Track & Field Books

The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer

David Whitsett, Forrest Dolgener, Tanjala Kole

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $7.72

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> Marathons
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 171 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

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. The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer is based on the highly successful marathon class offered by the University of Northern Iowa, which was featured in a Runner's World article titled "Marathoning 101." The class has been offered five times over 10 years, and all but one student finished the marathon. That is approximately 200 students -- all first time marathoners and many with absolutely no running background. This book follows the same 16-week, four-day-a-week workout plan. What makes the success rate of this program so much higher than any other? The special emphasis on the psychological aspects of endurance activities. You don't have to love to run -- you don't even have to like it -- but you have to realize that you are capable of more than you have ever thought possible. One participant in the program explained it like this: "I'm doing this for me -- not for others or the time clock. I just feel better when I run, plus it helps me to cope with things in general. The skills we've learned in this class don't apply just to marathoning -- they apply to life! Just like you never know what the next step in a marathon will bring, so too, you never know what will happen next in life. But if you don't keep going, you're never going to find out. By staying relaxed, centered, and positive you handle just about anything that comes your way." This is marathon running for real people, people with jobs and families and obligations outside of running. The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer has proven successful for men and women of all ages. Now let it work for you.

Runner's World Run Less, Run Faster: Become a Faster, Stronger Runner with the Revolutionary FIRST Training Program (Runners World)

Bill Pierce, Scott Murr, Ray Moss

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rodale Books Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $9.20

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

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.

The key feature is the "3 plus 2" program, which each week consists of:

-3 quality runs, including track repeats, the tempo run, and the long run, which are designed to work together to improve endurance, lactate-threshold running pace, and leg speed

-2 aerobic cross-training workouts, such as swimming, rowing, or pedaling a stationary bike, which are designed to improve endurance while helping to avoid burnout

With detailed training plans for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon, plus tips for goal-setting, rest, recovery, injury rehab and prevention, strength training, and nutrition, this program will change the way runners think about and train for competitive races.

Amby Burfoot, Runner’s World executive editor and Boston Marathon winner, calls the FIRST training program "the most detailed, well-organized, and scientific training program for runners that I have ever seen."

The Triathlete's Training Bible (2nd Edition)

Joe Friel

Amazon Price: $15.61 List Price: $22.95 Usually ships in 7 to 13 days By: VeloPress Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $14.16

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 81 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Read his original sources instead 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is the Wal-Mart of Triathlon training guides. There is a representative in every department of training, but it does not contain enough of the depth of knowledge and detail that you would like from a "Bible" to be truly satisfying. Throughout the book you will find diluted versions of other works and training books/products (Pose Method, Total Immersion, Paleo Diet, etc). I've found that reading the original sources is much more satisfying for that craving of knowledge. If you are really looking to gain in depth knowledge about the skills, training, and diet necessary for triathlon I would recommend reading the following books as either a supplement or replacement for this book:

1. Dr. Nichloas Romanov's Pose Method of Running (and DVD)
2. Daniel's Running Formula
3. Triathlon Swimming Made Easy: The Total Immersion Way for Anyone
to Master Open-Water Swimming
4. Easy Freestyle DVD (also by Total Immersion)
5. Bicycling Magazine's Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills
6. The Paleo Diet

Editorial Review:

This new edition of The Triathlete's Training Bible covers all of the specialized training needs of triathletes, including completely updated nutrition, recovery, and weight training information. The book also contains seasoned advice on the mental aspects of training. Author Joe Friel shows how to achieve greater fitness by examining personal strengths and weaknesses, and devotes individual chapters to planning, racing, rest, and recovery. Appendices include annual training plan worksheets and suggested swim, bike, run, and combined workouts.

50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!

Dean Karnazes

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wellness Central Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $13.78

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the Fall of 2006, Dean Karnazes, known as the "Lance Armstrong of the running world," took on the ultimate challenge: running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. Dean set off in a caravan packed with fellow runners, with nothing more than a roadmap and a determination that defied all physical limitations.

