Movies
Books:
Beginners
Training
Ultramarathons
Nutrition/Weight Training/Injury
Biographies and Novels
Other
Movies
With Charlie Engle, narrated by Matt Damon. 4300 miles in 111 days, enduring temperatures up to 140 degrees.
It's Dean Karnazes again. The title is pretty self-explanatory.
Follows Dave as he runs over 40 miles a day for 66 days trying to set the speed record for the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.
Follows the 1999 Badwater race. Goes into the lives of some of the competitors and what motivated them to get there.
A once-promising runner who was unfairly banned from amateur competition twenty years ago sets out to recapture his lost glory and begins to train for one of the toughest races in America, the Cielo Sea.
A champion marathoner leads a double life as a serial bank robber, sprinting between fixes (and away from police cavalcades) as many as three times a day. A lean, visceral study of pathological compulsion from Austrian director Benjamin Heisenberg, featuring a riveting central performance by Andreas Lust (Munich).
Charlie Engle and Marshall Ulrich run from San Francisco to New York.
Follows six people that train for and race the 2007 Chicago Marathon.
Follows the training and racing of Anton Krupicka.
A 96 year old man runs the 2nd oldest footrace in America, the grueling Dipsea race, for a world record 68 consecutive times. An American original, he has lived alone all his life on his 400-acre homestead in the Sierra Nevada foothills with no running water, electricity or house.
DVD on trail running with Dave McMahon and Ray Zahab.
Documentary covering the Western States race.
The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism.
Rain Murphy is a man sentenced to life in prison, choosing to do his time in near-isolation, and engages in distance running when given the opportunity for free-time. While his form and speed capture the attention of prison officials who believe he could be competitive for the Olympics, Murphy expresses disinterest. But when the one man he has befriended is taken advantage of by political groups within the prison, Murphy decides to pursue the opportunity presented to him in his memory. This action not only has profound changes on him, but also on the atmosphere of the inmates in the prison and their outlook on the accomplishments he can make.
Story of Billy Mills in the 1964 Olympic 10,000m
It's the true-life story of legendary track star Steve Prefontaine, the exciting and sometimes controversial "James Dean of Track," whose spirit captured the heart of the nation! Cocky, charismatic, and tough, "Pre" was a running rebel who defied rules, pushed limits ... and smashed records ... in an incredible against-all-odds quest for Olympic gold!
The film follows the life of famous 1970s runner Steve Prefontaine from his youth days in Oregon to Oregon University where he worked with the legendary coach Bill Bowerman, later to Olympics in Munich and his early death at 24 in a car crash.
Fire On the Track is the story of this young lion's life, as told through rare footage and the memories of those who knew him best - his teammates, coaches, family and friends. Interviews include David Bedford, Frank Shorter, Ian Stewart, Bill Bowerman, Jeff Galloway, Dick Buerkle, Lasse Viren, Dana Carvey, Mac Wilkins, Kenny Moore, Dave Wottle, Alberto Salazar, and many more.
Though this movie is slightly cheesy, and obviously neither Brad nor Ricky's best work, it is very entertaining nonetheless. Brad Pitt as a track star...need I say any more? And Ricky Schroeder as a troubled youth looking to make a fresh start...brilliant. The best part of the movie is the drunk scene (if you watch it you'll know what I mean), which can be reenacted over and over with your friends for hours and hours of guaranteed hilarity.
A motivational documentary that will give you great insight into the daily outlook, mindset and madness of a professional runner to help you get to that next level. 2-time Olympian Anthony Famiglietti gives you an inside look at what it takes to become one of the best runners in the world.
Starring legendary actor Christopher Plummer (THE INSIDER, A BEAUTIFUL MIND) and Jamie Maclachlan as Sir Roger Bannister -- you and your family will cheer on this amazing account of a gifted runner's triumph! After Mount Everest was conquered in 1953, the last great individual challenge remained the four-minute mile. While many sought to break through the most famous barrier in sporting history, it was medical student and driven amateur Roger Bannister who did it -- astounding the world. Written by renowned sportswriter Frank Deford -- don't miss one second of this remarkable achievement, both on and off the track.
The Four Minute Mile is the compelling story of Roger Bannister and his rivals, the runners who shared his dream and pursued it with unrelenting tenacity. It was a quest for athletic immortality that spanned eight years, three continents and captivated a post-war world avidly seeking new heroes.
Learning how to run doesn't get any simpler! The Pose Running DVD contains all the information you need to understand what running is and how to learn to run the right way! Used by everyone from amateur runners to Olympic & National team members of USA, Great Britain, Russia and Mexico. Dr. Nicholas Romanov, the Russian sport science professor and British National Triathlon team coach, teaches you how to run easier, faster, safer with his pioneering Pose Method® of Running Video.
This DVD is a drill and exercise guide to fast, efficient, and injury free running. Efficiency is the missing piece to a significant portion of every runners training program. Improving your efficiency will yield faster running at the same effort. The human body is similar to a race car: you can have a big, powerful engine, but the pistons are not firing properly, the engine is useless. Just like a race car, a tune up to determine the efficiency of your movement can ensure a finely tuned machine! The information on this DVD will provide you with drills and exercises that promote fast, efficient, and injury free running.
Boston may have done it first, but the way Run For Your Life tells it, it was the New York City Marathon that put the idea of the big city road race on the map, in the process adding immeasurably to the popularity of running in general. When it began in 1970, the New York event consisted of four circuits around Central Park, where a few hundred participants shared the roadway with baby carriages and hansom cabs. In 1976, when the race expanded to include all five of the city’s boroughs, it attracted some 2,000 athletes, including Olympians Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers.
Cross country isn't a glamor sport, but that doesn't mean you should run away from The Long Green Line. Cross country, which involves teams of runners traversing hill and dale for points, doesn't attract a lot of attention, but there are great stories to tell; this documentary is more about the people who run than about the sport in which they compete. Its focus is legendary coach Joe Newton and his York High School program, from neophyte freshmen recruited from the halls of the Elmhurst school to Newton, arguably the greatest high school coach in the country, regardless of sport.
For the past decade, African runners have dominated distance running at its highest levels. Research on what makes these runners faster consistently demonstrates normal VO2 Max and lactate threshold levels for elite runners. Their height, weight, and limb-length ratios all fall into the normal category. Clearly and consistently, what sets the great African runners apart is that they are more efficient than their competitors, running faster without expending more energy. Experts in running economy agree that running barefoot through childhood contributes significantly to the extraordinary economy of these athletes. We're not suggesting that you run barefoot. We are suggesting that you take the time and effort to learn the techniques that may be more natural running barefoot, and implement them into your shoe-running technique.
FIVE HOURS OF CONTENT-2 DISK SET!An advanced running technique is presented based on the application of knowledge gained from anatomy and biomechanics. You will get tremendous insight into how different muscles work together as well as alone during running. Extensive information is given on the structure and function of the most important muscles. Topics include start and acceleration, high-speed and efficient running. This takes into account differences in backgrounds and interests of runners. Information on technique is provided on two levels. Level 1 assumes that the reader has no prior knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics. Complicated principles are explained clearly without in-depth discussion of human anatomy. Level 2 assumes a basic knowledge of anatomy and some insight into biomechanical principles in as far as they are relevant to running.
The Western States Endurance Run is an ultra-marathon that starts near Squaw Valley, California and winds 100 miles through the Sierra Nevada mountains along an old gold mining trail. Competitors face 100+ degree heat, 18,000 feet of elevation gain, and the dangers of running in the dead of night.
Yiannis Kouros-Forever Running
Forever Running gives an in-depth look at the life and philosophy of the legendary Yiannis Kouros, known as the "Running God," "Golden Greek," "Pheidippides' Successor," and as the "Master of Pain." Kouros holds records from 100 miles to 1,000 miles, from 200 km to 1,600 km, and from 1 day to 10 days.
Saint Ralph
An inspiring story about the unlikely story of Ralph Walker, a ninth grader who outran everyone's expectations except his own in his bold quest of trying to win the 1954 Boston Marathon. Ralph is a fatherless 14-year-old with a seriously ill mother, who knows he's a time bomb waiting to explode into greatness, except that he has no idea where that greatness will manifest itself. An unfortunate incident of self-abuse in the community pool inadvertently sets him on this road when, as penance, Ralph is conscripted to the cross-country team. Desperate to believe a miracle will bring his mother out of a coma, Ralph becomes a convert to the church of running, and determines to win the Boston Marathon.
Meet Italian Marco Olmo, Ultra runner and defending champion as he spends a year training for what may be his final race, Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc. Starting his running at age 27, he is now more than double that age and still bringing home more hardware on each outing. By day he works as a driver in a quarry, and other times he can be found in the remote areas around his town putting in the miles. His wife, Renata, is his support team and sounding board. She appears to be the one who knows Marco the best, if anyone can say that they know him at all.
Every four years, the world of track and field focuses on one event, and in 2004, the focus was on Athens. Across the U.S., runners dreamed of representing their country, competing against the best, and being an Olympian.
Five Thousand Meters: Nothing Comes Easy chronicles the quest of nine runners attempting to make the team in the 5k.
On his wedding day, London lay-about Dennis (Pegg, who co-wrote with Michael Ian Black) deserts his pregnant fiancée, Libby (Crash's Thandie Newton), seconds before the ceremony. Crippling insecurity--which remains unexplored--prevents him from finishing anything ("Not even a sentence," Libby quips). Flash-forward five years, and he's a loving dad to son Jake (the charming Matthew Fenton), but sports a small potbelly, smokes too much and entertains no ambition beyond his job as security guard at a high-end boutique. Fortunately, he has friends, like gambler Gordon (Shaun of the Dead co-star Dylan Moran) and avuncular landlord Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel). Fit American financier Whit (Huff's Hank Azaria) shakes up his routine when he starts seeing Libby. To win her back, Dennis trains for the same 26-mile charity marathon as Whit. No one believes he can make it to the end, and even Dennis has doubts, but true love is a formidable motivator.
