The Book

Running With a Vengeance focuses in on the life of Todd Holmes. Upon entering Richmond High School, he focuses solely on getting exceptional grades and making the school’s basketball team. However, during a conversation with his math teacher, Mr. Yesruh, Todd is persuaded to try cross-country, an activity he never even considered a sport. He quickly finds a love for running and decides that he is much better at running than he ever would be at basketball.

After a quick flashback to his freshman year of high school, the core of the work focuses on Todd's senior year cross-country season.. After battling several injuries in his first three years of running, Todd is now projected to be a potential state champion. Todd finds running as an outlet for life’s issues. He seeks support from his coaches as his relationship with his father is deteriorating at a rapid rate. Coach Yesruh and Todd gradually become closer and Yesruh quickly serves as a father figure in Todd’s life. He impacts Todd’s life both inside and outside of cross-country. Coach Accir, new to the coaching staff for Todd’s senior year, accompanies Todd on several runs and pushes him to new levels. By running with Accir, Todd learns valuable life lessons that he would not have learned otherwise, all while pushing his body to levels he never thought possible.

As a result of Todd being a potential state champion, his teammates feel obligated to train harder. Because of their training, the team has more potential for success than they have ever had in Yesruh’s coaching career, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have their share of mishaps. The team, as well as Todd, is forced to deal with adversity in running and in their individual lives. As the season progresses, we see the bonds between Todd and his teammates and coaches become stronger and more crucial. Typical high school issues such as college decisions, relationships, drugs and alcohol, and other matters are all encountered in the Knights’ potential season of record-breaking success. "[Those] issues were so prominent in my high school, as I'm sure they are everywhere else. I had to address them. I want people to know what it takes to get through those times. They should know that they are only part of a high school team for a very short time in their lives. They shouldn't waste that time worrying or dealing with that stuff."

As the story unravels, it becomes apparent that Todd’s success in running is in direct correlation to how he is handling his difficult home life. Just when his life seems as if it could not get any more hectic, Todd finds himself trying to balance even more of life’s challenges. "It is here when Todd realizes just how important his teammates and coaches are to him...and how crucial he is to them," Peharda states. The team must pull together in order to get through the adversity and reach their destiny. When the ultimate test finally comes, their preparation, dedication, and passion is tested in every possible way. "It's easy to have potential; you have to do something to reach and maybe even exceed that potential. That's the difficult part. That is what RWV focuses on."

As pressure mounts and the end of the season nears, the Knights must deal with everything life throws at them. Peharda's writing is passionate, riveting, and takes readers on an emotional roller coaster. "I really wanted to go into detail with the races. It is so difficult to put into words what goes on in one's head when racing," he stated. This was obviously not a challenge for Peharda, as his intense, step-by-step detail takes readers into another spectrum of this world.

While running is the main focus of the novel, Peharda's writing dealing with Todd's personal issues is just as enthralling. "There are parts in it that were very difficult (emotionally) for me to write, but I really wanted to put them in the there. People need someone or something to reassure them that someone else has been in their same position...and that they can get through it. I want this to be something they can fall back on when times get difficult."

The novel is loosely based off of Peharda's life. "Todd's character is really a combination of my personal life and my friend's running success. Anyone who knows me knows that I never had a chance of winning a state championship." He added, "I know a lot of people will ask me if some of the events really happened. I will just remind them that it is a fictional work. Does that mean none of the events happened? Absolutely not," he says with a genuine, youthful grin.

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