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The Oatmeal
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The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances (Volume 5) (The Oatmeal) Paperback – September 30, 2014

by The Oatmeal (Author), Matthew Inman (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,793 ratings
Goodreads Choice Award nominee
See all formats and editions
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  1. Will Eisner Comic Industry AwardsWinner, 2014
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 Praise for #1 New York Times best-selling author Matthew Inman, AKA The Oatmeal:

 "All runners wonder, at some point or another, why we do what we do. Mr. Inman's explanation is the best I've ever seen. And the funniest. Because he is clinically insane."
 -Mark Remy, editor at large, Runner's World, author of The Runner's Rule Book

 "He runs. He sweats. He heaves. He hates it. He loves it. He runs so hard his toenails fall off. He asks himself, why? Why do I do this? Here, gorgeously, bravely, hilariously, is Matt's deeply honest answer."
 -Robert Krulwich, NPR

 "Finally! A voice that sings with the Blerches of angels!"
 -Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run

 This is not just a book about running. It's a book about cupcakes. It's a book about suffering.

 It's a book about gluttony, vanity, bliss, electrical storms, ranch dressing, and Godzilla. It's a book about all the terrible and wonderful reasons we wake up each day and propel our bodies through rain, shine, heaven, and hell.

 From #1 New York Times best-selling author, Matthew Inman, AKA The Oatmeal, comes this hilarious, beautiful, poignant collection of comics and stories about running, eating, and one cartoonist's reasons for jogging across mountains until his toenails fall off.

 Containing over 70 pages of never-before-seen material, including "A Lazy Cartoonist's Guide to Becoming a Runner" and "The Blerch's Guide to Dieting," this book also comes with Blerch race stickers.
Previous page
  1. Part of Series
    The Oatmeal
  2. Print length
    148 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Andrews McMeel Publishing
  5. Publication date
    September 30, 2014
  6. Dimensions
    7 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    144946727X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1449459956
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

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404 cat unhappy middle aged men punch a dolphin in the mouth cat killing you
404 Not Found: A Coloring Book by The Oatmeal Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby How to Be Perfectly Unhappy If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides) How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A short, laugh-out-loud graphic book about the promises and perils of exercise.The hilarious and the profound are often only inches apart, and Inman (Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants, 2013, etc.) consistently nails the space between them. Sure to delight Inman's fans and probably win him some new ones.”

(Kirkus Reviews)

"This graphic novel of sorts is for those of us who run so that we can have a guilt-free donut or five; those of us battling our inner fat kids. Writer and illustrator Matthew Inman, aka The Oatmeal (from his blog), chronicles his arc from a chubby sometimes jogger to a ultramarathoner who runs until his toenails fall off. You can’t help but conclude: If The Oatmeal and his inner Blerch (the ultimate self-underminer) can do it, you can, too." (New York Post)

"Finally! A voice that sings with the blerches of angels!" (Christopher McDougall, author of "Born to Run")

"He runs so hard his toenails fall off.  He asks himself, why?  Why do I do this?  Here, gorgeously, bravely, hilariously, is Matt's deeply honest answer."  (Robert Krulwich, NPR)

"All runners wonder, at some point or another, why we do what we do.  Mr. Inman's explanation is the best I've ever seen.  And the funniest.  Because he is clinically insane."  (Mark Remy, Editor at Large, Runner's World and author of "The Runner's Rule Book")

"You will have seen many of these cartoons on his website, The Oatmeal, but there is so much more in this book, and the price is well worth the extra content.  Not only that, there is no excuse to not have this if you are a runner.  I cannot express how many times I put this down and cried laughing." (Joe Hempel, Top of the Heap Reviews)

About the Author

Matthew Inman is the Eisner Award-winning creator of The Oatmeal and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You. Matthew also co-created the popular Exploding Kittens card game. Since being founded in 2009, his work on TheOatmeal.com has been read by over 300 million people.