When teenagers from one of the nation's toughest neighborhood in Oakland, California sign up to train for a marathon, they begin the journey of a lifetime. Runners High is an intimate character driven documentary of struggle, courage, and hope. During a season filled with conflict and possibility, four of these teen bare their dreams, joys, tears and fears. As several stumble under pressure in emotionally charged moments, others realize the journey begins with the power and commitment to accept responsibility for their own futures. Runners High shows that no matter what happens next, one season of training to run 26.2 miles can change your life forever.
This DVD is over 6 hours long, containing many of the outstanding performances, including Jesse Owens, Bob Beamon's magnificent world record breaking by nearly 2 feet in the long jump at in 1968 in Mexico (Beamon broke down into a seizure, not believing what he had just done...the delay in the result was because the length of his leap was beyond the measure of the equipment), Boxing's Teofilo Stevens of Cuba, winning gold 3 times consecutively at the superheavyweight, Uganda's John Akii-Bua (RIP) becoming the first to run under 48 seconds at the 400 meter hurdles, Lee Evans in 1968 becoming the first man under 44 seconds in the 400 meters (the black power salutes by Tommy Smith and John Carlos are not left out), Cuba's Alberto Juantorena becoming the first Cuban track gold medallist when he won in (and first man ever with golds at both Olympic events)both the 400 and 800 meters run. The list goes on and on.
Coach Joe Walker presents a comprehensive distance running and cross country training program applicable to runners at any level! The program provides specific routines for developing the complete distance runner without over training. Among the topics covered are: warm up routines, the diagonal run, hill training, interval training, circuit training and the principles of distance training. This DVD is a valuable resource for coaches and athletes looking to gain the edge over the competition.
NEW EDITION! Practiced by thousands of runners, the ChiRunning technique is easy to learn and takes the benefits of running beyond cardiovascular and aerobic by addressing the needs of the whole person; joints and ligaments, body and soul. You'll learn to run using your highly efficient core muscles while relaxing the rest of your body, allowing gravity to do the work instead of your legs. Using principles of T'ai Chi, ChiRunning combines ancient wisdom with modern physics to transform your running experience.
Every year thousands of athletes from across the globe flock to Boston to run the city s marathon, known worldwide as the ultimate test of stamina and endurance. But how do you run 26 miles if you have trouble making it around the block? With good coaching, discipline, and lots of group support, as NOVA shows when it follows 13 sedentary people through a nine-month regimen designed to prepare them for the grueling Boston Marathon.
This DVD contains over 80 minutes of content and over 100 different exercises designed to improve strength, prevent injury and help athletes run faster. The vast majority of the exercises require no equipment and can be done in a gym, on the track or even in a basement. The Preventive Exercises are designed to prevent injury in areas that are most problematic for runners, such as the plantar fascia, the patellar tendon and the iliotibial band. While we can't guarantee that these exercises will prevent these injuries, there is no doubt that anyone who adds these exercises to his or her weekly training regimen has a better chance of running injury free.
The Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Best Director Robert Zemeckis, and Best Actor Tom Hanks, this unlikely story of a slow-witted but good-hearted man somehow at the center of the pivotal events of the 20th century is a funny and heartwarming epic. Hanks plays the title character, a shy Southern boy in love with his childhood best friend (Robin Wright) who finds that his ability to run fast takes him places. As an All-Star football player he meets John F. Kennedy; as a soldier in Vietnam he's a war hero; and as a world champion Ping-Pong player he's hailed by Richard Nixon. Becoming a successful shrimp-boat captain, he still yearns for the love of his life, who takes a quite different and much sadder path in life. The visual effects incorporating Hanks into existing newsreel footage is both funny and impressive, but the heart of the film lies in its sweet love story and in the triumphant performance of Hanks as an unassuming soul who savors the most from his life and times.
Heartfelt, funny and inspiring, the documentary HOOD TO COAST follows four very different teams on an epic journey to conquer the world's largest relay race. A 67-year-old heart attack survivor returns to conquer the race that nearly killed her, a family in mourning runs to honor the memory of their beloved, a group of film animators test the limits of their athleticism (or lack thereof), and a group of aging jocks show they still know how to have a good time. A celebration of personal determination and the power of family and friends, HOOD TO COAST proves that you're never too old or too young to attempt the extraordinary. Variety called it "a Treat for the sports-minded and sports-phobic alike." Special Features include 95 minutes of Extras: 24 Additional Scenes and 'Making Of' Featurette; "Where Are They Now?" Updates; Director's Commentary Panel Discussion featuring Bart Yasso of Runner's World and Mary Decker Slaney
Fast Women follows four female runners from the same running club as they aspire to reach their goals. Fast Women shows what happens when four driven women follow their dreams. Winner Best Documentary at the 2010 Mammoth Film Festival.
Andropolis sets his heart on representing his country at the Olympic games. Meanwhile his marriage has fallen apart and his children have determination and hope that his success will resolve his personal problems.
John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy) directed this gripping, entertaining 1977 thriller that centers on graduate student Dustin Hoffman (The Graduate, Tootsie). Hoffman plays a sullen and cowardly loner haunted by the suicide of his father, a suspected communist. He is drawn into a murky web of international intrigue when his brother, CIA agent Doc Levy, played by Roy Scheider (Jaws, The French Connection), is murdered by a former Nazi (Laurence Olivier) who has come to the United States to reclaim a valuable stash of diamonds. Babe (Hoffman) must confront his fears of the past as he runs for his life and tries to avenge his brother's death at the same time. Featuring a classic torture sequence and a terrific cast that includes William Devane and Marthe Keller, this film written by William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men) stands as a great entertainment and as one of the seminal films of the 1970s.
Books
Beginners
Getting Started provides beginning runners with everything they need to know to get off on the right foot. Full-color photographs demonstrate proper running technique and equipment. Runners learn how to incorporate interval, tempo, and Fartlek training to achieve optimum performance from the start. Rounding out the volume are cross-training suggestions, along with valuable tips on increasing speed and endurance.
Drawing on new research on endurance sports, best-selling author Matt Fitzgerald explores the practices of elite runners to explain why their techniques can be effective for all runners. RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel will help runners reach their full potential by teaching them how to train in the most personalized and adaptable way.
With all the books on running available, deciding which one to buy is not easy. Look no further; the subtitle says it all. Runner's World magazine's executive editor Burfoot had two objectives when producing this book: to gather the best advice possible and to present the information in a user-friendly manner. Burfoot definitely succeeds in producing an up-to-date, useful guide for running enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. Every aspect of the sport is covered, from nutrition, injuries, and women's running to speed/endurance, cross-training, mental preparation, and the marathon.
If you're a runner, or would like to be one, "The Runner's Handbook" will answer all your questions. Fitness expert Bob Glover - who has trained thousands of runners - shows you how to devise a training program and keep at the top of your form.
Dawn Dais hated running. And it didn't like her much, either. Her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? It was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon.
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women is a fun training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless.
The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women is a fun training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless.
Athlete. Runner. Marathoner. Are these words you wouldn't exactly use to describe yourself? Do you consider yourself too old or too out of shape to run a marathon? But somewhere deep inside have you always admired the people who could reach down and come up with the mental and physical strength to complete such a daunting and rewarding accomplishment? It doesn't have to be somebody else crossing the finish line. You can be a marathoner.
Finally, runners at all levels can improve their race times while training less, with the revolutionary Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST) program.
Hailed by the Wall Street Journal and featured twice in six months in cover stories in Runner's World magazine, FIRST's unique training philosophy makes running easier and more accessible, limits overtraining and burnout, and substantially cuts the risk of injury, while producing faster race times.
Hailed by the Wall Street Journal and featured twice in six months in cover stories in Runner's World magazine, FIRST's unique training philosophy makes running easier and more accessible, limits overtraining and burnout, and substantially cuts the risk of injury, while producing faster race times.
At the core of this popular guide is "the program" — a 13-week walk/run plan designed to turn anyone into a runner, without injury. Originally developed by sports medicine physicians and refined through three years of clinics and responses from runners, it explains precisely how the beginner should train every day for the first 13 weeks. Every part of the process is covered, from equipment to staying motivated.
You don't have to run fast or competitively to reap the rewards that running has to offer. What you do need is the courage to start. That is the "Penguin mantra" that has enabled John Bingham--through his best-selling book No Need for Speed, his popular monthly column for Runner's World magazine, and his many appearances at major running events throughout the year--to inspire thousands of men and women to take up the sport for fitness and the sheer enjoyment that running brings them.
4 Months to a 4-Hour Marathon serves as a personal trainer for runners looking to improve their performance. Whether competitive veterans or recreational beginners, with this essential guide marathoners can learn exactly what to expect, how to train, and even what to eat and what to wear. Dave Kuehls, contributing editor at Runner's World and a marathoner himself, discusses:
- Day-by-day training schedules for 4-hour and 5-hour marathoners
- Detailed diet plans
- The marathoner's mind-set
- Right and wrong things to wear
- Picking the right running shoes
- Pain vs. performance
- Common pitfalls to avoid
- The 36 fastest marathons in North America
- Day-by-day training schedules for 4-hour and 5-hour marathoners
- Detailed diet plans
- The marathoner's mind-set
- Right and wrong things to wear
- Picking the right running shoes
- Pain vs. performance
- Common pitfalls to avoid
- The 36 fastest marathons in North America
Olympic athlete Jeff Galloway shows how amateur runners can use the same training principles followed by world-class runners. He tells beginners how to get started, explains his ideas on stress and rest, and reveals secrets for running better.
If you are thinking about training for a Half-Marathon, Jeff Galloway can help you prepare well, enjoy the training and glow from the achievement of crossing the finish line. Author of the bestseller "Marathon - You can do it!" Galloway now offers a state-of-the-art book on the highly popular half marathon distance. Jeff's trademarked run-walk-run method has helped hundreds of thousands of average people to get off the couch, train for marathons and half marathons without injury and has helped veterans to improve times. This book offers a step-by-step program that starts with setting up your training each week. Jeff will show you how to select a realistic goal, and which workouts are needed to prepare for various performances. The book is loaded with tips on how to stay motivated, eliminate aches, pains, and injuries, with the minimum training needed to enjoy other aspects of life. There's practical information on nutrition, building endurance, shoes, stretching, strengthening and much more.
