Showing posts with label marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marathon. Show all posts

Running: A Global History Review

Running: A Global History
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I highly recommend this book - it provides a good overview of the development of running.
However, this is an unusual and idiosyncratic book; if a specific topic interests the author, he writes a chapter about it.I would have liked to see more on the business of running after 1990 - more on shoe company economics and how elite runners make money and less on running gurus. The prose style is also very stilted at times, but this may be more a function of the translator. Still, well worth it.

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In the past decade, the number of Americans who consider themselves runners more than doubled—in 2008, more than 16 million Americans claimed to have run or jogged at least 100 days in the year. Though now running thrives as a convenient and accessible form of exercise, it is no surprise to learn that the modern craze is not truly new; humans have been running as long as they could walk. What may be surprising however are the myriad reasons why we have performed this exhausting yet exhilarating activity through the ages. In this humorous and unique world history, Thor Gotaas collects numerous unusual and curious stories of running from ancient times to modern marathons and Olympic competitions. Amongst the numerous examples that illustrate Gotaas's history are King Shulgi of Mesopotamia, who four millennia ago boasted of running from Nippur to Ur, a distance of not less than 100 miles. Gotaas's account also includes ancient Egyptian pharaohs who ran to prove their vitality and maintain their power, Norwegian Vikings who exercised by running races against animals, as well as little-known naked runs, bar endurance tests, backward runs, monk runs, snowshoe runs, and the Incas' ingenious infrastructure of professional runners.
The perfect gift for the sprinter, the marathoner, or the daily jogger, this intriguing world history will appeal to all who wish to know more about why the ancients shared our love—and hatred—of this demanding but rewarding pastime.

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Paula: My Story So Far Review

Paula: My Story So Far
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Being a runner, I love reading about runners, and their stories. Paula Radcliffe comes across in this book with frank honesty. She doesn't sugarcoat it, and tells it straight. She comes across confident, but human, like just another person. Granted, she is an elite athlete that has accomplished much in her life, but unlike some autobiographies, she doesn't sit there and tell you how great she is.
I learned a lot about Radcliffe herself in the book, along with a lot of interesting things about running, injuries, dealing with injuries, the triumph of her victories, the agony of her defeats, her drive to always give it her all, and that she is quite funny at times throughout the book.
Also, for those of you that don't know, she is asthmatic and if you know someone that has asthma and struggles with it, get them a copy of this book. It will inspire them.

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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.

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Women Who Win: Female Athletes on Being the Best Review

Women Who Win: Female Athletes on Being the Best
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Women Who Win: Female Athletes on Being the Best is an anthology of portraits of champion ten female athletes. A black-and-white photograph of each woman introduces her section, peppered with snippets of interviews, tales of training regimens, and stories of the raw struggle required to become the best of the best. The women covered are big-wave surfer Jamilah Star, jockey Julie Krone, soccer player Julie Foudy, runner Deena Kastor, gymnast Wendy Hilliard, volleyball player Misty May-Treanor, swimmer Lynne Cox, basketball player Tamika Catchings, triathlete Karen Smyers, and rock climber Lynn Hill. An amazing true account of what it takes to reach the top of one's game, and an especially inspirational read for women of all ages.

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Whether it's surfer Jamilah Star riding an unprecedented fifty-foot wave, Olympic marathoner Deena Kastor winning the bronze in 2004, or top-ranked climber Lynn Hill facing down a tough climb at Joshua Tree, one thing is certain: these women have game.What's more, these amazing athletes capture our imagination. How do they do it? What motivates them to win and to become the best in their sport?In Women Who Win, adventure writer Lisa Taggart takes us behind the scenes, deep into the training regimens and the ultimate victories, to see what makes these women — and some of their fellow female athletes — tick. Whether their sport is soccer, cycling, mountain biking, or volleyball, these athletes will inspire you to pursue your dreams, whether it's running a marathon or catching your first wave.

