Ryan Pancoast

Originally posted at Read. Run. Study.

I went through a period of time where I was looking to read books written by runners. This story really appealed to me as a college student who is interested in distance running and loves traveling. I don’t remember how I first found this, or how I didn’t notice it was self-published, but I bought it when I found it on Amazon marketplace for a good deal.

Ryan “Sanford” Pancoast narrates the story, but he includes accounts by the other runners and show more drivers throughout. It was really interesting to see how the group approached the run, and what it meant to each of them. As can be expected in any cross country trip, there were quite a few mishaps and unexpected adventures. Most of all, I was surprised by how easily I felt I could relate. Obviously, I’ve never attempted a coast-to-coast run, but Pancoast made it easy to imagine the cramped quarters, the runner’s funk, and the overall feel of the experience. One review I read mentioned crude language, but it really wasn’t anywhere near as crude as they made it out to be and it definitely didn’t detract from the story.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read and I liked the book. I think it was well-written and well-organized, and I loved the sketches at the end (Pancoast’s major was Illustration). It’s not for everyone, but I’d recommend it to runners and anyone who ever considered a cross country road trip with a large group of friends.

Rating: 3/5 show less