Marathon: You Can Do It! details Olympian Jeff Galloway’s revolutionary walk/run training methods that have enabled tens of thousands of people to run marathons. This innovative method opens up marathon running to everyone — not just rock-hard athletes, but also those who may be out of shape, overweight, or past their athletic prime. This updated edition includes the new "magic mile" time trial, fat-burning techniques, adjustments in the weekly schedule to prevent injuries and improve performance, and quick fixes to keep runners motivated during latter stages of marathon.
Training
While not ultra-specific, this hefty book covers pretty much every detail of running. See if you have the endurance to read all 944 pages.
Training, equipment, racing, injuries, nutrition.
Run Faster from the 5k to the Marathon-How to be your best coach, by Brad Hudson
Training insights by the former coach of Dathan Ritzenhein.
Since the success of his New Zealand athletes Snell, Halberg and Magee at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Arthur Lydiard's name has been synonymous with the best training methods used by the world's top middle and long-distance runners. Instructing runners in Finland, Mexico, Venezuela, Denmark, Japan, the USA and New Zealand, Lydiard has continued to refine his methods, and this manual contains information on exercise physiology, diet, injury prevention and cure, discussion of Lydiard's methods and revised training schedules.
REASON 1: It is written by an Olympic trials marathon qualifier who ran her first marathon non-competitively, just like you. REASON 2: It starts off with real stories of average first-time marathoners whose experiences prove that every mile of the race is worth it. REASON 3: It gives 26.2 compelling reasons why any couch potato will want to catch the running bug. REASON 4: It shows how running a marathon can help rebuild your self-esteem after a disappointing life experience and motivate you to live a fuller life. REASON 5: It explains in simple terms how to build your aerobic base from ground zero to where you can finally embark on the marathon training. REASON 6: It introduces you to the concept of cross-training which will help you prevent boredom and develop a well-rounded physique.
In Road Racing for Serious Runners, Pete Pfitzinger-a world-class marathoner, distance running coach, and exercise physiologist-tells you how to get the most out of your limited training time. Pfitzinger teams up with former Running Times editor-in-chief Scott Douglas to present a training and racing plan that will help you excel in the full spectrum of road racing distances. You will learn how to
- design a week-by-week training program,
- determine the right pace to run during speed workouts,
- get the most out of long runs,
- taper training before an important race,
- detect and avoid staleness and injury,
- determine the best strategy for each race, and
- achieve the optimal mental state to train and race.
- determine the right pace to run during speed workouts,
- get the most out of long runs,
- taper training before an important race,
- detect and avoid staleness and injury,
- determine the best strategy for each race, and
- achieve the optimal mental state to train and race.
Are you a triathlete, runner, cyclist, swimmer, cross-country skier, or other athlete seeking greater endurance? The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing teaches athletes how to stay healthy, achieve optimal athletic potential, and be injury-free for many productive years. Dr. Philip Maffetone’s approach to endurance offers a truly “individualized” outlook and unique system that emphasizes building a strong aerobic base for increased fat burning, weight loss, sustained energy, and a healthy immune system. Good nutrition and stress reduction are also key to this commonsense, big-picture approach.
Beginning with legends Frank Shorter and Joan Samuelson, this unique book contains the thrilling stories of our country's greatest runners-each a lesson in dedication, hard work, and an untiring passion for running. Draw inspiration from the story of Billy Mills (ranked No. 6, despite his short career), then try out his Tee-to-Greens Golf Course Training method. Or, if you have a goal race, borrow a page out of Lynn Jennings' training notebook: the methodical 4-Stage Buildup System.
Shave minutes off your time using the latest in science-based training for serious runners. Advanced Marathoning has all the information you need to train smarter, remain injury free, and arrive on the start line ready to run the marathon of your life.
His description of a systematic, detailed training program for beginners and top-runners is based on a clear defined conception of fitness. Beneath detailed schedules for the training, the book includes tips concerning equipment and outfit, nutrition, prevention of injury, therapy and the relationship between the coach and the athlete. Furthermore a test-system is introduced, which enables the athlete to determine the absorption of oxygen through the fatless body mass.
One look at Joe Newton's record and it's easy to see why he's achieved near-legendary status as a cross country coach. During 48 years at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois, he has dominated like no other cross country coach ever has, leading his teams to 19 national titles and 24 state titles. At home, his squads have been nearly invincible, winning 98% of their meets.
Now in Coaching Cross Country Successfully, Newton shares the secrets to his unmatched success. With this complete guide, you'll get a firsthand account of how to teach, train, and motivate like the master. You'll learn not only how Newton built his running dynasty but also how you can apply his principles of discipline, dedication, and teamwork to create your own winning cross country program.
The reader will learn about the training secrets of the stars and will also receive valuable tips for his own career or sports life, be it as an amateur jogger or an ambitious runner. This book is a must-have for all running coaches and runners, and also for all those who want to learn more about the backgrounds and secrets of the Kenyan success story. The features include: a must-have for all running coaches and runners; learn the training secrets of the stars; and lots of valuable tips for the amateur jogger to the ambitious runner.
Training methods used by the greatest Kenyan runners in the world.
If you are a serious runner, you want to improve your ability to run faster and longer without injury. Many runners have bought better shoes or spent longer hours on the track trying to improve, only to end up frustrated with back and leg pain. But the secret to improving your run is simple--your stride is only as good as your physical abilities allow. Making a few simple changes in strength, flexibility, speed of movement, and technique will help you reach your genetic potential.
Based on new research in exercise physiology, author and running expert Matt Fitzgerald introduces a first-of-its-kind training strategy that he's named "Brain Training." Runners of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels can learn to maximize their performance by supplying the brain with the right feedback.
High-Performance Training for Track and Field by legendary coaches and authors Bill Bowerman and Bill Freeman is a step-by-step guide for teacher-coaches at all levels. Coaches in their first years will find it to be a model for success, and experienced coaches will find its systematic analyses of training methods an invaluable addition to their own expertise. This book adds the theoretical bases that underlie training, summarizing what researchers know about training and competition and discussing the most advanced, scientifically monitored, foreign endurance training system in the world today. It tells, briefly and simply, what you need to know about periodization in training, overload theory, and the effects of nutrition and psychology on today s training. The training patterns reflect the very latest scientific training methods. Chapters include: The Essentials of Scientific Training, The Oregon School of Running, Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays, The Jumps, The Throws, The All-Around Athlete, and Directing Track and Field Programs.
The popularity of the treadmill is exploding. More and more runners from beginners to top level competitive runners are using the treadmill to train for all race distances from 2 miles to a full marathon. The treadmill is the ideal piece of exercise equipment to help you meet your running goal whether it's to learn to run or set a new personal record. This is the definitive book on treadmill training. Treadmill training for Runners will show you how to use the treadmill to reach your running goals. You'll learn how to: Shop for, purchase and maintain your treadmill Lose weight using the treadmill Increase your fitness and reduce stress Incorporate the treadmill into your training Avoid common treadmill pitfalls Solve common treadmill training problems Train to race a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon using the treadmill This revised and updated Second edition of Treadmill Training for Runners includes over 60 treadmill workouts with 12 new treadmill workouts not included in the first edition.
Though the running boom appears to have peaked and even tapered off somewhat, the marathon is still the ultimate running experience for many runners. Higdon's book, although well written, offers very little in the way of new information on training for or running the marathon. Previously published works such as Joe Henderson's Complete Marathoner (Anderson World, 1978), Andy Friedberg's How To Run Your First Marathon (S. & S., 1987), and Ricard Benyo's Making the Marathon Your Event (Random, 1992) offer very similar advice. However, Higdon's anecdotal style provides entertaining reading and may inspire aspiring marathoners. The author provides details of many of his personal marathon experiences as well as those of other top American marathoners such as Bill Rodgers, Don Kardang, and Dick Buerkle. This book will appeal to general readers seriously considering training for their first marathon. For large sports collections.
Based on the proven principles of Arthur Lydiard - Runners World "Coach of the Century" - this is a must-have volume for anyone involved in middle-distance running. "Healthy Intelligent Training" provides readers with an easy-to-follow guide to the principles and training techniques that guided numerous athletes from across the globe to World Records and Olympic Gold.Written by a former national-level runner, with contributions from Olympic medalists and coaches, this superb volume shows you how to plan and follow your own training program to reach peak performance when you want.
With Total Heart Rate Training, you can design a personalized program that practically guarantees you’ll achieve your fitness goals. You’ll be able to determine the precise and optimal heart rate for each day’s workout by using your heart rate monitor to keep you on target. It’s like having a personal trainer telling you when to go harder and when to back off.
This book also shows how powermeters and accelerometers enable you to compare your body’s input, as measured by heart rate, with its output-power or pace. It’s a combination that allows you to train at your peak for that competitive edge.
This book also shows how powermeters and accelerometers enable you to compare your body’s input, as measured by heart rate, with its output-power or pace. It’s a combination that allows you to train at your peak for that competitive edge.
At a time when participation in running events is booming, hundreds of thousands of runners are looking for their next challenge - from training longer, to racing faster, to getting back into form following a layoff or injury. "Running Times" magazine has compiled a collection of elite coaches, athletes and fitness professionals who all provide the reader with the tools to make a personal running breakthrough. This guide covers every aspect of training and racing - from clothes and shoes to endurance, speed, strength and flexibility training and from racing preparation and tactics to rest and recovery. Customized training programmes are included for various distances and all types of speed workouts, as well as injury prevention strategies and guidelines for nutrition and hydration.
John L. Parker, Jr. is one of running literature’s great luminaries. As the author of Once a Runner and Again to Carthage, he is revered, quoted, and imitated. He also wrote this wonderfully accessible, witty guide to training with a heart-rate monitor. His common-sense approach aims to force you to take easy days—easier than you can even stand at first. And mix these in with periodic hard days, all precisely calibrated to your resting heart rate and maximum heart rate, to achieve levels of running fitness you had never before been able to attain. His program is very specific, with numerous tables and graphs for runners of all levels. He imparts his wisdom with extraordinary clarity and wit, making the whole experience one of hiring a wise, encouraging, and amusing coach.
