Older, Faster, Stronger

September 1, 2014
Webb begins this stirring fitness memoir by telling the reader that she had an epiphany when she turned 50: “I wanted to enter the second act of my life in the best shape of my life, even fitter than I was as a 20-year-old varsity athlete.” Immersing herself in research, she soon discovered that many obstacles await an older female runner: reduced lung capacity, bone density, estrogen levels, and muscle mass and a heightened risk of injury. Webb soldiered on, hitting her age group’s qualifying standard for the Boston Marathon on her second try. Encouraged, she began training in earnest, despite entering the early stages of menopause in the meantime. She learned many lessons in the process—particularly that there are more ways to measure fitness than running times. Webb, inspired by many of the people she met (especially Olga Kotelko, a 94-year-old who took up running at age 77 and has since won over 700 gold medals), finished her journey with the World Masters Games in Turin, Italy. Those who may have put off exercise thinking they’re too old or out of shape will likely find themselves lacing up their running shoes after reading this informative and inspiring tale. Agent: Samantha Haywood, Transatlantic Literary Agency.

September 1, 2014
A midlife crisis leads different people down different paths. For Webb, turning 50 was a wake-up call to take charge of her mental and physical health. In this engaging memoir, she describes embarking on a year-long quest to get super-fit. Her goals include qualifying for the Boston Marathon and competing in the World Masters Games (similar to the Olympics for adults over 30). In her quest to get faster and stronger, Webb seeks advice from experts on aging, sports psychology, and nutrition, and she runs with trailblazers like Kathrine Switzer. Highlights include inspirational interviews with competitive women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 97-year-old Canadian Ida Herbert, likely the oldest yoga instructor in the world. Their secret? Sorry, they've found no magic youth pill, but they do deliver much valuable advice, including the importance of simply keeping moving and the reminder that it is never too late to become active. This crisply written book celebrates the wisdom and sisterhood of older runners and is sure to appeal to readers interested in being fit and aging well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)