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A Beautiful Work in Progress

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About this listen

Runners' vocabulary is full of acronyms like DNS for "Did Not Start" and DNF for "Did Not Finish," but when Mirna Valerio stepped up to the starting line, she needed a new one: DNQ for "Did Not Quit."

Valerio has tied on her running shoes all across the country, from the dusty back roads of central New Jersey to the busy Route 222 corridor in Pennsylvania to the sweltering deserts of Arizona. When you meet her on the trail, you might be surprised to see she doesn't quite fit the typical image of a long-distance runner. She's neither skinny nor white, and she's here to show just how misguided these stereotypes can be.

In this prejudice-busting, body-positive memoir told with raw honesty, an adventurous spirit, and a sharp sense of humor, Valerio takes listeners along on her journey from first-time racer to ultramarathoner and proves that anyone can become a successful athlete.

©2017 Mirna Andrea Valerio (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Sports Witty
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I do most of my audiobook listen while out running and A beautiful work in progress was an excellent companion. Mirna Valerio writes in an honest, open and at times very funny way about her journey into running subsquently ultrarunning. She does a very good job narrating her own book. I thought her pacing of the story was perfect.

kept me going my runs

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I think this book shows how resilience plays such a big part in our lives. The author talks about her ups and downs throughout her life and athletic life and surely it resonates with the big majority of us trying to run more or run a race, or just trying to get up the sofa. I also like that it’s not just about running or sports.
It’s a good book and great inspiration.

Resilience at its best

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As an older social runner that likes the challenge of distance running I was able to relate to many aspects of this book. I really enjoyed listening while I ran long. I did struggle a little with the flitting back and forth but it didn't spoil the enjoyment.

loved it

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I love running but I'm fat and always last in races. I identified with the author and looked forward to some welcoming chat about races and tips and humour thrown in. However it didn't quite hit the mark. I'm not sure exactly why this book doesn't work - she's humble and down to earth. It somehow reads like a training log - she talks about booking a race, pre race routine, the actual race and the aftermath, then she describes the next race etc... There is no real connection with the audience, no layers, no anecdotes as such, no passion.... I don't know exactly what went wrong because in theory I should have loved it but it's like she's written up a diary and it's not quite been fleshed out for a wider audience.

Didn't finish

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