The Madman, The Marathoner Review

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(More customer reviews)A Way of Life
Juanita Tischendorf's The Madman the Marathoner captures the incredible life of Don McNelly, who was inspired to change his way of life when his friend from college died suddenly from a heart attack. When Don realized how vital exercise is to living a long, healthy life, it set him on a collision course with record books, totaling nearly 713 marathons, and counting--at the age of eighty-five. Through this well written book, the author presents an intriguing account of one man's life and the moments that have permanently altered Don McNelly's reality.
Don McNelly lived through the Great Depression and World War II, both of which were a test of endurance on many levels, including having to survive on rations. Once the country began to prosper again, after each of these events, citizens began to consume meat and sugar especially, as if it were a time of celebratory feasting. Much of what was consumed was, by today's standards, unhealthy. When Ken Evans, Don's fraternity brother and "partner in crime" died of a heart attack, Don soon realized how fragile life could be. His own physician informed him that the only way to reduce the risk of a heart attack was to incorporate physical activity into each day.
Don and Ken lived as young men during a time when scientific information and health statistics were not as advanced or as readily available as they are now. We're in a different era now, where cutting edge information is only as far away as the click of a mouse. Tischendorf's message is not high-tech, though. On the contrary, the author of The Madman the Marathoner emphasizes that we must take time to exercise and maintain our bodies--or risk losing everything.
Beginning with the 1969 Boston marathon, the oldest of them all, Don McNelly set off on almost a marathon a month, for forty-two years! He joined the Rochester Track Club and ran five miles a day. His list of marathon runs includes the Hike for Hope, the JFK 50 Miler, the 1975 Skylon marathon, and many more. Interestingly, Don was never involved in these marathons to win; there was no competing against other runners for him. At age fifty-nine, he was the oldest of the ultra marathoners, and what pleased Don most about ultra marathons was the mindset with which they were run--rules allow runners to "go as you please." Indeed, this allows for the elimination of the stress that often accompanies competition running, and lets the runner simply enjoy running.
Marathons have become a way of life for Don. Though he can no longer run marathons, he walks them, and completes them. Tischendorf states, "As for family, his children think he may be a little mad for running as much as he does, but his wife understands it is a big part of her husband. And so he'll keep going until he no longer can." As living proof of his 713 marathons--and an inspiration to all, there is at the end of the book a log of each marathon, including locations, his run times and more.
Ultimately, there is much to learn from this book for runners--both casual and advanced. Exercise is a vital element of one's lifestyle, and without it, there is the risk of serious health issues. Don McNelly is the epitome of living life his way, the right way. He continues to participate in marathons, but he never lets the marathon or the runners dictate his pace. Instead, he dictates how fast he wants to go, when he wants to take breaks, and as a result, he thoroughly enjoys himself.
Juanita Tischendorf's The Madman the Marathoner is a testament to a man who made a life-saving lifestyle change--a must read for all.


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Don McNelly is nearly ninety years old and has run 713 marathons.... The normal marathoner runs in two marathons per year. To match Don, a marathoner would have to run fifty-nine years doing one marathon per month....' Don McNelly is the world record holder for the number of marathons completed over the age of eighty. In 1969, he began his long-distance running career in an effort to lose weight after a college friend died of a heart attack. Since then, Don has run in every state and every province in Canada. And true to the meaning of his name, 'ruler of the world,' he has run in France, England, Germany, Portugal, Thailand, Holland, Italy, Argentina, Antarctica, Norway, Mexico, and Japan. In one year alone he completed twenty-seven marathons! The Madman and the Marathon by Juanita Tischendorf sums up this incredible man's running history, painting vivid and inspiring pictures of race days--including what it looks (and smells) like when sixteen men pack into two vans and relay across the country--and answering questions that aspiring runners have always wanted to know about what it takes to go the distance. What is the method to Don McNelly's madness? Did he do it all without injury? What does his family think about his running crazy? Is he still running? Find out in The Madman and the Marathon.

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