster and further, running 14 marathons and logging tens of thousands of miles on roads, sidewalks, paths, and trails all over the US and the world, including the 2013 Boston Marathon, where he crossed the finish line moments before the bombings.
-
-
Goes down like a brisk 5k
- By JV on 2019-08-28
Written by: Peter Sagal
-
A Runner’s High
- My Life in Motion
- Written by: Dean Karnazes
- Narrated by: Andrew Eiden
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author and ultramarathoning legend Dean Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits, from running in the shoe-melting heat of Death Valley to the lung-freezing cold of the South Pole. He’s raced and competed across the globe and once ran 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 consecutive days.
-
-
Just what you'd expect
- By Shaun Sanders on 2021-05-28
Written by: Dean Karnazes
-
Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow)
- Elite Tools and Tips for Runners at Every Level
- Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, Ben Rosario
- Narrated by: Ryan Lee Dunlap, Chris Berger
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 80/20 Running, respected running and fitness expert Matt Fitzgerald introduced his revolutionary training program and explained why doing 80 percent of runs at a lower intensity and just 20 percent at a higher intensity is the best way for runners at all levels - as well as cyclists, triathletes, and even weight-loss seekers - to improve their performance. Now, in this eye-opening follow-up, Fitzgerald teams with Olympic coach Ben Rosario to expand and update the 80/20 program to include ultramarathon training and such popular developments as the use of power meters.
-
-
Hard to listen to this technical book
- By Anonymous User on 2023-06-05
Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, and others
-
Undistracted
- Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy.
- Written by: Bob Goff
- Narrated by: Bob Goff
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through the pithy and inspiring storytelling that has endeared him to millions, New York Times bestselling author Bob Goff invites you to laugh with more gusto, dream with more confidence, and love with more intention in this disarming call to live Undistracted. Bob's stories are like the rumble strips on the road that make you suddenly alert to how far you have drifted from your lane. From visiting friends in San Quentin to accidentally getting into a stalker's car at the airport to establishing Uganda's first space program, Bob shows you the way back to an audaciously attentive life.
-
-
Best book by Bob
- By Jamie on 2023-06-19
Written by: Bob Goff
-
Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and a Search for Nirvana
- Written by: David Clark
- Narrated by: David Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Clark is a formerly obese alcoholic and fast food junkie who found a new life in running. Now, 13 years after his transformation, he shares his inspiring story of taking running to the extreme edge of his physical and spiritual breaking points. Having run more than a hundred races, including the Leadville 100-Mile Trail Run and the Hardrock 100, David has achieved unimaginable success in the ultramarathon world, considering his humble start.
-
-
Am I supposed to feel bad for this guy because he had an affair?
- By Trevor Penney on 2025-01-06
Written by: David Clark
-
Metabolical
- The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine
- Written by: Robert H. Lustig
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The New York Times best-selling author of Fat Chance explains the eight pathologies that underlie all chronic disease, documents how processed food has impacted them to ruin our health, economy, and environment over the past 50 years, and proposes an urgent manifesto and strategy to cure both us and the planet.
-
-
Excellent Book full of life changing insights
- By David on 2023-07-24
Written by: Robert H. Lustig
-
The Incomplete Book of Running
- Written by: Peter Sagal
- Narrated by: Peter Sagal
- Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the verge of turning 40, Peter Sagal - brainiac Harvard grad, short, bald Jew with a disposition toward heft, and a sedentary star of public radio - started running seriously. And much to his own surprise, he kept going, faster and further, running 14 marathons and logging tens of thousands of miles on roads, sidewalks, paths, and trails all over the US and the world, including the 2013 Boston Marathon, where he crossed the finish line moments before the bombings.
-
-
Goes down like a brisk 5k
- By JV on 2019-08-28
Written by: Peter Sagal
-
A Runner’s High
- My Life in Motion
- Written by: Dean Karnazes
- Narrated by: Andrew Eiden
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author and ultramarathoning legend Dean Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits, from running in the shoe-melting heat of Death Valley to the lung-freezing cold of the South Pole. He’s raced and competed across the globe and once ran 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 consecutive days.
