Grief broke her. Running rebuilt her.

When her son David died of cancer at just ten years old, Susan Carpenito Heard was consumed by grief and debilitating guilt. She hadn't just lost a child; she'd lost her sense of control, her

identity, and her will to live.

As Susan sank into a deep depression, she found solace in food and alcohol. But those crutches brought an additional burden: the knowledge that her son, whose motto was "Embrace Life," would be devastated by her decline.

After years of avoiding reality only to hit rock bottom, Susan decided to run, quite literally, towards something new: hope.

She strapped on a Fitbit. She took her first strides. With every mile, Susan found new ways to process her pain, regain control, and heal her heart. The girl who once failed P.E. because she refused to run a mile was now a woman on a desperate yet exhilarating mission.

From her couch, to her first 5K, to completing a marathon, the thousands of miles she logged became a journey through grief and a grounding force to navigate many additional challenges she endured in the years after David died. Award-winning journalist Jeanne Albanese used hundreds of journal entries and interviews to chronicle Susan's transformation, sharing her victories and setbacks in Susan's voice--with the same raw honesty found in the online journals and sweaty selfies Susan used to document her progress.

Out on the road, she discovered a sense of self and accomplishment she struggled to find elsewhere. Because even if you're at the back of the pack, you're still moving forward.

Woman on the Run is an honest, gritty, and ultimately joyful memoir. It shows healing is rarely linear, but through persistence and resilience you can find hope, joy, and a new sense of self, even in the wake of life's darkest moments.

This story is for anyone who has suffered great loss, wrestled with purpose, or needs an inspirational jolt to start their own journey.

The goal, as David so eloquently put it, is simple: embrace life.