Matthew Inman is the Eisner Award-winning creator of The Oatmeal and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You. Matthew also co-created the popular Exploding Kittens card game. Since being founded in 2009, his work on TheOatmeal.com has been read by over 300 million people.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1449459951
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Andrews McMeel Publishing (September 30, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 148 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 144946727X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1449459956
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,793 ratings

About the authors

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Previous page
  1. The Oatmeal

    The Oatmeal

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Matthew Inman is a Web designer and developer from Seattle, Washington. He has been designing Web sites since the age of 13 and is a seasoned programmer, systems administrator, and online marketer. Matthew launched TheOatmeal.com in 2009.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Matthew Inman

    Matthew Inman

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    I'm a cartoonist who lives in Seattle, Washington with two cats and two dogs. My favorite food is peanut butter and my least favorite food is an absence of peanut butter.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,793 global ratings
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5 Stars
Watch out...
Watch out for the Blerch... ... ... It will follow you forever! On your way to the donuts, Nutella, and the fast food joint. Everywhere! This book will also make you choke with laughter. It is terribly dangerous!
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Top reviews from the United States

someRandomEngineer
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great for us runners who understand the quirkiness that comes ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book is great for us runners who understand the quirkiness that comes with long distance running. If you're one of those sub-elite super runners, or maybe a person who is a blerch, you might not appreciate it, but I feel like it captures feelings that a lot of us have had on runs or about running. It is coloured by a bit of the author's opinions (he hates situps and tanning beds), but the comics in the book are full of personality and humor.

The illustrations are also pretty good, and add to the story/text going on throughout the book. It isn't a copy of his online content either, since it adds a bit more than you can find online. Overall I'd say it is a good laugh if you're into running humor, and a bit motivational for those who are starting to run or are interested in it.
One person found this helpful
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Cody S
5.0 out of 5 stars You Won't Stop Laughing. Ever.
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
I cannot say enough about this book or its author. If you haven't seen The Oatmeal's website, please visit it. You will not stop laughing. EVER. First of all, before I forget, don't buy this book thinking it's for kids. It's got a lot of adult language in it, so I guess it depends on how you raise your kids. I got it for my Dad to make him laugh about his own suffering in trying to run long distances (he did a Half Ironman, woo!). He started reading, and didn't stop until he finished. My Mom said he was laughing the entire time. It's a fairly quick read, with big beautiful illustrations finely printed with a good binding. I think of it like Farside, the cartoons I used to read as a kid. I loved those cartoons. This is more of a narrative about something specific, but it has that comical feel of being somewhat raunchy and unapologetically vulgar. I love unapologetically vulgar. Please buy this book, and get right to reading. Mine came with Beat the Blerch marathon stickers!
2 people found this helpful
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Kris
4.0 out of 5 stars it was entertaining and had some good points of interest
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
Matt delivers again! As promised it’s a more lengthy delivery as to Matt’s personal experiences as a runner and explanation as to what he has picked up on his own journey from an inactive fellow to an ultra marathoner. This is not a training guide or anything but it is an extended length comic similar to what he has on his site for the public. The book contains that comic as well as a continuation and a bit of before-story. To be honest, it kinda pissed me off this wasn’t 100% new content. Nevertheless, it was entertaining and had some good points of interest, packed with art and humor as we know and love from Oatmeal.
One person found this helpful
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leeann
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for runners
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
Verified Purchase
I absolutely love this. I want posters of it for my room as a long distance runner I relate and love the hunory
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Justin Merrill
5.0 out of 5 stars Stay Classy Matthew, Stay Classy.
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
Matthew Inman never ceases to amaze me. He is funny, clever, and smart. These attributes bleed into his books without question. This new book is no exception, however it is a little different from his previous books. He previous books were a little 'random' and enjoyably so. Matthew's new book is a little more focused, and its all about running (and a intermission about bees). The focus was quite enjoyable. Matthew was able to explaining is running journey while making it funny and enjoyable to read. I would say it provided me with some inspiration to go out and run....but who am I kidding? I read this for his writing style. It's great. Buy it. You'll love if you familiar with Matthew or the humor/comic genres in general.