50/50 goes beyond the incredible story of these 50 marathons. It is a firsthand account of what happens when your body defies all limitations, and it is a fascinating story of what it's like to push the limits of strength under grueling conditions.

This book is also packed with Dean's secrets and training tips that runners everywhere will want to know. These include what to do when you hit a wall, how to adapt quickly to drastic terrain, how to get motivated after a really tough day, and the best diet and exercise tips to improve your own best time. Complete with Dean's practical tips on building endurance, this book will appeal to marathon runners and athletes everywhere.


"(He) makes the extraordinary look easy." --GQ


"The indefatigable man." --Esquire


"One of the sexiest men in sports." --Sports Illustrated Women

Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon: How to Be Your Own Best Coach

Brad Hudson, Matt Fitzgerald

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 9 to 12 days By: Broadway Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $11.15

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Do you want to run faster? Are you trying to peak for a particular race? Would you like to find your true running potential? Brad Hudson, former Olympic Trials marathoner and current coach to Olympians like Dathan Ritzenhein, will show you the way in this practical, reader-friendly guide. Hudson is the most innovative running coach to come along in a generation. Until now, only a handful of elite athletes have been able to benefit from his methods. Now Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon shows all runners how to coach themselves as confidently and effectively as Brad coaches his world-class athletes. Becoming your own best coach is the ticket to running faster at any distance.
First you will learn to assess your abilities. Then you’ll learn how to devise a training program specifically geared to you. Filled with easy-to-follow sample training programs for distances ranging from the 5K to the marathon and abilities ranging from novice to advanced, Run Faster is the cutting-edge guide for optimal performance.
With Hudson’s guidance, you can train smarter and more effectively—and avoid injury. And you’ll soon be running faster than you ever thought possible!

Runner's World Training Journal

The Editors of Runner's World Magazine

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rodale Books Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $2.11

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

With updated facts, motivational quotes, and more than 150 tips based on the latest scientific information, this revised edition is the ultimate week-by-week training journal for runners of all abilities—from the top experts in the sport

With the imprimatur of the leading authority on running, the Runner’s World Training Journal provides the perfect framework to help runners track a year’s worth of runs and reach all of their goals—whether they seek better aerobic conditioning, weight loss, or world records.

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.

Your First Triathlon

Joe Friel

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Subjects -> Sports -> Individual Sports -> Cycling -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Got me through my first triathlon! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I did my first triathlon (sprint distance) in September after three months training, and I was lucky enough to have found this book towards the beginning of my training. Needless to say I am hooked and can't wait to do another one!!! The book did an amazing job of preparing me by arming me with the information I needed to train properly, learn new sports (I had never biked or swam seriously before), eat right, and avoid injury, and yet avoided getting too "hard core" (when you do your first triathlon you keep wondering whether or not you're crazy). Joe keeps it manageable. There is a scary overwhelmed feeling you can get when you start reading about some of the crazy training schedules and techniques out there -- and he really clears through all that and gets to the essentials you need to know to make it through your training and cross the finish line. For example, his race day prep chapter really helped me visualize what to expect on the big day. Also, I really liked his approach to gear -- you can really get sucked into buying a bunch of stuff -- and he emphasizes ways to work with stuff you already have (ex: your old mountain bike) until you're more experienced and can better select the right gear to invest in. Overall, I really liked his fun-first emphasis, while providing what is clearly well-researched and high quality information. Two thumbs up!

Editorial Review:

Every year thousands of people decide to take on a sprint triathlon for the first time. Now USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified coach Joe Friel provides a complete guide to finishing that first triathlon. The same principles and training methodology that the pros and committed triathletes rely on are presented here in language that a beginner can easily understand. Friel maps a course to prepare for a sprint-distance triathlon in 12 weeks, with five hours of training each week, plenty of rest, and the beginnings of a lifestyle marked by a commitment to health and fitness and personal growth. Your First Triathlon provides the training plans, workouts, checklists, and instruction that first-timers need. Joe Friel is known for his thorough approach and with his help, what may have begun as a challenge to complete a sprint triathlon will grow into a love for this demanding yet rewarding sport.

