Book review: 'C is for Chafing' by Mark Remy

Comment | Tweet | Share | | | Email | More |
Mark Remy’s children’s book for adults lampoons all the joys and pains of being a runner.

NEW YORK, January 12, 2012—From “A is for Against traffic” to “Z is for Zzzz,” Mark Remy captures the agony and ecstasy of being a runner. C is for Chafing is a whimsical children’s book for grownups complete with the “This Book Belongs to: _________________” page in the front.

Following in the footsteps of bestsellers like Adam Mansbach’s Go the F– to Sleep, C is for Chafing uses a similar tongue-in-cheek tone—minus the expletives—aimed at your inner runner. The accompanying illustrations by Eric Cash are spot on. A blend of ‘50s kitsch and dark wit, the illustrations finish the joke for many of the entries, like “O is for ‘Oh, no…’ This means you ran too hard,” where the art depicts a marathoner losing his, uh, lunch.

At a mere 66 pages, most of which feature just one sentence or fragment, C is for Chafing is a quick read to say the least. But it’s full of humor and wisdom:

“I is for Ice bath

Daddy’s teeth sure chatter!

J is for jogger

Slow? It doesn’t matter.”

As a veteran of 21 marathons, Remy knows what he’s talking about. He’s also the author of The Runner’s Rule Book and The Runner’s Field Manual. But he’s honed his comedic chops as executive editor for RunnersWorld.com, where he writes the RW Daily blog, a keen mash-up of running pop culture and Remy’s signature sense of humor.

When it comes to C is for Chafing, F is for Funny. And at $11.99, the price is right.

C is for Chafing is available at Amazon and CreateSpace.

Karla Bruning is a veteran journalist and running nerd. She has completed four marathons, trains with the New York Harriers and is a member of New York Road Runners. Follow Karla’s “Notes From a Running Nerd” at RunKarlaRun.com, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.


This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.

More from Run, Karla, Run!
 
blog comments powered by Disqus
Karla Bruning

Karla Bruning is the host of On The Run, a running lifestyle show from New York Road Runners. Her work has appeared in Newsweek, The Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, RunnersWorld.com, Active.com, The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, The Gazette in Montreal and two dozen other publications. Her work has also received mentions from The New York Times, Runner's World, Fox Sports, The Baltimore Sun, PBS, New York Road Runners and Brooks Running among others. She has appeared on "America's Morning Radio," "Good Morning San Diego," and "The Marathon Show." She also covered the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver for The Washington Times.

 

As a former Newsweek reporter, Karla contributed to cover stories for the International Edition and sat in as head of research and Periscope editor. She won a Fulbright scholarship for American journalists and reporting grants from the Scripps Howard, Carnegie and Knight Foundations. Karla holds degrees from Amherst College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

 

When not pounding the pavement as a reporter, Karla is often pounding the pavement as a runner. She has completed six marathons, two triathlons, trains with the New York Harriers and is a member of New York Road Runners. She is a writer, editor, and on-camera reporter dedicated to covering the sport of running from a runner’s perspective. Find Karla on RunKarlaRun.com, Twitter@KBruning and Facebook.

Contact Karla Bruning

Error

Please enable pop-ups to use this feature, don't worry you can always turn them off later.

Who We Are

This is the Communities section at WashingtonTimes.com. Individual contributors are responsible for their content, which is not edited by The Washington Times. The opinions of Communities writers do not necessarily reflect the views of, nor are they endorsed by, The Washington Times. Contact Us with questions or comments.

Get The Most Up-To-Date News From The Washington Times Communities.

* required
Question of the Day

Are you prepared to survive a natural disaster?

View results

Featured
Photo Galleries
Popular Threads
Powered by Disqus