running

Kristin Armstrong, a contributing editor to Runner's World, is a delightful writer as well as a dedicated runner.

Her reflections are gathered into different themes that allow her to cover a lot of ground (ahem) - family, friendships, self-reflection and self-esteem, relationships, goals both short term and long. And she does it all with a lot of inspiring, kind words and a ready wit.

Generally I'm not much of a fan of inspirational or self-help type books. They often have far too little content and far too many pithy phrases. But Armstrong's strength is in her specificity and vulnerability

If the phrase "training run" has ever been part of your vocabulary – whether in reference to you or someone near you – you're bound to get a laugh, cringe, and sigh out of My Year of Running Dangerously. Combining two of my favorite topics, memoirs and running, acclaimed journalist Tom Foreman uses his storytelling skills to recount his monumental return to distance running. His decades-long running hiatus came to an end when his daughter invited him to do a marathon with her, and after shaking some initial hesitation, Foreman went all in. You might worry that his story will run long, but the

Take your running to heart – Heart Zone Training (HZT), that is!  Long-time ultra-marathoner and triathlete Sally Edwards collaborated with Dr. Carl Foster to compile decades of experience and research into Be a Better Runner.  Their resulting HZT program allows each runner to tailor training programs to his or her own fitness level by targeting specific heart rates based on a threshold heart rate, which will be unique to each person.    I’ve recently begun dabbling in distance races, and while I’ll always be a mid-pack runner, I want to make the most of my experience in training.  This

I've been running for a few years and recently began participating in distance races, so Hal Higdon’s Marathon caught my attention.  With decades of experience, Higdon and his training plans are well-respected.  He provides an overview of endurance running and speaks generally about training strategies, covering all the expected topics, such as building mileage, speed work, nutrition, injury prevention, etc.  The information is presented as a guide rather than a mandate, acknowledging that runners should tweak training practices to their unique needs and goals.  The book draws heavily from

I found a lot of helpful information in The Art of Running Faster.  Like many how-to running books, I had to skim for what interested me and skip what didn’t.  I found learning about fartleks and other training strategies extremely helpful. While I wasn’t very interested in reading about specific races and runners, I did enjoy some of the pictures.  As a new runner, when talking about a picture in which one runner is finishing strong and his pursuer has “started to labour and over-stride”, I couldn’t see the difference and would have appreciated knowing how Goater could tell which was flagging

I found a lot of helpful information in The Art of Running Faster. Like many how-to running books, I had to skim for what interested me and skip what didn’t. I found learning about fartleks and other training strategies extremely helpful. While I wasn’t very interested in reading about specific races and runners, I did enjoy some of the pictures. As a new runner, when talking about a picture in which one runner is finishing strong and his pursuer has “started to labour and over-stride,” I couldn’t see the difference and would have appreciated knowing how Goater could tell which runner was

Published in 1978, Once a Runner is dated; but charmingly so. While there is a noticeable absence of iPods, cell phones, and cable television, exclamations of “Great God in Heaven” and “they don’t know a flying you-know-what about spring sports” are the most notable indicators. Quentin Cassidy is a collegiate “miler”. After he is expelled from the fictional Southeastern University, fellow runner, friend and former Olympian Bruce Denton mentors him as he prepares to break the four minute mile. Olympic and professional athletes will recognize the driving force behind Quentin’s training program

Would my review seem unprofessional if I simply said, “I la-la-la-loooooved this book” and left it at that? John Bingham recounts his transformation from a child who played for the sheer joy of it to a small and un-athletic high school music geek, desperate to be one of the cool school athletes. He then recounts his next transformation, from an over-weight, beer-swilling, chain-smoker to an “adult onset athlete,” running simply for the joy of it. Most of us can relate to the crushing disappointments and humiliations inherent to competitive sports. While An Accidental Athlete focuses on

Things I liked about this book:

• “I believe the movement will pressure shoe manufacturers to examine the research and development of their current shoes more critically resulting in moving away from the supportive and cushioned technology so prevalent today.”
• Alternative sources (to Vibram) for minimalist shoes
• “There is no single right answer”
• “Listen to your body”
• Includes training plans that incorporate injury-free barefoot running into current running routines
• “If you have the power to be an agent of change, embrace the opportunity.” I especially like this when taken out of context. ;-)
• “E

My friends, like me, tend toward the sedentary.  I do, however, know a few folks who are athletes or who actively engage in physical activity. So I have been hearing good things about Born to Run for quite awhile, but interestingly only from hard core runners. I’m not a runner, so each time I’ve heard someone mention its merits, I've filed the title away for possible future reference.

I’m still not a runner, but no matter. Born to Run is more than just a book about a race. McDougall’s journey begins with his own frustrations over persistent running injuries. Then while on assignment he

Kevin is an 8th grader at a small rural school and the star of the track team. The school is so small that the whole 8th grade class is on the track team except for two students. Kevin hates track but he’s good at it and as all his friends are on the track team he goes along for the ride. One cold spring day the team is at an away meet, where Kevin lets a team mate run for him in his best event. That night a new state record is set in the 800 meter run by “Kevin Schuler”. Following the meet Kevin rides home with his parents while the rest of the team, including his girlfriend, Ellie