In Alberto Salazar's Guide to Running, the marathon hall-of-famer draws on the latest research and his own experiences to show why, when it comes to reaping the many health and fitness benefits of running, harder and longer isn't better, and consistency matters most. He shares his hard-won lessons on running and outlines a sensible and adaptable low-impact training program for nonrunners wanting to get fit, runners dissatisfied with their current workouts, runners recovering from injuries, and anyone looking for a fitness program they will follow for years.
Alberto Salazar's Guide to Road Racing covers a wide array of needs, including:
- Base training
- Speed training
- Nutrition
- Avoiding and dealing with injuries
- Mental conditioning
- Race preparation
- Goal advancement
- Weight training
- and much more!
Ultramarathons
Covers training plans, fueling, injury prevention and much more. Great for beginners, but veterans could probably learn a few things as well.
Covers his entire life of running, but focuses on his run across America in 52 days at the age of 57. Yes, 58 miles a day for 52 days at the age of 57. Enough said.
Features stories by Ann Trason, Tim Twietmeyer, David Horton, Ian Torrence and many more.
This book would be an entertaining read even if you were not a runner. Focuses on the Tarahumara Indians and Caballo Blanco, a white man learning to run like them.
Covers 24 of the most extreme races, including Badwater, Marathon des Sables, Pike's Peak, Transalpine Run, Antarctica Marathon, Everest Marathon and many more.
Dean's media prowess might be more impressive than that of his running, but the book is pretty entertaining anyway.
Pam dominated the scene for a long time. This book doesn't focus on the running and training as much as I would have liked, but she battled anorexia, so a lot of pages go to speaking about that.
100 Mile race with 59,100 feet of climbing and 59,100 feet of descent. Since the race began in 1986, only 9 runners have finished in the 60 hour cutoff.
Written by a guy who just got under 24 hours, so a very different perspective than focusing on the guys who win in 14 or 15 hours.
Boring in the middle but a good book overall about the authors quest to finish the spartathlon. The race that traces the famous trip from Athens to Sparta.
Book detailing the author's quest to run Badwater.
Run: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, by Dean Karnazes
Another installment of the Dean Karnazes saga. What food will be delivered to him on a run this time?
Another installment of the Dean Karnazes saga. What food will be delivered to him on a run this time?
The 2003 race included Pam Reed, Dean Karnazes and 71 other runners.
- Advice on training and racing
- The physiology behind ultrarunning
Packed with practical advice and including training regimens, 50/50 will inspire you no matter what your fitness goal is, whether it's simply walking around the block, running a 10K, or completing yet another Ironman.
True tales about ultramarathons and those who run them.
Getting to the Point. In a dozen pairs of shoes is the story of the first modern-day trail run across America. Running alone and wearing only a 10-pound pack, ultra runner Brian Stark often had to rely on the kindness of strangers, and hope for mercy from the elements. Over the course of his 8-month trek across America, Brian learned first hand what this country is really like, the diversity of its people and their experiences. This is more than just a book about running, it's a book about people. If you liked Forrest Gump or A Walk Across America, or if you just like a rousing good story complete with daily wrong turns, surprising rescues by strangers, a blossoming romance, and a Hollywood ending, this book is a must read.
A Hundred Reasons to Run 100km reflects a personal journey that will strike a chord with anyone intrigued by the prospect of trying an ultramarathon. The idea for this book was born 10 days before author Margreet Dietz did a 100km race. While finalizing her physical preparations, she also wanted to ready herself mentally as best as possible. An experienced 3:07 marathoner and five-time Ironman finisher, she knew endurance athletes ponder the question, Why?, during the most challenging moments in an event. It's good to have an answer.
Nutrition/Weight Training/Injury
This is vital information for ultra runners. It goes through the aspects of anatomy, biomechanics and footwear that can lead to blisters and injuries, and recommends plans of prevention and treatment.
Good if you have a few extra pounds to lose to get to your optimal weight. Even if you don't, it offers great insights into nutrition for the endurance athlete.
Basic nutrition tips for runners, bikers, triathletes.
If you are doing all the right workouts and not seeing the results you would like, maybe your recovery needs some work.
Every day scientists learn more about how the body adapts to the stress of running—and how various body systems contribute to running performance. Leading the charge is a fresh generation of brilliant young exercise physiologists including Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas, whose work has demolished many long-standing beliefs about running. Now Tucker and Dugas, whose blog, Science of Sport, has already created a devoted readership, join with esteemed fitness author Matt Fitzgerald to provide a captivating tour of the human body from the runner’s perspective.
This comprehensive guide distills the newest thinking in the science of exercise nutrition into practical, hands-on tips that will help runners stay healthy, recover faster, enjoy better workouts, and race successfully. Readers will learn:
• detailed information on nutritional topics important to runners, from balancing internal energy stores to proper hydration
• how to customize their diets to their individual training needs
• shopping tips and dining-out strategies to help runners maximize their nutritional intake
• the top 5 pre-race meals and top 5 healthiest snacks for runners
• nutritional tips for special populations, including women, children, diabetics, and older runners
• detailed information on nutritional topics important to runners, from balancing internal energy stores to proper hydration
• how to customize their diets to their individual training needs
• shopping tips and dining-out strategies to help runners maximize their nutritional intake
• the top 5 pre-race meals and top 5 healthiest snacks for runners
• nutritional tips for special populations, including women, children, diabetics, and older runners
Running Anatomy features 50 of the most effective strength exercises for runners, each with clear, step-by-step descriptions and full-color anatomical illustrations highlighting the muscles in action. But you’ll find much more than exercises—you’ll also see their results.
The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Running is the most comprehensive and up-to-date running-specific training guide in the world today. It contains descriptions and photographs of over 80 of the most effective weight training, flexibility, and abdominal exercises used by athletes worldwide. This book features year-round running-specific weight-training programs guaranteed to improve your performance and get you results.
Find your endurance advantage in the foods you eat. Endurance Sports Nutrition will help you select the best foods, fluids, and supplements to train longer, recover more quickly, avoid injuries, and achieve your performance goals in any endurance endeavor.
Sports dietitian and former elite runner Suzanne Girard Eberle provides a proven fueling program that addresses the unique needs of endurance athletes:
-Road and trail running: 5K to 100+ miles
-Cycling and mountain biking: time trials to multiday rides
-Duathlon and triathlon: sprint to Ironman
-Winter sports: Nordic ski races to mountain ascents
-Water sports: rowing and long-distance swimming
Dynamic Stretching teaches how to effectively prepare your body for physical activity while simultaneously improving strength, power, speed, agility and endurance. With more than 50 exercises—fully illustrated with step-by-step photos—this book shows how to take your workouts and abilities to the next level:
•Develop full-body range of motion
•Enhance full-body motor control
•Increase flexibility, balance and muscular endurance
•Improve force generation and reaction time
•Correct major and minor muscle imbalances
The Runner's Yoga Book is an ideal companion for the weekend or professional athlete, for the reader who wants to stretch and relax, and for the developing yoga student who wants to establish a home practice. Drawing on over thirty years of teaching and personal practice, author Jean Couch offers precise instruction in all types of poses, guidelines for home practice, yoga routines for other sports, including bicycling, skiing, swimming, tennis, and walking, a resource guide for further study, and a yoga-poses-by-alphabetical-listing index. With over 400 photographs and illustrations showing students at various levels of expertise, The Runner's Yoga Book is a complete guide for yoga students of all ages and most levels of fitness.
The intense focus on the muscles of your core--abs, lower back, hips, and thighs--will help you stand taller and prevent the back pain from which most people eventually suffer. The detailed nutrition section guarantees that you'll feed your muscles, starve your fat, and get boundless energy when you need it most. This program is like nothing you've ever seen before--it enables you to totally transform your body in just 12 weeks. The potential is within you, and the power to unleash that potential is within Core Performance.
In Runner's World Guide to Cross-Training, Matt Fitzgerald-seasoned runner, triathlete, sports and fitness journalist, and online coach to runners and triathletes-tells you everything you need to know about the very best cross-training exercises for runners, from the equipment you'll have to buy to the techniques you'll have to master. In addition to strength training and flexibility exercises, he recommends the six best non-impact cardiovascular activities for runners: pool running, elliptical training, bicycling, inline skating, swimming, and cross-country skiing. The book shows how to integrate running and cross-training, and features five complete sample programs that will train you to compete in a basic 10-K, advanced 10-K/half marathon, basic marathon, advanced marathon, and triathlon.
Runner's World Best: Injury-Free Running assembles the most reliable information on running pain- and injury-free--and speeding up the rehabilitation process by using the latest medical advances to treat common injuries. Runners of every ability will benefit from the book's wealth of expert tips on training, stretching, selecting proper equipment, and maintaining correct running form.
Here you'll find:
- The most important stretches for runners-and why you should not stretch an injured muscle
- How (and why) to change your biomechanics and stride legnth
- How to incorporate cross-training to prevent and heal injury
- The most important strength-training exercises for runners
- How to cope with the mental side of injury
- Special concerns for young runners, women, and older Runners
- The newest thinking in hydration
Biographies and Novels
Every runner should either read this book or make their family members read it to learn the many idiosyncrasies of being a runner.
Quenton Cassidy is back. This time, he is training for a marathon. Who knows, maybe Parker will write a book in a few years in which Quenton starts racing ultras.
No man has affected more runners in more ways than Bill Bowerman. During his 24-year tenure as track coach at the University of Oregon, he won four national team titles and his athletes set 13 world and 22 American records. He also ignited the jogging boom, invented the waffle-sole running shoe that helped establish Nike, and coached the US track and field team at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games
University of Oregon track star Prefontaine finished fourth in the [5000 meter] race at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Beyond that, he set numerous American records. But it was his personality, not his records, that set him apart.
Forty-some years after the barrier was broken it's difficult to imagine how daunting a challenge the four-minute mile once was, but for a generation of world-class runners it represented the impossible dream. Roger Bannister, the British middle-distance runner who finally achieved the epic quest in 1954, wrote this stunning memoir of his life as a runner a year later.
