I—Dimity—am expecting.
I don’t need burp cloths or contributions for a running stroller, but I do need your help.
Thanks to the popularity of the Not-Running-Anymore Support Group series in Women’s Running magazine and The Final Finish Line podcast special series we produced here at Another Mother Runner, I am writing a book about grieving the end of your running days, coping with the transition, and thriving in your next athletic chapter.
Unlike a pregnancy, which takes nine (short) months, this baby, which will be published by Hachette Go, will emerge in spring of 2026. (You don’t need to mark your calendar quite yet; we’ll be sure to share plenty of updates along the way!)
As you most likely know, after being a runner for almost thirty years, I had to stop because of chronic pain in my hamstring, hip, and knees. The pain leaked into other aspects of my life, drying up my patience with my kids, my humor with my husband, and my ease with the world. As I slowly pulled the plug on running, I lived through tears, frustration, and so many what-if’s floating through my mental space: What if I didn’t race anymore? What if I didn’t try to go fast? What if I just ran three miles on a flat gravel path twice a week? Could I keep running then?
Over the course of two years, I finally accepted that running, even in small increments, was no longer serving me. As I trudged to the other side, I garnered plenty of perspective.
Apart from a few therapy sessions, I went through my breakup with running mostly solo, even though I was surrounded by runners in my professional and personal life.
I want this book, tentatively titled The Final Finish Line, to change that. (I don’t love the title, btw. Sounds a bit too mortal, so it will likely change.)
Low-key tech and lots of tulips: just how I like my writing process.
My goal is to create a realistic, compassionate, validating resource for all kinds of runners who are no longer able to participate in their beloved sport, reminding them they are definitely not alone and have many, albeit varied, happy miles ahead of them.
If you are no longer running—or have stepped back from your running significantly because of pain, disease, aging, or another issue—please know that I am sorry you that is your reality. I so wish you weren’t.
That said, if you’re up for sharing, I want to hear from you. By including a variety of experiences and voices in this book, we can help all kinds of athletes celebrate their running years while also coming to grips with a surprisingly rough transition.
If you’re in the throes of losing running now, you may not believe me, but I promise: helping somebody else over this rocky path can be just as fulfilling as a tempo run on a chilly spring morning.
[…] a few months in to writing the new not-running-anymore-guide that is [tentatively titled] The Final Finish Line, and, well, it’s […]