Portion of Fun Run Group at 1980 Marquette Marathon. Front: Mary Tieman, Wayne Hubbard, Barb Delong, Chuck Pankratz, Beezie and Bruce MacNeil, Daryl Kapalin, Leroy Vogt Second: Sue Vogt, unknown, Pam Bulik, Dan Graham, unknown, Bernice and Dick Lytie, Jim Drews, Bob Delong, Lynda Drews, Leo Tieman, Larry Boehm, Sue Hyde, Bob Bulik Back: Arlyss Hubbard, Kathleen & Rod Leadley, Sandy Johnsen, Kathy Kapalin, Per Johnsen
THE TRUE STORY OF THREE TEACHERS IN A LOVE TRIANGLE THAT STUNNED A COMMUNITY
Deeply immersed in the close-knit culture of long-distance running, Pam and Bob Bulik were avid competitors. To all appearances, they were also a happily married couple, devoted to each other and their two young children. Then, Bob made a fateful decision. He began an extramarital affair that led to his wife's tragic death and to one of the most sensationalized and heavily attended trials in Green Bay's history.
Candidly written by Pam's best friend, Run At Destruction exposes the irresistible human passions that make us so vulnerable and the ultimate price we pay for choosing to act on them. You'll relive every detail of the crime and the exhaustive police investigation, and watch the courtroom drama from a front-row seat as a major homicde case unfolds in a small town where everyone knows all the players. Then, when you've heard all the evidence, you can decide for yourself - was Pam Bulik's death a terrible accident, intentional suicide, or premeditated murder?
Run At Destruction is Lynda Drews's first book.
This true story takes place during the first running boom in the 70's and 80's. I wrote Run At Destruction to document my memories surrounding my best friend Pamela Bulik’s life and to resolve, for myself, why she actually died. In turn I wanted to pass along this knowledge to others that might be headed along Pam's same path. When I lived through these events, even though I was feeling substantial loss and pain, I was enthralled like the rest of the community. To me, the most unbelievable thing was that the Buliks were integral members of our Fun Run group. It was hard to believe that one of our members could be arrested for planning the murder of another.
What people are saying about Run at Destruction:
Publishers Weekly
Runner and longtime Green Bay, Wis. resident Drews revisits the mid-1980s death of her close friend and fellow runner, popular high school teacher Pam Bulik. She chronicles the small community's response to Pam's death, suspicions of suicide that rang false, and the subsequent naming of Pam's husband, Bob Bulik, as the primary suspect. Events, including Bob's alleged affair, drag readers through the gruesome and tawdry details, some difficult to read (especially in descriptions of the victim). Like Melanie Thernstrom's The Dead Girl, about the life and tragic death of her best friend, this title also relies on the strong bond between author and victim for emotional weight; passages about their shared moments, and Drews's feelings of emptiness in the decades since, are remarkable. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
"Run at Destruction is a tragic--yet fascinating--true story of an unfathomable death in the Heartland of America. It happened in a wholesome community of runners and educators, perhaps the last group you would expect to be involved, however tangentially, in secret affairs, deception, and infidelity. Except for the bond between mothers and their children, there may be nothing stronger than women friends who are there to pick up the pieces when the world explodes, and to listen with true concern. Author Lynda Drews writes of her lost friend, and of her own efforts to find justice for Pam Bulik. Readers will find themselves walking along with Drews as she describes an enviable friendship, her grief when it ended suddenly, and the layers she peeled away to find the truth. Wonderfully written. A must for true-crime readers." - Ann Rule, New York Times Best-Selling True Crime Author of The Stranger Beside Me, Small Sacrifices, and Mortal Danger
"Run at Destruction is a riveting and compelling read! Drews takes us on a jog back to the 1980's running boom, layering intriguing portrayals of a running community's friendship within a baffling murder mystery. This is the 2009 runner's read." - Sean Hartnett, correspondent for Track & Field News
"Run at Destruction captures the family-like culture of a running group, showing how its members support one another especially in times of crisis." - Dave McGillivray, Race Director of the Boston Marathon
"A witness for the prosecution who was best friends with the victim, offers
an eloquent and intimate history of a sordid murder, one set amid a weirdly
compelling club of 80s era joggers." - Marek Fuchs, author of A Cold-Blooded Business
"Reader groups everywhere will find Run At Destruction intriguing and thought-provoking. The characters struck a familiar chord inspiring endless discussion." - Lora Stemke, Titletown Teachers Reader's Group
"Run At Destruction is written with the beat of a runner's heart: steady intensity racing toward an inevitable finish. Drews is the John Grisham of the running world, pulling readers into a unique subculture where the drama unfolds." - Sean Ryan, Race Director, Cellcom Green Bay Marathon
About the Author
Lynda Drews, a Wisconsin native and dedicated runner, recently gave the commencement speech at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, her college Alma mater. One lesson she shared with the graduates was: "to journal your life." When Lynda, an IBM marketing executive, made the decision to retire after her thirty-year career, she returned to an earlier passion. Run At Destruction is the outcome.
Lynda and her husband, Jim, a retired guidance counselor and an accomplished runner, have two sons, Collin and Chris, and a golden retriever named Bailey. The family has lived in GreenBay since the mid-seventies and helped launch the local running movement. The city now hosts the nation's fifth largest 10K, the Bellin Run.
Where to purchase Run At Destruction:
Run At Destruction can be ordered on Amazon.com , Barnes&Noble.com, or at Target.com It is also available as an e-book on Kindle or the B&N Nook.
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Published by Titletown Publishing and Distributed by Midpoint Trade Books
Virtual Book Tour Stops in November for Run at Destruction - Would love you to stop by and comment!
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