I’ve just left my family cottage for my morning run and I’m holding back tears. I’m in one of my favourite spots and doing what I love, so why am I on the brink of crying? Like I do on most of my runs, I’m listening to an audiobook. This time it’s The Rise of the Ultra Runners by Adharanand Finn. Finn is giving a detailed account of his interaction with his wife and small kids during the lowest point of his 100 mile race. I’ve experienced those lows, the pain cave, and I’m putting myself in Finn’s shoes. This is not the first time that I’ve gotten emotional while running and listening to audiobooks. I’ll laugh out loud during funny parts or pump my fist when the protagonist overcomes a difficult challenge. Consuming audiobooks during a run has become one of my favourite activities and my preferred way to read books. I’ve finished over 75 audiobooks over the last five years.
I joined audible.ca in 2015 and have been happy with the service ever since. Audible isn’t paying me to write this post – I’m just a big fan. I pay $17.95 per month for one credit which I can use to download one of the 440,000 titles. $17.95 is a good deal since audiobooks generally cost between $20-$30. Audible also has daily deals, giving you the option to buy popular books for $4.95. You also have the option of buying 3 additional credits for $39.95 if you’ve already used your credit for the month.
I’m often asked if it’s difficult to pay attention to an audiobook while running. I can easily follow most books on a run. I’ll miss the odd important section of a book, however Audible has a handy “go back by 30 seconds” button so that you can re-listen. It is difficult to follow more technical books though. I made several attempts at listening to A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking but gave up in the end.
I’m currently listening to What I Talk about When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. I’ve listened to this audiobook before and I’m appreciating the finer details this time around. I have two credits to spend on audible.ca and will most likely buy Christopher McDougall’s new book, Running with Sherman. McDougall is the author of Born to Run, a modern day classic on running. One thing is for sure, I’m always excited to get my monthly E-mail from audible telling me that my new credit has arrived!