The 1982 Boston Marathon was great theater: Two American runners, Alberto Salazar, a celebrated champion, and Dick Beardsley, a gutsy underdog, going at each other for just under 2 hours and 9 minutes. Neither man broke.
Alan Webb was just 18 when he broke a 36-year-old record by running the fastest mile ever for a high-school athlete, breaking Jim Ryun's mark by two seconds. Lear spent most of the 2001-02 school year with freshman Webb and his teammates at the University of Michigan, where many of America's best distance runners gather to learn from legendary coach Ron Warhurst. Though there have been any number of books chronicling the ups and downs of seasons in major sports, this may be the first to follow a group of world-class distance runners through a competitive cycle.
When Meb Keflezighi won the New York City Marathon in 2009—the first American to do so in 27 years—some critics questioned whether the Eritrean-born runner was “really” an American despite his citizenship status and representing the USA on two Olympic and several World Championship teams. Yet Meb is the living embodiment of the American dream. His family came to the U.S. to escape from a life of poverty and a violent war with Ethiopia; Meb was 12 at the time, spoke no English, and had never raced a mile. Yet he became an A student and a high school state and national champion. And when he stood on the platform as a silver medalist in the 2004 Olympics, Meb knew his hard work and determination had paid off. How could life be any better?
Run to Overcome tells the inspirational story of a man who discovered the real meaning of victory, and who embodies the American spirit of overcoming the odds.
Run to Overcome tells the inspirational story of a man who discovered the real meaning of victory, and who embodies the American spirit of overcoming the odds.
From the fastest American-born marathoner of all time, here is an intimate, day-by-day account of what it takes—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—to be one of the best in the world. This journal chronicles Ryan Hall’s 14-week preparation for the 2010 Boston Marathon, providing practical insights into the daily regimen of someone training at the absolute peak of human performance. It also reveals the spiritual journey of an elite athlete who is a follower of Jesus Christ.
Haile Gebrselassie revolutionized the world of long-distance running over the last decade. His world records stagger the imagination. He won two Olympic 10,000m golds, eight world and indoor championships; and set 17 world records over four different distances. Now he seeks a third gold medal over 10,000m in Athens. His biography is fascinating, detailing his early life in war-torn Ethiopia, and his rise to godlike status in the track world.
34-year-old Kenyan Paul Tergat has secured his place in the history books with his Marathon world record in Berlin at the end of September 2003. Today he is considered as one of the best runners of all time. At Olympic Games he won two silver medals, both times behind his friend and rival Haile Gebrselassie. This book will illustrate Tergat's way from an unknown runner in a tiny village in Kenya to the Marathon world record holder and Dollar-millionaire. It will show the triumphs and disappointments that formed him as a human being. He is still the man they call "a gentleman" not without reason. In "Running to the Limit" Paul Tergat will also tell a lot about his training program, e.g. in a special chapter about the famous Italian running school of Dr. Gabriele Rosa, who coached his first Kenyan athlete, Moses Tanui, in 1990, and nowadays has 200 Kenyan athletes under contract, among them some of the best Marathon runners in the world. Tergat will also give many training tips for everyday runners, because many of his hints and ideas hold true for record holders as well as for hobbyists.
Paula Radcliffe has been hailed as one of the finest female distance runners of all time. Her amazing run of record-breaking victories in 2002 and 2003, including smashing the women’s world marathon record in Chicago and then again in London, showed an athlete at the peak of her powers. Such was her dominance that a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens seemed almost a formality. But as the world watched, and a nation held its breath, that historic race ended for her on a dusty curbside instead of the podium. Paula has become a passionate spokesperson against drug cheats and, inspired by her own battle with the condition, is widely admired for her patronage of asthma charities. And even though Athens in 2004 proved to be more Greek tragedy than triumph, her popularity remains undimmed. Her remarkable life story of highs and lows is fully chronicled in this fascinating and inspiring autobiography.
Bart Yasso, an icon of one of the most enduringly popular recreational sports in the United States, offers a touching and humorous memoir about the rewards and challenges of running.
Recounting his adventures in locales like Antarctica, Africa, and Chitwan National Park in Nepal (where he was chased by an angry rhino), Yasso recommends the best marathons on foreign terrain and tells runners what they need to know to navigate the logistics of running in an unfamiliar country. He also offers practical guidance for beginning, intermediate, and advanced runners, such as 5-K, half marathon, and marathon training schedules, as well as advice on how to become a runner for life, ever-ready to draw joy from the sport and embrace the adventure that each race may offer
In 1967, Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to officially run what was then the all male Boston Marathon, infuriating one of the event’s directors who attempted to violently eject her. In what would become an iconic sports image, Switzer escaped and finished the race. This was a watershed moment for the sport, as well as a significant event in women’s history.
Olympic Champion and Missionary
The story of Buddy Edelen.
For a moment Dick Beardsley became the most famous runner in the world by losing a race. In the 1982 Boston Marathon, Beardsley, foiled by a motorcycle that cut him off, finished two seconds behind Alberto Salazar in one of the most memorable contests in marathon history. Staying the Course recounts that race and the difficult years that followed, including his recovery from a near-fatal farm accident, his subsequent addiction to painkillers, and a public arrest for forging prescriptions. His story of overcoming obstacles speaks to anyone who loves competition, who has survived catastrophe, or who has pursued a seemingly impossible goal.
Glenn Cunningham nearly died in a schoolhouse fire that claimed his brother’s life and left the seven-year-old’s legs so badly burned his doctor wanted to amputate them. But Cunningham endured the incredible pain and horrible scars; after nearly a year he learned to walk again. He went on to become one of the greatest track stars of all time, and a national hero. “The Kansas Flyer” set world records in the mile in 1934 and 800m in 1936. A comprehensive biography, with extraordinary depth of detail, fascinating anecdotes, and written with full cooperation and archives from his widow.
Meet Steve Scott: three-time Olympian, the American mile record holder (at 3:47.69), and runner of 136 sub-4:00 miles and counting. His talent and determination have led him to the pinnacle of worldwide track and field for the better part of his 20-year career. Scott chronicles his epic battles with European milers while tracing the modern day history of the sport; he tackles the controversial issues facing track and field and talks frankly about the demands placed on his family life as a result of his grueling international racing schedule. Scott also speaks about his recent fight against testicular cancer, reveals how he overcame that life-threatening illness, and stresses the importance of staying fit for a healthy life. Now forty, Scott has entered the masters divisionand he has one more goal to reach. Watch for him in 1997 as he pushes to break the masters mile record set by his longtime competitor, Eamonn Coglan, at 3:58.15. Inspirational, thoughtful, and packed with Scotts wacky antics as the track circuits leading practical joker, The Miler is sure to delight running enthusiasts and all those who love athletics.Steve Scott is the most extraordinary American mile runner in history.
With the graceful style, which has become Kenny Moore's trademark, "Best Efforts" reveals the compelling stories of such reknown Track & Field maga-stars such as Bill Rogers, Ron Clarke, Sebastain Coe, Eamonn Coghlan, Mary Decker -- and of course the legendary duo of Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine. Through the lense former Olympic Marathoner, and Sport Illustrated writer, Moore delivers the essence of these notable characters. Anyone who seeks out the rationale of why certain athletes inspire others and lead towards greatness, "Best Efforts" is a must read.
Richard Dubin is a talented distance runner at a major southern university. Pain is the story of Richard’s senior year as he proceeds with varying success through the year, from cross country through the Olympic Trials, all the while trying to manage a seesawing relationship with a beautiful and fascinatingly unpredictable woman, 10 years his senior. Richard’s university is one of the great American party schools and we are treated to a series of uninhibited college blowouts, featuring copious liquid consumption, naked kegstands, nude relays. . . and, most daring of all, poetry reading! As the pressures mount, Richard’s life begins to unravel. All the forces converge at the Olympic Trials in New Orleans and it is there that Richard comes to the edge of the abyss.
Part parody of 1970s excess, part paean to the art of running, this quirky novel focuses on hapless Myles Mayberry, who spends his days training for the Boston Marathon and smoking marijuana. Myles and his dismayed new wife, Sophie, the couple's sole financial support, live in Cambridge, where they are part of a New Age "therapeutic community." Having fallen into a "blinding, binding" love one year earlier, they are hitting their marriage's first rocky patch. All goes downhill when the couple attends a weekend retreat in New Hampshire with a swami and Myles sneaks away for an illicit run. Obsessed with his desire to win the Boston Marathon, Myles begins running twice a day, and only gradually realizes that Sophie is having an affair with bisexual poet Derek Fells.
In 1975, coach Harlan Brown is hiding from his past at an obscure New York college, after he was fired from Penn State University on suspicion of being gay. A tough, lonely ex-Marine of 39, Harlan has never allowed himself to love another man. Then Billy Sive, a brilliant young runner, shows up on his doorstep. He and his two comrades, Vince Matti and Jacques LaFont, were just thrown off a major team for admitting they are gay. Harlan knows that, with proper training, Billy could go to the '76 Olympics in Montreal. He agrees to coach the three boys under strict conditions that thwart Billy's growing attraction for his mature but compelling mentor. The lean, graceful frontrunner with gold-rim glasses sees directly into Harlan's heart. Billy's gentle and open acceptance of his sexuality makes Harlan afraid to confront either the pain of his past, or the challenges which lay in wait if their intimacy is exposed. But when Coach Brown finds himself falling in love with his most gifted athlete, he must combat his true feelings for Billy or risk the outrage of the entire sports world - and their only chance at Olympic gold.
'Hope's Last Run' is the story of a woman who fights seemingly unsurmountable odds in her quest to become the world's greatest female marathon runner. Coached by a controversial man who is at odds with the the powers that rule running, Hope teams up with him as they attempt to beat the long odds of achieving greatness.