A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York

Liz Robbins

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

When 39,195 competitors thunder over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to begin the thirty-eighth running of the famed New York City Marathon, they experience one of the most exhilarating moments in sports. But as they cross five towering bridges and five distinct boroughs, carried 26.2 miles by the cheers of two million fans and by their own indomitable wills, grueling challenges await them.

New York Times sportswriter Liz Robbins brings race day to life in this gripping saga of the 2007 Marathon, weaving the unforgettable stories of runners into a vibrant mile-by-mile portrait of the world's largest marathon.

The professionals pound out the suspense in two thrilling races. Paula Radcliffe, the women's world record holder from Great Britain, returns with new resolve after having given birth nine months earlier; Gete Wami, her longtime rival from Ethiopia, tries to win her second marathon in just five weeks; and Latvia's Jelena Prokopcuka desperately hopes for her third straight New York title.

If the women's race plays out like a mesmerizing chess game, then the men's race quickly turns into a high-speed car chase. South Africa's Hendrick Ramaala, eager to recapture glory at age 35, surges to lead the pack as Kenya's Martin Lel and Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri stay within striking range.

While the professionals offer insight into the intense, often painful experience of being an elite athlete, the amateurs provide timeless stories of courage and obsession that typify today's marathoner: Harrie Bakst, a cancer survivor at 22, who is a first-timer; Pam Rickard, a 45-year-old mother of three from Virginia, who is a recovering alcoholic; and 65-year-old Tucker Andersen, who has run the race every year since 1976.

Enlivening the history of the New York City Marathon with stories of such legends as the late Fred Lebow, the race's charismatic founder, and nine-time champion Grete Waitz, A Race Like No Other provides a curbside seat to the drama of the first Sunday in November. Feel the anxiety at the start in Staten Island. Listen to gospel choirs in Brooklyn and the accordion in Queens. Bask in the delirious sound tunnel of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hit The Wall in the Bronx. And overcome agony in the last hilly miles before arriving in Central Park—exhausted yet exhilarated—at the finish line.

Lore of Running

Timothy D. Noakes

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics - Model: 0873229592 Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $16.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Thorough look at the science and practice of running 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Noakes's book on the "Lore of Running" covers just about everything, from what happens inside your muscles to training plans for various races, from biographies of great runners to how to stretch. Noakes seems to be writing both for the runner who wants a deeper understanding of the sport, and for the runner's trainer.

Despite the specialized nature of some of the subject matter, Noakes's writing is quite readable. If you like endurance reading and endurance running, treat yourself to this book.

Editorial Review:

Now revised, expanded and updated, Lore of Running gives you incomparable detail on physiology, training, racing, injuries, world-class athletes, and races. Author Tim Noakes blends the expertise of a physician and research scientist with the passion of a dedicated runner to answer the most pressing questions for those who are serious about the sport: - How your body systems respond to training, the effects of different training methods, how to detect and avoid overtraining, and genetic versus trainable potential, - How to train for the 10K up through ultramarathon with detailed programs from Noakes and several leading running experts, - How to prevent and treat injuries, increase your strength and flexibility, and use proper nutrition for weight control and maximum performance,

Daniels' Running Formula

Jack Daniels

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $11.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 74 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Get in the best shape of your running career with the scientifically based training in Daniels’ Running Formula. In the book that Runner’s World magazine called "the best training book," premier running coach Jack Daniels provides you with his proven VDOT formula to guide you through training at exactly the right intensity to become a faster, stronger runner.

Choose from the red, white, blue, and gold programs to get into shape, target a race program, or regain conditioning after a layoff or injury. Race competitively with programs for 800 meters, 1500 meters to 3000 meters, cross country races, 5K to 15K, and half-marathon up to the marathon. Each program incorporates the right mix of the five training intensities to help you build endurance, strength, and speed, and Daniels’ intensity point system makes it easy to track the time you spend at each level.

The formula can be customized to your current fitness level and the number of weeks you have available for training, and it provides the perfect solution for short training seasons. Get the results you’re seeking every time you lace up your shoes for a training run or race with the workouts and programs detailed in Daniels’ Running Formula.