I haven’t blogged for a while, as I have been focused on a few projects. One has reached completion, the most meaningful book I’ve worked on to date – and I’m not the author.

A little over a year ago, my mother approached me with a folder full of papers with articles taped to them, each sheet a component of chapters. What she had done was take running articles she had written over the years, mainly for her local running clubs, and stitched them together in a unique way to tell her story. She began running on a dare in her late 40s and still runs regularly today as she approaches her 80th birthday. Yes, I wrote 80 – what an inspiration!

She asked me for help assembling and potentially publishing her story, as I had self-published a few works myself. Of course, I was going to help – this was her legacy! Thus began a long process, hampered somewhat by the separation of miles (she is in New York, I’m in Tennessee) and the fact that she’s not really a fan of the Internet. But we got it done – At The Pinnacle – One Woman’s Running Journey is available for pre-order, and will be released May 1.

In some way, I think that this was one of the reasons why I learned about the self-publishing route so that I would be prepared when her project came along, though I had no idea prior that this was something she wanted to do. I edited and wrote the foreword and the back cover summary, otherwise, all words are hers. I encourage you to consider her story, and close with the back cover summary:

“Go for it, Mom!” With those words of encouragement, Erika Abraham began a long running journey defined by dozens of years; thousands of miles; countless trophies, medals, and other awards; and many, many smiles. Running brought her confidence, led her to the love of her life, and showed her that despite earlier setbacks and pain, the best was yet to come. Her story is about running, laughing, and reaching new heights.