This critically acclaimed novel, first published in 1969, has for years been regarded as one of the true classics not only in the literature of footracing, but in general interest literature as well. Glanville's beautifully portrayed relationship between runner Ike Low and the eccentric and charismatic coach Sam Dee has become a set piece in the tales of athletes: Rocky, Chariots of Fire, even Long Road to Boston owe a debt to this work. There are echoes of Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner as well. You will be captivated by the story of the working-class stiff, Ike Low, as Sam Dee discovers him thrashing through inconsequential races, a mediocre sprinter at a local running club. The first time I met him, I thought he was a nut case, said Ike of his coach. You are built to run the mile, Dee told him. You are the perfect combination of ectomorph-mesomorph; long calves, lean, muscular thighs and arms, chest between thirty-seven and thirty-eight, and broad, slim shoulders. A miler is the aristocrat of running. A miler is the nearest to a thoroughbred racehorse that exists on two legs. And thus begins the relationship that will transform Ike into one of the great distance runners in the world.
"The Other Kingdom" is a refreshing reminder of the days before world-class sport became a cold, professional exercise in earning money. It is unashamedly elitist, socially and intellectually as well as in terms of athletics, in a way that unmistakeably dates it. The protagonist's life, overshadowed by the reputation of a world-famous father, strikes an uneasy balance between his running, his girl friend, and his study of the German Sturm und Drang poets with their quest for heroism. At first glance, some of the athletics background looks to have been copied from real life - until you realize that this book was published in 1964, about the time of the Tokyo Olympics. So the runner who misses an Olympic medal by sprinting too soon, but later gets a European title, is not Michel Jazy: that didn't happen till 1966! Another amusing touch is the cover picture, which shows the young Herb Elliott.
“I receive a lot of books to review for my website www.letsrun.com and this is one of the best running books I've ever read. I gave the author this quote to use on his website and it sums up the book very quickly: "Paul Maurer, in The Gift, not only presents an interesting and captivating story, but he explores the deeper questions of why runners run, why we compete, and what makes such a simple sport, running, so rewarding to those of us who do it. The Gift is one of the best running books I have ever read.”
Danny Murray is a young man possessed. The product of an abusive household, he and his little sister endure a series of horrors as they are bumped from one foster home to another before 14-year-old Murray takes matters into his own hands. He flees with his 9-year-old sister in an attempt to carve out a decent life for the two of them. Distance running is the vehicle he envisions as the means to their salvation, Danny possessing a running talent that is other worldly, along with a genius IQ. At age 17 he is on the cusp of realizing his dream, when a murder spins his alreadly tumultuous life totally out of control. Murray becomes a fugitive from the law, his dream of becoming the world's greatest distance runner put on hold as he plots revenge.
When the school van veers off a bridge and plunges into the river below, everyone on the track team is killed except star Kevin Schuler, who rode home with his parents that evening. Repressing almost all memory of that season, Kevin begins high school in a different district, where he remains isolated from other students and teammates. Claiming he hates running, the star athlete nonetheless finds peace in it, losing himself in concentration when he runs. As Kevin sets more records and becomes locally famous, the clouds that hang over him take on new forms and he must successfully navigate his own course through all the noise of the outside world, dodging those who would tempt him in different directions. Jackson's first novel presents an unpredictable and unique protagonist who defies categorization. The first-person narration provides a glimpse into Schuler's mind, yet the voice is detached enough that he remains almost as much a mystery to the reader as to other characters. The unforgettable and complex main character makes this novel well worth reading.
Joey McNeal is a Philly kid through and through. With a wild mop of curly hair and an uncommon thirst for competition, Mac is known to keep his car trunk full of sports equipment, ready for any pickup game. But McNeal’s true passion is running. Joey Mac is the fastest guy in town, but a slate of injuries stopped him short of greatness at what would have been the peak of his career. Now, about to turn thirty, McNeal starts to wonder What if? What if he put everything he had into training? What if he had a great coach? What if he could run faster than he ever had before? What if he could silence a lingering unfulfilled dream? But McNeal has two jobs, little time or money, and only the support of his closest friends. Even they don’t know that Mac secretly dreams of competing on the highest athletic stage: the Olympics.
This is one of the big "three" in fictional running books. (The other two are "Once a Runner" and "The Long Road to Boston".) What makes this a most unique experience is that it tells a double story - about a New Zealand woman marathoner who looks to break her cycle of "not quite good enough finishes" in the marathon and a mystery man who is world class but has a disfigured face and is embarrassed by it. The workouts run by the mystery man are jaw dropping to say the least. Even with today's super athletes in the distance specialties from African nations would have trouble keeping up with this guy.
For the others, it may have been a race, but for Brad Townes it was a quest for salvation. He had run all the way from death's door and had lost everything along the way. In the end, he had nothing to lose except the race. You'll find your heart racing along with the protagonist in this compelling story, beautifully told by a veteran runner. The grand daddy of all marathons is the backdrop, with the chapters taking you right through the great race itself: Brookline to Hopkinton, Hayden Rowe Street, Hopkinton to Ashland to Framingham, Framingham to Natick, Natick to Wellesley, Wellesley to Newton Falls, The Newton Hills, Brookline, and finally Boston.
John Meyer would never get to run with Steve Prefontaine. The legendary distance runner died in a tragic car accident before John was born. Yet, Pre's legacy always inspired him. John earned a running scholarship to Stradford University,one of the elite Division I cross country schools. There, he would be teammates with the runner every major sports media called the next Pre. More importantly, it gave John the chance to put behind a troubled past and start a new life. But past relationships come back to haunt, and a bronzed god roommate, a gorgeous brunette, and the pressures to succeed plunge John to psychological depths he never dreamt possible. No one seems to be able to help...no one, except for a mysterious, shirtless runner on campus, who seems oddly familiar. . .A Run by the River will take you through amazing twists and turns, the mind of a runner, the schemes of a seemingly perfect roommate, and fast paced running...all that bring the story to its crash course finish. For John, things will never be the same again.
Japan's Mount Hiei is home to the monastery of the ``Running Buddhas'' or ``marathon monks'' who pursue enlightenment via 1000-day marathons that must each be completed in a seven-year training period. Stevens, a professor of Buddhist studies, offers a discussion of the origin and spiritual principles of Tendai Buddhism, out of which the runners' vision was born; a look at the marathon itself; and introductions to several monks whose portraits add human interest.
In a span of 81 days in 1978, Henry Rono broke four world records, committing the most ferocious assault on the track-and-field record books by a middle-distance runner in the history of the sport. This is what Henry Rono is known for. However, it is not who Henry Rono is. Henry Rono was born a poor Nandi in Kenya's Rift Valley. After an accident when he was two, doctors believed he would never again walk. This would be the first of countless obstacles Rono would have to overcome in order to pursue his two life goals: to first become the greatest runner in the world and then to become the best teacher he could be. Rono's first goal was accomplished in 1978, when he was considered not only the greatest track-and-field athlete in the world, but also by many to be the world's greatest athlete period.
Other
Every sport has rules. Running is no exception. If you’re curious, just visit the Web site of USA Track & Field, the sport’s governing body, where you’ll find detailed dictates on everything from disqualification to bib-number placement to the caliber of the starter’s pistol. But what about the everyday rules of running? The unspoken ones that pertain to the lingo, behavior, and etiquette that every seasoned runner seems to know and every newbie needs to learn? Veteran runner Mark Remy and the editors of Runner’s World magazine provide answers to these very questions and many more in The Runner’s Rule Book.
Inside you’ll find:
Rule 1.18 LEARN, AND LOVE, THE FARMER’S BLOW Farmer’s Blow \ fär-m?rz blo \ n: a process by which one clears a nostril of mucus by pinching shut the opposing nostril and exhaling forcefully
Whether you run in the city or on trails, in races or just for fun, you'll find The Runner's Field Manual loaded with practical advice and how-to instruction. As funny as it is useful, this volume covers everything from Dealing With Drivers to Toenail Maintenance, and explores in explicit detail . . .
COMMON THREATS
* Urban: The Blackberry-transfixed businessman
* Suburban: The bored, angry dog
* Trail: The mountain biker who has watched too many Mountain Dew commercials
* Urban: The Blackberry-transfixed businessman
* Suburban: The bored, angry dog
* Trail: The mountain biker who has watched too many Mountain Dew commercials
SHOES & GEAR
* The Reef Knot: The only knot you need to know
* Barefoot Running: Crazy? Or just insane?
* The Trash Bag Poncho: Three steps to ultra-cheap rainwear
* The Reef Knot: The only knot you need to know
* Barefoot Running: Crazy? Or just insane?
* The Trash Bag Poncho: Three steps to ultra-cheap rainwear
RACE DAY CHALLENGES
* Finding the Damn Thing: Not always so easy
* Navigating the Aid Station: Pinch the cup
* Finish Line Vomit: Hey, it happens
* Finding the Damn Thing: Not always so easy
* Navigating the Aid Station: Pinch the cup
* Finish Line Vomit: Hey, it happens
For more than 40 years, Runner’s World magazine has been the world’s leading authority on running—bringing its readers the latest running advice and some of the most compelling sports narratives ever told. From inspirational stories such as "A Second Life"(the story of Matt Long, the FDNY firefighter who learned to run again after a critical injury) to analytical essays such as "White Men Can’t Run" (a look at what puts African runners at the front of the pack), the magazine captivates its readers every month.
Now, for the first time, the editors of Runner’s World have gathered these and other powerful tales to give readers a collection of writing that is impossible to put down. With more than 40 gripping stories, Going Long transcends the sport of running to reach anyone with an appetite for drama, inspiration, and a glimpse into the human condition.
Cited by Runner’s World magazine as one of the best books ever written on running, The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life reveals as much about reaching your full potential as it does about sport. Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot, one of running’s wisest voices, presents 15 life lessons about passion, courage, materialism, failure, and regeneration, all learned during his more than 35 years of experience in running. He discusses a runner’s essential traits—qualities necessary for everyone striving to reach a long-term goal—as well as the writing, music, and quotes that have continually inspired him. Most important, Burfoot explains that
winners are not those who cross the finish line first, but those who discover more about themselves with every step.
A book of practical guidance and simple wisdom about running... and about life. From a key figure in the running world comes a unique little compendium of information and anecdotes about a life in motion. Champion marathoner Amby Burfoot has created a distinctive resource to help runners run better, faster, and farther. More than this, his succinct and sure-footed text will help runners rediscover and deepen their own joy in the sport. This is a celebration of running.
