Ebook: Becoming Boston strong: one woman's race to run and conquer the world's greatest marathon

"It's 2004 and twentysomething Amy Noelle Roe is living by herself in Portland, Oregon, with few friends, little money, and no job. It's not her year. With lots of free time on her hands, she remembers watching the Boston Marathon years ago and, inspired by that memory, decides to join a marathon training group, hoping that running 26.2 miles will give her something show for an otherwise entirely unproductive time in her life. A few months later, she crosses the finish line but is far from a Boston qualifying-time. But Amy has caught the marathon bug, and is determined to qualify for Boston, even if it's just as a squeaker, a runner who just manages a BQ time. Eleven marathons later, and Amy finally squeaks by, signing up for the 2011 Boston Marathon. She completes it, qualifying again for the following year, and then again for 2013, the fated year of the Boston Marathon Bombing. Due to an injury, Amy crosses the 2013 finish line in a little over four hours, minutes before the bombs goes off. Her world is forever changed as she is shaken to her core. Becoming Boston Strong is Amy's journey of falling in love with the Boston Marathon and its community, for better or for worse. It chronicles the ups and downs of her training, delving into the mystical appeal of the greatest marathon in the world and how it attracts those who return to it year after year. Hilarious and heartfelt, Becoming Boston Strong is for every person who ever dreamed of belonging to something bigger than themselves"--;Heartbreak -- Soft target -- The start line -- The longest minute -- Running rebels -- Bookin' -- Skinny happy people -- Home is where you make -- Long runs are my Louis Vuitton -- No girls allowed -- Nothing new in little Beirut -- Joanie -- The wall of death -- Ropes and ladders -- The other side of heartbreak -- Stumbling onto the front page -- Nickels and dimes -- Get it in writing -- The happiest hour -- Safety first -- Let pain be your guide -- Off the deep end -- Fragile mammals -- Break a leg -- Boston with swagger -- The robo rabbit -- Takes one to know one -- Boston -- Cheaters never win -- Years on -- No feeling is final.