The only con to this book is that it doesn't come with a poster, you get stickers as a consolation prize. Having purchased Inman's previous books I was expecting a meticulously crafted and funny poster. I was disappointed when one wasn't there :(
9 people found this helpful
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Chere Hibbitts
5.0 out of 5 stars The best part was finishing the book
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2015
Verified Purchase
As an Ultra-Marathoner, I can tell you that this is the most hilarious (as well as accurate, unfortunately!) book I have ever read on the subject of running! I was laughing so hard that my teen daughters insisted I let them read it as soon as I was finished. All through the house you could hear bouts of laughter as each one of us took turns! The best part was finishing the book, to discover decals for my car! (which as any runner knows, is likely already filled with running stickers...but you can never have too many!) Well written by someone who obviously knows what it's like to be a runner! You don't need to be a runner to appreciate the book, though...and I highly recommend the book to anyone who "knows" someone who runs. You will have a new found appreciation for the pain, discomfort, and often confusing "runners high" we get after torturing ourselves. It just gets funnier the more I read it! TEN STARS!
3 people found this helpful
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Jeff H
3.0 out of 5 stars Amusing (and accurate?) book on running, but with unnecessary inappropriate content throughout.
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2015
Verified Purchase
Bought this for a friend who is an avid runner. My wife (who runs) and I (who don't) found the book highly amusing, but we were hesitant to give it away because there is quite a bit of inappropriate content within the book (our friend has teens and younger who are also runners). Unfortunately, "The Oatmeal" uses quite a bit of R-rated language and visual descriptions which are not, shall we say, family friendly. The worst part is that none of the language or descriptions are necessary to the book. They add nothing positive at all and each occurrence could have been replaced with something clean yet equally funny (or even funnier). Ultimately we did give the book, but with a warning to the parents to read it before letting their kids see it so they could judge for themselves.
One person found this helpful
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ElphabaThropp
5.0 out of 5 stars Love!
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2014
Verified Purchase
My 12 year old son saw this and thought I should read it. While it's the thought that counts, it's also nice to know he has my password, and I should see what else he's ordered. Aside from the strong language in this book, honestly I've never read a comic book with F_bombs before, it's a delightfully humorous comic book. The drawings are simplistic and creative. You have to read it through a couple times, once just to appreciate the author's drawings. There's a somewhat serious side to this as the author mentions feelings about obesity. I think so many of us can really related to that. It's also nice to hear an experienced runner saying Hey- just chill out and run. I am glad to have read this and will check out his other titles, hopefully before my son does. Kudos to the author, loved the book. I'm just old-school and don't care for the F-bombs.
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Top reviews from other countries

Matteo Rossetti
5.0 out of 5 stars Entartaining books for all runners - and not!
Reviewed in Germany on February 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
Timely delivery, conditions as advertised.
As for the content, I was already familiar with the Oatmeal style, and the book didn't disappoint!
Entertaining journey inside the mind of a runner :)
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Tercio Testa
5.0 out of 5 stars Just awesome!
Reviewed in Brazil on January 28, 2019
Verified Purchase
The Oatmeal is crazy and I loved this book. Read it in a single sitting, warp speed! GREAT BOOK!
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marie-claude gagnon
5.0 out of 5 stars Loooooove this book
Reviewed in Canada on March 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
Excellent funny book. I recognized myself and makes me want to go for a run. Wether you are an experience runner or not it’s a good read
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read
Reviewed in India on August 26, 2019
Verified Purchase
Fun read, laughters here and there.... tit bits of wisdom here and there, overall good comic book. Read full book in one sitting. Thinking of reading other oatmeal books.
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MG
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
Reviewed in Italy on June 9, 2018
Verified Purchase
As usual the oatmeal is really good in writing fun stories and let you forget about everything for an hour or two
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