Training, racing, nutrition, injury prevention, issues for women, weather, mental preparation, and the marathon are discussed in detail with plenty of solid information. Each chapter ends with a list of relevant principles of running. Interwoven among the facts and fundamentals are enlightening personal notes from a learned lifelong runner. The Principles of Running is much more than a simple manual. It is a book that you will not be able to put down, although you are not sure whether you are reading it for the running tips or the life lessons. It is a book that you will keep on your nightstand, tuck in your briefcase, and give to your friends. It is a book that is certain to help you hit your stride--whether your running shoes are off or on.
In Run Faster, readers learn how to achieve faster times with exclusive tips from the editors of Runner's World. Complete with full-color photographs that illustrate proper running technique and equipment, Run Faster is packed with a variety of speed-intensive drills. The book also provides strategies for complementing running with flexibility, strength training, core conditioning, and cross-training routines, while helping runners set realistic goals for going further and faster.
The only runner’s training journal with full-color photos throughout and top-notch tips from the experts at Runner’s World, this handsomely redesigned journal provides:
• heavyweight smearproof paper that stands up to sweaty hands and a handy spiral binding that guarantees ease of use
• ample space for readers to record facts about each day’s run—including route, distance, time, and cross-training—and to note how they felt at the time
• a Week-at-a-Glance feature that helps runners summarize their weekly training quickly and easily
• advice for runners on how to analyze their data and set new goals for the next year
The result is a daily dose of inspiration and running wisdom for a full 52 weeks from the reader’s choice of starting date—for every kind of runner, from fitness joggers to competitive racers.
Runner's World Best: Competitive Running explains why competing in a race is beneficial for runners at every level, lays out basic training principles, and provides detailed training regimens for various types of races: 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon. Runners learn what to eat and drink before, during, and after a race, as well as how strength and flexibility training can help their performance.
Talks about the origin of human running, similar to the Tarahumara in Born to Run, we began as persistence hunters.
About a Japanese author turned runner
With an exuberant mix of passion, insight, instruction, and humor, best-selling author--and lifelong runner--Martin Dugard takes a journey through the world of running to illustrate how the sport helps us fulfill that universal desire to be the best possible version of ourselves each and every time we lace up our shoes.
Inspirational book about his comeback after getting hit by a bus and almost killed.
Follows the CU Buffaloes for a season as they run for the NCAA Championship with Adam Goucher in the lead.
Exploring the world of fell-running—to run the ancient, wild landscape and stay a hero within one’s own valley—this portrait of one of the few sports to have remained implacably amateur and utterly true to its roots details the passionate ambitions of those who participate in one of the oldest extreme sports.
It covers a potpourri of running topics ranging from shoes, apparel, injuries, unusual races, finding ways to participate in the sport beyond running (e.g. volunteering at races), etc.
This book can help you identify where running fits into the bigger picture of your life and also how to achieve that higher state of consciousness while running.
26 MILES TO BOSTON slips squarely into the running shoes and minds of the athletes as they traverse the 26-mile, 385-yard course of America's most venerated long-distance race.
From suburban Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to the center of metropolitan Boston, here are the mile-by-mile sights and sounds experienced by the runners. Interwoven throughout is the colorful history of the men and women of manifold skills who have competed in this preeminent event over the span of more than a century.
From suburban Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to the center of metropolitan Boston, here are the mile-by-mile sights and sounds experienced by the runners. Interwoven throughout is the colorful history of the men and women of manifold skills who have competed in this preeminent event over the span of more than a century.
By its very nature, running is extreme and pure, resulting in a great supply of extremely memorable quotes, jokes, barbs, and philosophical gems. The Quotable Runner gathers the best of these into one indispensable volume. Sir Roger Bannister compares running to classical drama. George Patton compares it to war. Bill Clinton finds it keeps him optimistic. And Oprah sums it up beautifully: "Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."
Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini--a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero. During a routine search mission over the Pacific, Louie’s plane crashed into the ocean, and what happened to him over the next three years of his life is a story that will keep you glued to the pages, eagerly awaiting the next turn in the story and fearing it at the same time.
-Chapter 1: compares power running to ChiRunning
-Chapter 2: goes into the 5 principles upon which TaiChi and ChiRunning are based
-Chapter 3: gets into the "inner" skills of ChiRunning
-Chapter 2: goes into the 5 principles upon which TaiChi and ChiRunning are based
-Chapter 3: gets into the "inner" skills of ChiRunning
The Barefoot Running Book (second edition) provides expert advice for new and experienced runners interested in making the transition to barefoot or minimalist shoe running. Why? Because runners find shedding their heavy, overly-cushioned shoes provides a more enjoyable running experience while reducing injury and allowing better form.
Barefoot Running Step by Step teaches runners how to train their feet and body to run barefoot properly and in a way that will dramatically reduce injuries.
Barefoot Running Step by Step separates the facts from the hype covering the latest research and running techniques behind this key trend.
Running Within addresses the mental and physical factors of importance to runners and offers positive, practical recommendations for infusing the body, mind, and spirit with new energy and passion for running. It also provides solid information on training and racing. It will help you perform better, have more fun, and experience a deeper connection with running.
What is the name of the coach who changed your life? As a young runner, I had two: Coach Wetmore and Coach Brown. Single-minded, driven to escape small town Iowa, I ran to win. Never satisfied, I once threw our high school team's second place medals into a muddy cornfield. My Iowa high school track coach, Bob Brown, dreamed of owning a Harley, but the only bike he rode was a beat-up blue Schwinn, pedaling alongside his athletes. Hugs were his trademark coaching tool. My college coach, the University of Colorado's Mark Wetmore, built champion runners on Magnolia, a mountainous dirt road where he tested their will to be the best. He had run every day for thirty years, and accepted few walk-ons, like me, into his storied program.
Atlantic is a team that was once renowned and feared. Things have changed in the last few years. There isn?t as much talent, the runners aren?t as tough as they used to be, and the legendary coach is at the end of his career.After a brutal defeat in the spring championships, the team makes a vow to retake their county title in the fall, and regain their reputation. Little do the boys know that they are about to face the toughest season of their lives.
As the first running boom was sprouting in the early 1970's, a group of Kentucky teenagers were brought together by a young coach who was ahead of his time. Cross country was regarded as a sport for the slightly odd and unathletic, a means of "getting an easy varsity letter". Among this group of runners was a particularly odd (though strangely athletic) teenager who was taken in by the joy of running over the grass, hills, and mud of cross country courses. The coach and seasonally growing team rose to dominance of Kentucky cross country in the span of four short years. Along the way, they "learned the lessons every runner has to learn, mostly the hard way, many of them twice." From humble backgrounds and with guidance from a ground breaking coach, the Lloyd Memorial High School Juggernauts led the way for high schools in Northern Kentucky to win State Championships for over thirty consecutive years. This is that story.
In "Chasing the Runner's High", Ray Charbonneau tells the story how he pushed his addiction to running up to, and then past, his limits. It's a memoir that shares what he learned, what he should have learned, and what he still has to learn from running.
Marshall Ulrich, 4 time winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon (and author of "Running on Empty"), calls Chasing the Runner's High "a look at one man's life and obsession with running and addictive behaviors. Humorous at times, but always looking toward the greater good, Ray shares life's ups and downs and provides a hard look into the mind of a runner, offering advice that can only be had with experience and hard fought miles underfoot.
Marshall Ulrich, 4 time winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon (and author of "Running on Empty"), calls Chasing the Runner's High "a look at one man's life and obsession with running and addictive behaviors. Humorous at times, but always looking toward the greater good, Ray shares life's ups and downs and provides a hard look into the mind of a runner, offering advice that can only be had with experience and hard fought miles underfoot.
Cheever, a former journalist and onetime copy editor at Reader's Digest, melds reportorial skills, literary talent and a wicked sense of humor to capture the irony and indefatigable spirit of running in the 21st century....Beginners will relate to Cheever's inauspicious initial forays into fitness and exercise, and veteran runners can share his enthusiasm for the Kenyans and other leaders of the pack. The result is a joyous and inspirational ode to our transformative sport.
Donald Buraglio and Michael Dove write The Running Life column in the Monterey Herald newspaper. Their columns have a unique point of view based on a combined fifty plus years of experience as competitive runners, race organizers, and speakers. They both live with their families on the Central Coast of California.
Always the last pick for team sports because of his small stature, David McGillivray drove himself to excel at individual sports. Whe he was 16, he set himself up for the one "failure" that would motivate the rest of his life. He attempted to run in his first Boston Marathon - without training for the event. Not crossing the finish line could have been a crushing blow. Instead he went on to complete 115 marathons and eventually to become the Boston Marathon's race director.
No Olympic event can rival the rich history and grand spectacle of the marathon. Created for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 as a commemoration of the legendary run by the Greek messenger Philippides, the race has endured like no other, producing a century of awe-inspiring competition and unforgettable stories.
French author Echenoz (Ravel) centers his new biographical novel on Emil Zátopek, the first Czech Olympic gold medal winner in track and field. The Nazi occupation of Moravia means mandatory participation in youth organizations; forced to participate in a race, Emil begrudgingly embarks on his athletic career, only to discover a passion for running. Emil's training techniques reject notions of moderation and energy conservation in favor of relentless speed training and little rest. These masochistic efforts pay off as Emil becomes a world champion.
Run for Life is a 'must-read' for any runners who want to run the rest of their lives. It's chock full of legitimate and innovative methods aimed at offsetting common running injuries like pool running, barefoot running, and midfoot/forefoot techniques, as well as a few radical concepts like high-intensity all-out, 30-second "Ultra-intervals" that purportedly build speed on limited training time. The book is replete with expert testimony and examples, and has a rich collection of interviews with the likes of Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Helen Klein Rod Dixon, and Dr. Kenneth Cooper, among others.
The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It (2004) by Neal Bascomb is a non-fiction book about three runners and their attempts to become the first man to run a mile under four minutes. The runners are Englishman Roger Bannister, American Wes Santee, and Australian John Landy. The book's climax is Bannister's breaking of the record on May 6, 1954.
