Professional runner Desiree "Des" Linden wowed the world with her gritty, historic Boston Marathon win in 2018. Linden's memoir, Choosing to Run, engages readers with a mile-by-mile account of that day interspersed with the larger story of her life and career. Linden begins with her childhood in San Diego and the complicated mix of encouragement and pushing she, as a young runner, received from her dad. She recounts her time as a high school and college athlete, finding her feet and gradually coming to love longer races, including the marathon. Linden also explores her long, complicated relationship with brothers Kevin and Keith Hanson and their Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project in Michigan. She describes the major marathons of her career, her two Olympic experiences (both complicated for different reasons), and her connection with fellow marathoner Ryan Linden, now her husband.
The Boston chapters tighten the lens, focusing on the physical and mental experiences of Linden's race on that cold, rainy day. She recounts the challenges of staying in it, her encounters with other runners, the temptation to quit, and the mental toughness it took to "keep showing up" (a phrase which has become her signature). These chapters give a vivid glimpse into the experience of a true professional, whose grit and dedication matters just as much as her speed. Plainspoken and thoughtful, Linden's memoir is a compelling chronicle of her career so far and an encouragement to runners (and other readers) to pursue their goals with daily work, commitment, and joy. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams