“Alisha Perkins’s Running Home is a beautiful book that, on the surface, is about running, but is actually about so much more. It is about dealing with anxiety, finding balance in life, and remembering to run toward something and not away from anything. It will inspire you and, perhaps, even get you to pick up your old running shoes and start again.”
—Joe Posnanski, New York Times bestselling author and national columnist for NBC Sports
“Alisha Perkins has gone to dark places, haunted by demons that threatened her very existence. But she chose to fight back, and found solace and freedom through running. Hers is a story of triumph over tragedy, and in her book she speaks honestly and openly about crawling from the depths to find the light.”
—Dean Karnazes, ultramarathoner and New York Times best-selling author
As the wife of a professional baseball player, Alisha Perkins has long struggled to find an identity of her own—a struggle made worse by an anxiety disorder that has plagued her since childhood. One afternoon during spring training, Alisha, eager for a few minutes to herself, decides to take a short run around the neighborhood. What she discovers is her first taste of the elusive runner’s high, a release of her pent-up anxiety, and a chance to find her voice.
As Alisha progresses from shorter distances to full marathons—eventually organizing charity races of her own—she is able to let go of the nagging sense that she is “competent but not complete,” even as the demands of training compete with those of family and baseball. A memoir that will resonate with anyone who has struggled with self-doubt, Running Home is a poignant meditation on the steps that hold us back, and those that push us forward.
“It’s as authentic a story as I’ve ever read. There is nothing quite so endearing as honesty. . . . Reading it felt like a long walk with an old friend.”
—Kevin Slowey, former MLB pitcher and current special assistant, MLB Players Association
“Want to read something honest and bold? The reason I enjoyed this book so much was because I know it is true. Alisha is brave enough to share thoughts and experiences that most of us wouldn’t be willing to say out loud.”
—Bekah Metzdorff , owner of Mill City Running
“Running Home is the story of two kinds of races. One is run with a good pair of Nikes and the other with the heart. Alisha inspires with her very personal and candid story about becoming a runner and about her resilient determination to cope with chronic anxiety. Her story will make you want to take up running, and it will also give you hope for whatever inherent struggles you may be facing.”
—Debbie Scheide, LMFT
“Alisha’s perspective is honest, vulnerable, and inspirational. It offers hope when one needs it most.”
—Virginia Achman, executive director, Twin Cities in Motion
“I loved reading this book. Alisha opens herself up in a way most of us would only do on a run with a girlfriend or a training partner. Sharing her secrets, passions, fears, setbacks, and achievements made me feel like I was running the roads with her and about to get after life! Thanks for letting us take a sneak peek of the life of wife, mommy, and runner Alisha Perkins.”
—Carrie Tollefson, US Olympic runner
“Anxiety and other forms of mental illness are mostly untalked-about subjects in this country. Credit to Alisha for opening up about her struggles, and for pulling back the curtain on a hobby—running—that has helped guide her through. Honest, insightful, funny, and relatable.”
—Phil Mackey, ESPN radio host
“Running Home is artfully woven together with strands of an uplifting sports story, a passionate love story, a story of overcoming, and a remarkably candid story of the reality of living with mental illness. What makes this book so powerful is that it is an unaltered true story, and Alisha Perkins’s voice is so genuine that you can’t help but relate. Running Home has perfect timing—entering a national climate that is finally warming to the notion of breaking the stigma on anxiety and other mental illnesses. Perkins wears so many ‘hats’— Twins wife, mother, runner, daughter, writer, Minnesotan, philanthropist, believer. No matter who you are and what ‘hats’ you may wear, I think we all can gain something from reading her story.”
—Heather Kampf, Team USA MN, Asics Elite athlete
“A fun and lighthearted read that just may inspire you to lace up those boots and run home. Much appreciation for her honesty! Every baseball wife has their story, and this is hers, loud and proud!”
—Renee Dozier, wife of MLB player Brian Dozier
“This book is amazing. It helped me realize why I started to run, why I run now, and why I feel the need to run. Alisha’s style is very humble, authentic, and inspirational. She shares her heartaches, triumphs, pain, and pleasure. Alisha’s description of her ongoing bout with anxiety will open the eyes to those that battle the same thing and help them realize they are not the only ones feeling like this. She is very brave to share details regarding the need to overbook to prevent downtime, and about her getting worn out and shutting down. Luckily for her and the reader, running gave Alisha her voice back. She now enjoys that downtime when she doesn’t have to think or talk. Her message will inspire others to know that there is nothing to hide. This book will be eye-opening for those that currently run and hopefully motivate others to start.”
—Danny McCormack, Nike Baseball
“Sometimes we use running as a means of escape. Alisha teaches us it may actually be the best way to confront our most brutal burdens. This poignant, funny, and unapologetically raw examination of life in the public eye helps us reexamine why we spend so much energy trying to be what others think we should be, instead of just finding our own stride and breaking out from the pack. A truly inspiring read!”
—Eric Perkins, KARE 11 anchor
“What I love about running—as much as the endorphin high—is the camaraderie among running partners, and as often happens, a baring of the soul at a shared pace. And that’s what Alisha Perkins offers in Running Home. She shows us her vulnerability, all while doing something that makes her feel strong.”
—Kara Douglass Thom, author of Go! Go! Sports Girls children’s book series and coauthor of Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom
“You feel as though you are running alongside Alisha as she takes you on her candid journey. She illustrates how running can be so much more than a race to the finish line. It is what you learn about yourself along the way that can matter most.”
—Maddie Mauer, wife of MLB player Joe Mauer
“Alisha Perkins’s ruminations on the beauty of life, the perils of anxiety, and the comfort of family breathe wisdom amid humor and solemnity. It is a brave book, and like its author, it takes to running and promises never to slow down.”
—Jeff Passan, author of The Arm
“Running Home is a brutally honest and engrossing story about a woman’s struggles with clinical anxiety and how she overcomes challenges through grit, determination, and, sometimes, running. Perkins’s openness and wit present her story in an entertaining and accessible manner. Her life is extraordinary, but her humble and frank approach makes her struggle and story relevant for all too many of us living in and dealing with first-world issues in twenty- first-century America.”
—Karl Hoagland, publisher of Ultrarunning Magazine
“A refreshingly honest tale about the power of the mind and the body. Anxiety is a mental illness with no start line or finish line, but Perkins shows us that running is her clearest path to health.”
—Michael Rand, Minneapolis Star-Tribune Digital Sports Editor
“A raw and honest account of her journey from a neophyte runner to a seasoned veteran. Athletes of all levels will be able to relate to Alisha Perkins’s struggles and successes in Running Home. A must- read for runners seeking to be inspired.”
—Jeff Metzdorff , owner of Mill City Running