Running My Way Across The USA
Available in Paperback and on Kindle via Amazon.com
On her 40th birthday, Bridget Simpson ran her first half marathon. Thinking it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, she was proud of her accomplishment and ready to move on to something else, never aspiring to run in a long distance event ever again. However, after months of being constantly asked when she planned to race again, she entered the same event one year later and improved her finish time by more than 30 minutes. Sensing she was on a roll, she became serious about her training and nutrition and before long, a dream was born: to run a distance event in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia.
Over the next 3-1/2 years, Bridget would see every state in the U.S.A. from the view of a road race. Along the way, she would earn many trophies and age group awards, including the Masters Championship in for the Women’s 10k in Pocatello, Idaho. But more importantly, she would establish life-long friendships and discover the beauty and diversity of the United States in ways she could never have hoped for or imagined.
Take this journey with Bridget as she travails across valleys and mountains in sunshine and rain, while touring some of our nation’s best kept secrets as well as national landmarks like the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham and the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum.
As one of the few African American women to see the country in this fashion, Bridget hopes that her story will inspire those who feel that they are too old or too much in the minority to revive an old dream or birth a brand new one, regardless how many obstacles life throws your way.
A Running Guide for African American Girls
Available in Paperback and on Kindle via Amazon.com
As a young girl, Bridget Simpson enjoyed a very active lifestyle that included swimming, tennis, and cycling. However, once she hit her teen years, she forfeited exercise and nutrition for a life of laziness and leisure.
Growing up in the South, she developed a diet that primarily consisted of fried and fast food, resulting in unwanted weight gain and potential health issues. After finishing college and graduate school and tipping the scales at nearly 50 pounds above the standard healthy weight for her height, she recognized her need to change her life but didn’t know how to get started.
She decided to enter a half marathon (13.1 miles) that took place on her birthday, thinking it would be a nice way to celebrate and get into shape. Although her finish time wasn’t the best, she decided to enter the same race a year later and improved her time by more than 30 minutes.
Bridget eventually ran a long distance event in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Along the way, she would learn a great deal about our country, its history and life in general.
Bridget shares how she became a long distance runner and how YOU can get in the best shape of your life and realize goals you never dreamed were possible.