The Success Trail

Learn to Win with a Marathon Runner's Mindset

Non-Fiction - Sports
233 Pages
Reviewed on 11/13/2021
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Nicholus Schroeder for Readers' Favorite

The Success Trail: Learn to Win with a Marathon Runner’s Mindset by Jack Perconte is an educational book for long-distance runners. In his fourth book, Jack Perconte intends to propel the reader to run their first long-distance race. Jack Perconte additionally shares his insight and tips, as he has partaken in more than 14 marathons, so have confidence that this man knows what he's talking about. I have no clue how he keeps on running long-distance races at the youthful age of 67, as I'm generally gasping for air after my daily jog for the paper. Other than his substantial and genuine guidance for potential long-distance runners, he shares great wisdom, so this book is really worth reading by people with goals they seek to accomplish. Indeed, even a guitarist would benefit from Jack Perconte's tips and techniques for steady meaningful progress. The book is essentially comprised of steps for runners to follow to guarantee that they're prepared for their first long-distance race. Suggestions and safety precautions are found as well, and this is an extremely instructive book for running enthusiasts and readers looking for inspiration.

I actually haven't run a marathon for a long time now, because I tore a muscle during my last long-distance race during the initial 300 meters. I powered through, however, but ever since that incident I've never participated in another long-distance race, as I couldn’t walk without my entire leg shaking for a few days after the race. So why then did I read a book about how to prepare for a marathon? Well, that’s because this book contains much more than mere steps to follow for runners. Tucked away in the middle of paragraphs are significant tips on the best way to achieve your objectives. Running a long-distance race and being a guitarist are two totally unique yet comparable exercises. Both require months of daily practice and both are extremely challenging to master yet very easy to abandon.

In The Success Trail, Jack Perconte is extremely inspirational, and I can use his tips on how not to throw in the towel alongside others and apply them to my long journey as a guitarist. Other than the incredible inspiration found in his book, something else I truly loved was that it was so satisfying to read. I more often than not lean toward educational books that are fun to read, and Jack Perconte's accounts of his victories and weaknesses, alongside his humor, caused me to greatly appreciate this book. I'd like to recommend it primarily to runners planning on participating in their first long-distance race, and to readers that have their own different goals as the majority of the content can be applied to other activities. A great book not just for runners but also for anyone seeking inspiration.

Pikasho Deka

The Success Trail is a motivational self-help guidebook for athletes written by former Major League Baseball player and author Jack Perconte. Perconte provides a step-by-step set of guidelines to motivate athletes and people from all walks of life to help them achieve their dreams. He recalls personal experiences and inspirational stories of other great athletes who made their mark in their respective sports to invigorate readers and make them aim for the skies. A Los Angeles Dodgers player in the early 80s who has completed fourteen marathons since then, Perconte's life has been a series of athletic achievements which he uses to convey wisdom to the current generation of aspiring stars. The guidelines are specifically selected for people who seek solutions in their athletic, working, parenting, or creative endeavors.

The Success Trail is an inspirational self-help handbook that teaches valuable lessons in one's pursuit for success. The book is beneficial to athletes as well as people from all walks of life. Jack Perconte takes a meticulous approach in laying out his ideas, incorporating not only personal experiences but also real-life events and personages from various fields. The addition of a personal motivational playlist is yet another highlight of the book. From Bob Dylan to Pearl Jam to Eminem, Perconte draws inspiration from a wide range of artists from different eras and genres to make an invigorating playlist that will boost anyone's morale. He cites the examples of marathon runners such as Grete Waitz, Matt Long, and Rosa Mota, whose achievements inspired him to pursue his own dreams. Highly recommended.

Joe Wisinski

The Success Trail: Learn to Win with a Marathon Runner's Mindset was written to help people set and achieve goals, especially big goals. Individual chapters challenge the reader’s mindset, with each chapter addressing a different aspect of our mental preparedness. Chapter titles include The Courageous Mindset, The Athlete’s Mindset, The Winner’s Mindset, and more. Author Jack Perconte outlines 16 steps to achieving success, starting with setting a goal and ending with how to recover when the inevitable bad days surface. As the title implies, Perconte is a marathon runner, and he frames his book in the context of that athletic endeavor. However, Perconte’s accomplishments include more than running 14 marathons. He played major league baseball and has worked in his post-baseball life to use the medium of sports to help young people and their parents succeed.

The Success Trail: Learn to Win with a Marathon Runner's Mindset will challenge any reader by example and by instruction. Author Jack Perconte writes in a casual style, making for easy, enjoyable reading. Because Perconte has enjoyed success in his own life, his book rings true. He admits to not being “a great baseball player” nor a “world-class marathoner.” But it’s precisely for those reasons that Perconte’s book carries the value it does. Most people—and most readers of this book—are not at the top of their professions or superb at their favorite leisure activities. But Perconte’s consistent message is, “If I can do it, so can you.” He also unfailingly makes the point that reaching goals and/or winning in any life endeavor is not easy. But reading this book will help you take the necessary steps. I recommend Perconte’s book to anyone who wants to be challenged to succeed, whether in sports or any other part of life.