-
-
Just what you'd expect
- By Shaun Sanders on 2021-05-28
Written by: Dean Karnazes
-
Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow)
- Elite Tools and Tips for Runners at Every Level
- Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, Ben Rosario
- Narrated by: Ryan Lee Dunlap, Chris Berger
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 80/20 Running, respected running and fitness expert Matt Fitzgerald introduced his revolutionary training program and explained why doing 80 percent of runs at a lower intensity and just 20 percent at a higher intensity is the best way for runners at all levels - as well as cyclists, triathletes, and even weight-loss seekers - to improve their performance. Now, in this eye-opening follow-up, Fitzgerald teams with Olympic coach Ben Rosario to expand and update the 80/20 program to include ultramarathon training and such popular developments as the use of power meters.
-
-
Hard to listen to this technical book
- By Anonymous User on 2023-06-05
Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, and others
-
Undistracted
- Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy.
- Written by: Bob Goff
- Narrated by: Bob Goff
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through the pithy and inspiring storytelling that has endeared him to millions, New York Times bestselling author Bob Goff invites you to laugh with more gusto, dream with more confidence, and love with more intention in this disarming call to live Undistracted. Bob's stories are like the rumble strips on the road that make you suddenly alert to how far you have drifted from your lane. From visiting friends in San Quentin to accidentally getting into a stalker's car at the airport to establishing Uganda's first space program, Bob shows you the way back to an audaciously attentive life.
-
-
Best book by Bob
- By Jamie on 2023-06-19
Written by: Bob Goff
-
Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and a Search for Nirvana
- Written by: David Clark
- Narrated by: David Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Clark is a formerly obese alcoholic and fast food junkie who found a new life in running. Now, 13 years after his transformation, he shares his inspiring story of taking running to the extreme edge of his physical and spiritual breaking points. Having run more than a hundred races, including the Leadville 100-Mile Trail Run and the Hardrock 100, David has achieved unimaginable success in the ultramarathon world, considering his humble start.
-
-
Am I supposed to feel bad for this guy because he had an affair?
- By Trevor Penney on 2025-01-06
Written by: David Clark
-
Metabolical
- The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine
- Written by: Robert H. Lustig
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The New York Times best-selling author of Fat Chance explains the eight pathologies that underlie all chronic disease, documents how processed food has impacted them to ruin our health, economy, and environment over the past 50 years, and proposes an urgent manifesto and strategy to cure both us and the planet.
-
-
Excellent Book full of life changing insights
- By David on 2023-07-24
Written by: Robert H. Lustig
What the critics say
“Writing with honesty and energy, Linden shares the life experiences that shaped her determination to rise to the top of her sport.” —Arizona Daily Sun
“[Linden] provides a fascinating look at the training and culture of professional running…For seasoned runners and beginners alike, Linden’s book offers plenty of inspiration about the power of endurance in the face of obstacles. For all readers, it grants a peek at what goes into building that endurance.” —Associated Press
"There are a lot of books by runners. Many of them are good. Few of them are as human as Choosing to Run. Because Linden knows herself as a human in essence and only contingently as a runner, she writes not for other runners only but for any reader who suspects they might be human, too. It is examples like these that make us so.” —Sport Literate
What listeners say about Choosing to Run
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KT
- 2023-04-11
Riveting and inspiring
I loved that Des read this audiobook, it was so nice to hear her story in her words. I found it captivating, riveting, at times heart breaking but such a compelling and inspiring story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Braden Ker
- 2024-01-12
Great format, emotionally grabbing
Formatted beautifully. Des makes her story connect through her very relatable approach. Would definitely recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Conor
- 2023-04-06
5⭐
Awesome book! Very inspiring. Highly recommended for any and all runners (and also non runners)!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TheBillupsFam
- 2023-04-22
Great inspirational story
I loved this book and will definitely listen more than once. The theme of choosing to run is strong throughout and inspires my own journey. The message is strong that overcoming adversity sometimes creates strengths you didn’t even know you had. Highly recommend
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Victoria Dyck
- 2023-07-08
Inspiring!
Such an inspirational listen. Incredible story of strength and determination. My only hitch was the narration itself; the pauses felt a little awkward at time, which led to me wondering if I had missed something. Other than that minor detail, it was incredibly motivating and empowering to listen to on long run days.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kelly Voyce
- 2024-10-06
Poor narration and not a detailed enough story
Unfortunately i can’t get past how poor the narration is. It must have been a one take reading. The story is not that engaging as it is a hard to follow story and she skips through parts of her life I felt more detail was needed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!