This was Bob Fletcher's semi-diary account of the year during which he turned 50, and ran 50 marathons. It's extremely interesting if you are a runner -- and especially so if you ran daily at Houston's Memorial Park when Bob Fletcher based his training there. One saw him every single day there, seemingly at all hours, just running all the time.
More than 10 million women across the country now identify themselves as regular runners. In response to the dramatic increase in the number of women in the sport, Dagny Scott Barrios and the experts at Runner's World have created this singular guide--now updated with 25 percent new material--where women will discover how to:
• train for any race, from a 5K to a marathon
• eat nutritiously and for maximum energy
• lose weight permanently
• deal with self-consciousness and body image
• run during pregnancy and through menopause
• choose the best clothes and accessories
• run anywhere safely
• prevent and treat injuries, especially those that women are most likely to encounter
As anyone who has ever run competitively knows, there's more to it than putting one foot in front of the other as fast as possible. The Glovers here provide a full range of advice and instruction on all aspects of running, including diet, exercise, training, strategy, and footwear.
More women than ever are discovering the unique benefits of running -- for stress relief, weight management, endurance, and self-esteem. Women's bodies are not the same as men's, and though we can train just as hard and with the same passion for excellence, we have certain special concerns. Finally, there is a comprehensive guide exclusively for women who experience the pure joy of running, or want to.
Running For The Hansons offers the reader a glimpse of what it is like to be a professional distance runner, to run in a major sponsors shoes, and to live a lifestyle structured around training and racing. It is a first-hand, exclusive account that delves into the elations, the disappointments and the re-discoveries of what it takes to be an elite, American distance runner. The story provides a framework of The Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, a post-collegiate marathon-focused training group based in Michigan that was made famous by the progression of 2008 US Olympian Brian Sell. Runners of all ages and abilities will quickly recognize that the thought processes of such athletes mentioned in the story can be applied to their own running. The mega-mileage, 140-mile weeks and puke-inducing workouts and races that are discussed in the book are relative extensions from the challenges that any high school team, college cross-country team or marathon-training group must learn to conquer together.
When runners aren't running, they are talking about running, planning their next run, shopping for running... This book contains 101 stories from everyday and famous runners... telling their stories to other runners... about how running has improved their lives, recovering from injuries, challenging themselves, and includes amazing stories of marathons, camaraderie, and the natural high that comes from this popular sport. Plenty of stories for triathletes too, covering swimming and cycling.
In 1980, Terry Fox set out to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research — despite having lost one leg to the disease. His goal was to raise $1 from every Canadian to help find a cure, and some combination of passion, idealism, and sheer guts led to the impossible notion that he would do this on one good leg and a prosthesis. Beginning in Newfoundland on April 12, 1980, he ran 26 miles each day for 143 consecutive days. But on September 1, the return of his cancer forced him to stop in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He died ten months later, but by then his dream had been realized: over $24 million had been collected in his name. Created to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of his journey, this biography combines over 80 new photographs from a previously unknown family collection with a very personal episodic narrative. The result brings a magic moment in Canadian history, and the young man who inspired it, freshly alive.
This book's subtitle describes it best. While exploring the interconnectedness of running with the mind, body, and spirit, Sheehan, a well-known doctor, runner, and author of many books on running such as Personal Best (Rodale Pr., 1989), also provides sound, practical advice on training and racing. This book will appeal to "middle of the pack" runners who are more interested in the quality of their running and training, rather than the quantity. Older runners, and those who simply want to smell the flowers along the way instead of putting in 100-mile weeks, will also be interested. Sheehan's emphasis is on running by the clock (time) instead of concentrating on running megamiles. Sheehan advocates listening to the body, mind, and spirit to determine how far and how fast to run.
Discusses not only the physical benefits of running, but its psychological benefits as well: increasing self-esteem, acquiring a "high" from running, and being able to cope better with pressure and tension. Yep, it still sells.
Abebe Bikila, a soldier in the imperial guard of Ethiopia's Haile Selassie, wasn't just the first African athlete to win a gold medal in Olympic competition. He won the marathon in the 1960 games while running barefoot, then defied odds to win again in Tokyo four years later. Between the two victories, however, he nearly faced execution after being used as a pawn by leaders of an unsuccessful coup against Selassie. His life has all the makings of a compelling story—and despite being billed as a biography, Rambali's account takes a highly novelistic approach, imagining the inner thoughts of Bikila (1932–1973) and other figures in every scene. The technique is suspect, given the failure to cite documentation for such speculation when all the major players have been dead for decades. Furthermore, key historical details are inexplicably bypassed; when a German philanthropist donates hundreds of running shoes to Ethiopia's athletic program, for example, the name of the shoe company is never mentioned. Rambali also falls short as a dramatist, awkwardly juxtaposing Bikila's career against the personal turmoil of his trainer, Onni Niskanen, and the declining years of Selassie's reign.
A jogging handbook. It renews Arthur Lydiard's philosophy of jogging, just as it was 40 years ago. It is a guide to why you should jog, if you are not jogging already; how you jog, or jog better if you jog already; and how it holds back the degeneration that does not necessarily have to accompany the advancing years. Lydiard argues that jogging will not stop you growing older but it will help you to grow older more gracefully and with less loss of both physical and mental mobility.
You have to be or have been a dedicated runner, or at least a serious athlete, to appreciate the motivation behind the things that Don Kardong undertakes in this book. It also helps to be or have been a triathlete and/or a multi-sport enthusiast since Kardong frequently finds himself involved in competitions which require skill in something other than running. Fortunately for everyone involved, Kardong has a great sense of humor and is truly in love with his sport. Both dedication and humor are found in abundance here. I especially enjoyed the piece about Steve Prefontaine and Kardong's attendance at a Triathlete workshop where he steadfastly refused to so much as look at the swimming pool.
Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe presided over the golden era of British athletics. Between them they won three Olympic gold medals, two silvers, one bronze, and broke a total of twelve middle-distance records. As far apart as possible in terms of class and upbringing, their rivalry burned as intense on the track as away from it. The pendulum swung between the pair of them—each breaking the other's records, and, memorably, triumphing in each other's events in Moscow in 1980. The Perfect Distance is both a detailed re-creation and a fitting celebration of the greatest era of British athletics.
A fresh perspective enlivens this classic story about a losing team with an energetic new coach. Written by two Ohio teenagers about their high school's cross-country team, this account offers engaging portraits of the kids and their coach, passes on lessons of hard work and sacrifice, and follows the ascent of the Salem Quakers cross-country team to a first-place ranking in their conference and third place at the 2003 state championships. Along the way the teenagers learn the unromantic truth about the athletic association that regulates their high school sport—legal wrangling and uproar ensue when officials find scoring errors in a postseason meet. As they develop their talents and teamwork, the teens also learn valuable lessons about sports rules, bureaucracy, and true success.
What really made Jim Ryun tick? Why did Jim Fixx really die? What is the Cinnamon Bun Theory and what does it have to do with Pat Porter, high altitude sickness, and four national cross country championships? Readers will find the answers to such questions and a great deal more in his latest work. This one is destined to become a cult classic like Once a Runner and Runners and Other Ghosts on the Trail. This collection of Parker's non-fiction pieces contains everything that originally appeared in the earlier Runners & Other Ghosts on the Trail plus much, much more. Profiles on Jim Ryun, Pat Porter, Barry Brown, Frank Shorter and others. Incisive essays on The place of sports in the post-industrial age, Comebacks, The Aging Athlete, and Missing the Poetry, all from his highly regarded Ultrasport columns. Lighter moments like The Great Dragon Run, The TeeVee Olympics, Training in Greece, and Getting Beaten by a Woman.
The book that helped get the world running is back. This New York Times bestseller written by the late runner, doctor, philosopher, Dr. George Sheehan is a timeless classic. It tells of Dr. Sheehan's midlife return to the world of exercise, play, and competition. Focusing on the importance of "play", Sheehan describes his program for fitness and joy, sharing with the reader how the body helps open up our mental and spiritual energies.
First Marathons is simply the accounts of many different folks from elite (i.e. professional) runners to talented amateurs to ordinary folks. It seems at first that it would be interesting primarily to serious runners who have or will soon run a marathon. It is that, but surprisingly, it is so much more. This is a book for anyone who wishes to be inspired by quiet heroes and unsung heroics.
It is depression-era America and notorious huckster, Flanagan, plans the ultimate race, reeling in contestants with the promise of a glittering jackpot prize. Two thousand audacious hopefuls line up at the starting line from every walk of life and all ends of the globe, each with something to prove. As they run themselves ragged across America, they come up against numerous hazards, including the precipitous Rockies, shady mobsters and crooked officials. Their different stories, ambitions and dreams converge through a shared determination which will inspire you to push on to the finishing line.
On March 4, 1928, 199 men set off from Los Angeles on foot. Their destination: New York City. It was the Bunion Derby, perhaps the most grueling contest in the golden age of endurance competitions, an era when dancing, flagpole sitting, eating, and even coffee drinking turned into tests of will. The race was the brainchild of huckster C. C. Pyle, who shares the focus of this fascinating account with some of the racers (especially young Andy Payne, who entered the derby in the name of true love). In a broader sense, though, author Williams tells the story of pre-Depression America, when the world seemed an exciting place, and when the horizon was bright. The race was an exhausting, punishing event (amazingly, more than 50 racers finished it), and Williams recounts the story with gusto, giving us a real sense of the physical and mental toll the competition took on its participants. Pyle comes off as a likable rogue, a classic Roaring Twenties, get-rich-quick kind of guy. The book is like a time capsule—and an extremely entertaining one at that.
On March 4, 1928, 199 men lined up in Los Angeles, California, to participate in a 3,400-mile transcontinental footrace to New York City. The Bunion Derby, as the press dubbed the event, was the brainchild of sports promoter Charles C. Pyle. He promised a $25,000 grand prize and claimed the competition would immortalize U.S. Highway Route 66, a 2,400-mile road, mostly unpaved, that subjected the runners to mountains, deserts, mud, and sandstorms, from Los Angeles to Chicago.