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Timeless Running Wisdom Review

Timeless Running Wisdom
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Timeless Running Wisdom is a collection of two dozen essays that cover a wide variety of running topics. At first glance, some of the individual titles seem to contradict each other (Chapter 17: Run Alone; Chapter 18: Run Together), but taken as a whole the reader learns that very contradiction is inevitable and understandable. Anyone who wants to run successfully for decades needs to realize that there is a time to race and a time to run without a clock, a time to run regularly and a time to take time off. As I often tell students in my writing classes: the only rule is there are no rules.
Author Rich Benyo has a storied past in relation to distance running and is race director for a very well known marathon, and while 26.2 mile races are mentioned in the book they are not the focus. Indeed, the lessons therein can be used by professional ultra runners just as easily as by neighborhood 5K runners. In addition to the author's plainspoken wit and wisdom, a number of famous--and famously successful--runners (including Joe Henderson, Joan Benoit-Samuelson, and Dean Karnazes) contribute to different sections to add their own keen insight.
Each essay is neatly summarized with a few key points titled "For Your Consideration," and the book concludes with three very useful sections: glossary, running quotes, and a bibliography of other great reads. Whether it is read from start to finish or sampled like a high quality buffet, Rich Benyo's latest is destined to be a favorite and highly useful book no matter what kind of runner you are.
Resting on a small table by the side of my bed, Timeless Running Wisdom has helped me remember why I run, prodded me to slip out of my running outfit in order to volunteer and spectate at races, and even gotten me into my shoes and out the door on a few mornings when I might otherwise have slept in. This will be a reference book that I go back to regularly. It is a powerful motivator.


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You run because you like the way it makes you feel in its best moments. You run with a goal of success and satisfaction. Wouldn't you like to tap into those feelings more often?



In Timeless Running Wisdom, longtime runner and author Rich Benyo takes you on a journey spanning the trends of the sport and the approaches, concepts, and methods that have bred success and satisfaction across generations of runners. Discover how to embrace simplicity; change up routes, distances, and terrains; keep your running in proportion to the rest of your life; and create your own adventure runs. It's all here—practical, compelling, and fantastic.



On this quest of rediscovery, you'll be joined by an all-star array of world- and national-class runners with literally millions of miles of experience and wisdom, including:



• Kathrine Switzer

• Roger Robinson

• Joe Henderson

• Bill Rodgers

• Dean Karnazes

• Amby Burfoot

• Joan Benoit-Samuelson



Through their personal stories, insights, and advice, they illustrate the essence of running success and satisfaction and guide you to achieving your every running goal. With this unique perspective you'll find the tools and the maps to run longer, safer, and better.



The ultimate runner's toolbox, Timeless Running Wisdom is also your GPS to the world's oldest sport. Read this book and you will remember why you fell in love with running in the first place.


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Running With the Legends: Training and Racing Insights from 21 Great Runners Review

Running With the Legends: Training and Racing Insights from 21 Great Runners
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I would agree with the other reviewers that this is by no means a training manual (ala Daniels or Coe). However, that doesn't change the fact that it is a very enjoyable book to read, covering legends of the past as well as more recent champions. If you are interested in marathoning, this book is particularly good, as most of the runners covered are marathoners.
Whilst the training plans will be of little use, I find this book a great motivator, and that's what every runner needs!

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Run for Life: The Injury-Free, Anti-Aging, Super-Fitness Plan to Keep You Running to 100 Review

