Charlie Spedding describes himself as not particularly talented at least, compared to the group of people he had chosen to find himself among. These were the athletes in the Olympic marathon. So how did he end up with a bronze medal? How did he win the London Marathon? And why does he still hold the English record for the distance?
In this remarkable autobiography he explains how how someone who was almost bottom of the class when he first went to school, and even worse at sport, eventually turned himself into a genuinely world-class athlete, competing in top marathons all over the world, and genuinely going from last to first.
As well as the enthralling life story of one of our finest distance runners, this book is a wonderfully clear and inspiring piece of life coaching for anyone who wants to make the most of their talents. But more than this, as Spedding says at the start, I believe that on occasions you can create the circumstances in which you can perform at a higher level than your talent says you can. Speddings own story, and his chronicle of the big races he excelled in, proves its true.
For anyone aspiring to run a marathon, or indeed anyone who wants to set themselves a goal they think beyond their reach and achieve it this is an essential book.
Charlie Spedding joined Gateshead Harriers when he was 16 and competed in distance races for 20 years. He now runs occasionally, and also enjoys long distance cycle trips. Working as a community Pharmacist in the North-East of England, he passionately believes most people could improve their health with more regular exercise. He has been a summariser with Radio 5's London Marathon coverage for 17 years. Charlie is an optimist by nature, despite being a life-long Sunderland supporter. He has three children, four step-children, and lives in Newcastle with his wife, Christina.
