Running &

The Non-Runner-s Marathon Trainer

5 stars (Essential training aid for first time Marathoners!) - I bought this book after deciding to run my first marathon (ran 3 miles runs casually prior to training) and just came across it while browsing. It's worth its weight in gold and then some. I am following a training program separate from the one in the book (mine is a 3 day a week) but the information in each chapter on mental and physical preparation (and expections for the week) has been right on the mark. I think that the book's best quality is the emphasis it places on mental preparation and techniques to use during runs. I've learned through doing that training to run a marathon is more mental than physical...and I assume that will hold for October 30th when I do the Marine Corps Marathon. I am not overstating it when I say I will owe my confidence and solid preparation in large part to this book. As some mentioned in other reviews, the actual layout of the book could use some work, but I just dog-ear the important pages so I can turn to them quickly. 5 stars (Invaluable) - This book lives up to its title. It truly outlines for the *average* person, how to prepare for a marathon. It includes how tos from the pros and testimonials and tips from novice runners who have used the book and class to run a marathon. I am currently using it to train and can't believe how well I am doing with its help! I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to do something memorable like run in a marathon but never thought they could do it because of age, weight, physical condition, or even not liking to run. 5 stars (This book changed my life!!) - I bought this book about a month ago, pretty much on a whim. I thought, "What the heck! I'm 26, I'm not getting younger, might as well try to do something huge while I still have health and youth." So I figured, why not a marathon? I am still in the first parts of the training, but already I have seen INCREDIBLE results! I never really ran at all before. But I we...
McGraw-Hill :: Sports & Recreation & Running & Jogging :: Training :: Track & Field :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Running & Jogging :: Running :: Marathon running :: Athletic :: The Non-Runner-s Marathon Trainer

The Competitive Runner-s Handbook - The Bestselling Guide to Running 5Ks through Marathons

5 stars (Excellent) - I am a college student who doesnt run competitively but I run around 3-5 times per week and have been for years. This book gives great information about how to train for races and improve speed. I have bought a few running books and this is by far the best, I have no need to buy any more running books. The only thing that turned me off a little when first recieving the book is its size, it has almost 50 chapters and is over 600 pages long. However you do not need to read all 600 pages, I would recomend it to get the most knowledge out of the book, but definately not necessary. Highly recomended for anyone who wants to improve their speed and learn how to the proper way. 5 stars (Great resource - don't confuse it though) - This book is a great resource for all aspiring competitive runners. However, don't confuse this book with Glover's other book - which is more for beginning and non-competitive runners. There is a lot of overlap between the two books, so there is not much point in buying both. However, I can see a beginner outgrowing the beginner book and wanting the extra info that the "Competitive" handbook can provide. Both are great. 3 stars (Good Enough) - This is my least favorite running book although it is written competently enough. Too much childish ego on the part of the authors detracts from an otherwise good enough book. The best part of the book for me was the discussion of heart rate training, something that is barely mentioned in many of the other running books. There is also not enough explanation on developing training schedules which wasn't too much of a surprise since the authors sell guess what?... training schedules and coaching. Worth buying but not the best. ...
Penguin (Non-Classics) :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Fitness training :: Cross-country running :: Training :: Track & Field :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Running races :: Running & :: The Competitive Runner-s Handbook - The Bestselling Guide to Running 5Ks through Marathons

ChiRunning

5 stars (Some excellent information ) - This could have been a much shorter book. Much of what is contained in chapters 1 - 3 is a sales pitch for the book which makes no sense since you already bought it. Chapter 4 is where most of the good information is. Danny's core ideas are excellent and they have helped my running substantially. I would have prefered to have seen more Chi theory in general included although some of the ancedotal information provided regarding his two Masters defies my belief. It is a book that belongs in your library if you are a runner. 5 stars (Great book) - This book was so insightful. It gave great advice on proper running techniques. I am trying out what i have learned and running is becoming enjoyable and easier. 3 stars (Pretty good, but only for serious runners.) - This book has a lot of good information it - probably too much. Unless you are really going to focus on something, it's very hard to remember more than two or three core ideas. I am a casual runner - maybe two or three runs per week of three to five miles - and I really hoped this book would give me a couple areas of focus that would make my running safer, more comfortable and perhaps faster. Instead, I got overload. There is a single 2-page spread in this book that lists about 50 points to focus on in your running. Come again? That doesn't sound very Zen to me (I know it's a different Eastern philosophy, but you get the idea). Dreyer ackowledges the length of the list and suggests picking out two or three of these ideas to focus on for each run, but you still need to be pretty serious to do that. I don't want to consult a checklist before each run and I want to plug into my iPod and relax a little while I'm running. In addition, Dreyer gives a pre- and post-run routine that would add about an hour to any run you wanted to do - again, more than I'm able to commit to this portion of my life. If you are a very serious runner or want to become one, this is a gre...
Fireside :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Training :: Tai chi :: Sports injuries :: Sports & Recreation :: Running & Jogging :: Running :: Prevention :: Martial Arts - Taichi :: :: ChiRunning

Marathon- You Can Do It-

5 stars (Great book. Useful and easy to read) - Best book I could find for a beginner marathon-hopeful such as myself. It is a folksy book written by a pro for the beginners and the more advanced runners. There are several easy to follow training regimens based on one's goals and levels of experience. The author is not overtly selling his own training services for running marathon, though they do have a world-class training program. I will be running my first marathon early next year. This book gave me nice tips to build my stamina while avoiding injury. 4 stars (Pragmatic advice for new marathoners) - I am finding this book practical and informative, but redundant with Galloway's previous book. One or the other would seem more useful than ordering both...and if I had to choose, I might purchase the other book for it's comprehensive information about injury prevention and treatment. Still, compared to other books on marathon by other authors, this book is encouraging, helpful, specific and especially appropriate for the non-traditional athlete: the older, female, injured or less athletically inclined among us who are still motivated to do a marathon for whatever personal reasons. 3 stars (Good info, but poor writing makes it difficult to read) - I recently signed up for a marathon training program based on Galloway's method (gradual increase in mileage and run/walk ratio). This book was recommended as a "must-read." I have to say I am disappointed. The chapters are not arranged in any meaningful order, and the "real" information is interspersed with a fictional story of a group of runners training for a marathon. I had read this comment in a previous review, but thought that it only applied to the later edition, not the original one. Well, it's in this one too, and while I normally wouldn't mind such a story, it does not flow well in and of itself, nor does really integrate with the non-fiction topics. The way it all fits together is so bad, in fact, that ...
Shelter Publications :: Training :: Track & Field :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Running & Jogging :: Running :: Marathon running :: Jeff Galloway :: :: Marathon- You Can Do It-