Run for Life: The Injury-Free, Anti-Aging, Super-Fitness Plan to Keep You Running to 100
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Here's a backhanded compliment. On the one hand, in Run for Life author
Roy Wallack has produced what looks like a very effective life plan for
running, with new ideas and tools that ought to make you a healthier,
stronger runner. Although many ideas were new to me, I found myself
nodding to myself at times "of course that makes total sense-----I'm
going to do that from now on' ------ such as those "Ultra-Interval"
30-second sprints, which I did on land and in the pool, and felt
stronger after a week. After three weeks, I beat my best 5k time over
the last 5 years on a treadmill by 12 seconds, and wasn't even really
pushing it. I can't wait to do a real race and see what happens. On
the other hand (here comes the backhand) , Wallack shot himself in the
foot with his marketing hook of "Running to 100'--- which will make
people think the book is only for old people. Listen people: It's
definitely not. It's not even just for people over 35, "when the body's
natural deterioration begins, as Wallack puts it. I would go as far
to say that a 16-year old beginner highschool cross country runner
would do himself a lot of good to use this book as his bible. The
detail about non-heel striking form, pedulum arm swing, and barefoot
running is invaluable, and thats just the tip of the iceberg here.
But alas, "young" people ---- and I mean fit, non-injured runners under
40 probably won't pick up this book because of that "age 100" angle.
Even older runners may not, like Bill Rodgers, who in his fascinating
interview said "Run to 100? That's so far away I don't even think about
that." That said it all to a marketing man like me. Bill's over 60 now
(just finished Boston the other day in 4 hours) and has even broke a
bone his tibia due to over-running, but the "100" angle still does not
resonate with him yet. It's a shame. The book could have stood stonger
on its own without this angle. Run for Life IS a great book, engaging
from the get-go even merely as entertainment, but it's fatally flawed
marketing hook may scare away the running masses of ALL AGES who could
benefit from it.

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Want to run fast and injury-free for the next 50 years? In Run for Life, the co-author of Barefoot Running Step by Step lays out a comprehensive plan designed to help you do just that. L.A. Times fitness columnist and endurance athlete Roy M. Wallack says new muscle- and joint-preserving techniques and technologies put life-long running within everyone's reach. "Yes, you can run to 100," he says. "And not merely live to 100 andshuffle along when you get there, but do what few, if any, have everdone: Actually run a 5k, 10k, or even a marathon on your 100thbirthday." Traveling the running world from Kenya to Tahiti and Bostonto Badwater in search of super-fit running longevity,Wallack talks to top coaches, athletes, and researchers andsynthesizes new running methods, products, and fitness regimens into a life plan for runners he summarizes as: * Run Soft * Run Less * Run Stronger * Run Flexible * Run Straighter * Run Faster. At the core of the Run for Lifeplan is a one-two punch that addresses the two oft-ignored factors thatcripple all runners: the natural muscle and VO2 Max deteriorationthat starts at age 35, and the joint deterioration caused by runningitself. Featuring 10 oral-history interviews and advice fromgreats such as Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Rod Dixon, HelenKlein, Laszlo Tabori, Bobbi Gibb, and Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Run for Life brims with innovations:·Soft Running form: The proven way to cut knee-shock -- and injuries -- by 50%;·Barefoot Running: Why it strengthens feet and can even eliminateimpact.·Vertical Arm Swing: Why a perfect pendulum is faster and safer than cross-chest swings;·HGH Strength Training: Radical high-intensity exercises that fight aging and injury;·Ultra Intervals: Short, hard sprint workouts that cue muscle growth and instant speed gains;·High-tech Water Running: Joint-safe pool tools used to set the half-marathon world record;·Runner-specific Yoga: Exclusive runner's warm-up from famed multisport yogi Steve Ilg;·Bionic Hips and Knees: The operations rejuvenating broken-down Baby Boomer runners;·Perfect running posture: Unique postural exercises to straighten you out and speed you up; ·Runaway Weight Loss: Slight changes in diet timing that can cut fat and race times.

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ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running Review

ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running
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What an interesting running book! Buy this book if you:
-would like to be able to run well into your old age
-would like to improve your running form and have fewer injuries
-would like to have a more philosophical approach to your running
-would like to increase your overall health
Here's how the book roughly pans out:
-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
As you can see, the first 3 chapters lay out the philosopical foundation- that's so when you get to the specific techniques, they make sense.
Chaper 4: learn about the ChiRunning "focuses"- which are the specific physical and mental methods used to run more efficiently.
Chapters 5-9: covers program development, peak performance training and diet. Note: Chapter 7 also covers some info on common injuries such as muscle cramps, plantar fasciitis (also rec. The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution for more info on this), heel cord problems.
Chapter 10: how to incorporate the ChiRunning principles into your everyday life
As you can tell, ChiRunning, with its mind-body approach, is far from your typical book on running- and shouldn't be missed by any serious runner. Happy trails.


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