Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)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.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Run for Life: The Injury-Free, Anti-Aging, Super-Fitness Plan to Keep You Running to 100
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.
