Fat Man to Green Man

Book excerpt: Despite believing he was bionic as a child, Ira Rainey was far from an elite athlete with superhuman running abilities like the ones he read about in books. He was in fact an overweight and unfit slacker who felt a bit sorry for himself because he had sore feet. Sure he ran a bit, but he also sat around a lot and ate and drank too much. Why? Because he could, and because he was a delusional optimist who thought everything would always be just fine. That was until a friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given months to live. It was an event that would push Ira to tackle his apathy towards life and take on the challenge of becoming an ultramarathon runner, pushing himself to go further than he had ever gone before. Award winning, Fat Man to Green Man: From Unfit to Ultramarathon is a warm and humorous account of one man’s quest to uncover his true super powers as he journeys from fat to fit, and taking in everything that came between the two. It is a story of fields and friendships; mud and maps; but more importantly learning how to push yourself to achieve what you would never believe you could – and how to deal with the consequences. Fat Man to Green Man won the silver award for running books in The 2014 Running Awards, an award voted for by runners. Ira Rainey, with Fat Man to Green Man, was also a shortlisted finalist for New Writer of the Year in The British Sports Book Awards 2014. “Ira Rainey’s lifestyle transformation is an extraordinary example of what can be accomplished with passion and conviction. Fat Man to Green Man is an inspirational story of how the seemingly impossible can come true. A must-read for anyone looking to make a positive change.” - Dean Karnazes – World-renowned endurance athlete and NY Times bestselling author “Rainey is proof that ultradistance races can be completed by middle-aged mortals and not just extreme endurance athletes with a penchant for pain.” - Men’s Fitness Magazine “The ending? It’s not what you will expect, but it will see you re-appraise everything in life you thought was certain. We think you will be inspired and, like us, are certain you may lose a few tears before you reach it.” - Running Fitness Magazine “It’s an inspirational tale of Ira’s battle with inner demons and ill health…I felt as if I was right beside him…” - Trail Running Magazine “So many things are covered here, the back to back training runs, the speed work (I was actually a bit intmidated by how fast he can knock out a 5K), the nutrition and weight loss and dealing with injury and recovery. He discovered that he was not bionic but overall he was very capable of running long distances and recalling the tales very vividly.”- James Adams – Ultramarathon runner and author of Running and Stuff “At times laugh out loud funny, at others quite poignant (the parts where Ira faces the impending loss of a dear friend are especially touching) this book is a fun take on one man’s journey to becoming an ultra runner, and finding himself in the process.” - UltrarunnerPodcast “Dean Karnazes taught us about what it takes to be at the very top of ultra running, wowing us in the process while Ira, inspired by Dean, gives us an insight of ultra running that the rest of us could aspire to.” - The Running Stories