Matt Fitzgerald
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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> Running & Jogging
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General AAS
Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Just one question for Fitzgerald 3 out of 5 stars.
20 of 25 people found this review helpful.
I have one question for Fitzgerald and those who rave about this book and the author's mixture of triathlete training and the proven philosophies of coach Jack Daniels: Do the great African runners (Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco) do a lot of cross training or triathlons? I think you all know the answer to that is a resounding no. They run. They run multiple times daily. They run in groups that push each other in each run. They have fun. They live and eat together. They run on dirt all the time and avoid injury. They wear light minimalistic training shoes that allow the foot to actually move and spread out properly. They run constantly on hilly or mountainous terrain. But they don't cycle, and they don't spend any time in swimming pools or the weight room at Gold's Gym. They improve their running by focusing on their running and enjoying the spirit of community competition. It is part of their culture. Americans and Europeans can't compete in the distance events because they will not train in this manner. Americans run on asphalt, generally avoid mountainous terrain, wear thick clunky shoes advertisers have convinced them are necessary to protect their heels, strike with their heels with each footstrike, and then wonder why they get hurt and aren't as fast as their international competitors.
To combine the principles of a great triathlete's training with the running philosophy of Jack Daniels may be "revolutionary" in the sense that no one has put such a combination forward promising improvement for runners, but that may be because it is a combination that overlooks the fact that the worlds best runners don't use any such training ideas. Cross-training may give a brief mental break from the demands of running, but many people run because it is the simplest and least expensive way to exercise: No gym membership needed, no bicycle equipment (big $), no need for a pool or the danger of open water swim areas, you just put on a good pair of shoes and head out the door. If cross training were the answer for major running improvement, everyone in the world would have been cross-training for decades. However, the world's best runners do very little, if any, cross training.
Days later now, and I will modify this review to say that the sections in this book about the psychology of running and how to train the brain to push through fatigue are well done, and the portions that focus on specific exercises to develop core strength are also quite useful and easily incorporated into even the least experienced runner's training. There are good sections on racing and how to prepare for competition, whether your goal is first place or a PR. These are the book's strength. I stand by my evaluation that cross training is emphasized a bit too heavily in some sections, but don't throw out the baby with the bath water, as they say, and miss the useful parts of the book because of the cross-training "revolutionary" revelations.
Editorial Review:
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. Based on Fitzgerald's eight-point brain training system, this book will help runners: - Resist running fatigue - Use cross-training as brain training - Master the art of pacing - Learn to run "in the zone" - Outsmart injuries - Fuel the brain for maximum performance - And more
Packed with cutting-edge research, real-world examples, and the wisdom of the world's top distance runners, Brain Training for Runners offers easily applied advice and delivers practical results for a better overall running experience.
