The book The Lola Papers: Marathons, Misadventures, and How I Became a Serious Runner is very much like a long run: it’s about enjoying the process. Because their is no plót in this book. It’s simply a tale about someone who runs a lot, without really going anywhere. I kept waiting for something to happen, for a particular storyline, but there isn’t one.
Even after I was halfway through the book, and I should have known better, I still expected something of a twist or an event that would make me go: ‘Ahaaa! Nów I get it! Thát’s what this book is about.’ For the longest time I secretly figured Lola would fall in love with her coach, known as Mr. Speedy Pants. But nothing. Zilch. So in the end I contented myself with simply reading about Lola’s runs. And once I figured that out, it was a nice read.
Apart from the descriptions of herself running, Lola also draws parallels between running and life. And I loved that. And I found it interesting to read about the kind of training Lola is doing under Mr. Speedy Pants’ supervision. But who knew it would be that complicated! I felt like I was in high school again suffering through a math class, and not getting it.
In The Lola Papers: Marathons, Misadventures, and How I Became a Serious Runner Lola participates in several races, which is what the complicated training plans are for. But even though the training plans are quite specific, she doesn’t say how fast she was on her 5K and marathon. I didn’t like that, because thát I would have understood! I know for example that running a 5K in about 20 minutes is pretty fast, or running a marathon in less than 4 hours is good. But even though the number are flying when it comes to the training schedules, no such luck when it comes to race results.
To sum up
The Lola Papers is a book about a serious runner, who trains a lot and takes part in races. Even though Lola presents herself like an ordinary, amateur runner, I didn’t think she was. Because if she is an amateur, I dread to think what I am…
I read this book at night, in the comfort of my bed, and even though it didn’t go anywhere, and I couldn’t comprehend the training schedules, I was still inspired by it. It made me feel good about running, and made me long for my next run. And that’s really all I ask of a book about running. That, and a plot would have been nice.
