12. "Running with the Buffaloes" by Chris Lear
An honest account of renowned coach Mark Wetmore and his winning cross country team.
Coaching philosophy, hard work, personal insights and tragedy all told with a delicate touch, definitely due a reread.
The book is an account of Julian's own running career and almost a case of 'what if?'
He tries to impart wisdom to the reader, all the things he's learnt through experience and reflection with regards to training, technique etc. Things he wished he had applied during his time as a competitive runner.
The language in this book is not for the sensitive. This is not your typical running book! For one thing he runs ultras. There's so much more to this former navy seal than meets the eye.
I may not agree with some of what he says but his tenacity and mental toughness is to be both admired and envied. He personifies the never say die attitude of his military training.
9. "Sports Nutrition" by Anita Bean
Again, not quite a running book but nutrition plays a massive role in our lives and being able to fine tune it for our performance and enjoyment has to be a massive advantage, the detail in this book is invaluable and all the science is explained in layman's terms.
8. "26.2 miles to Happiness" by Paul Tonkinson
Took a punt on this, hadn't heard much about it and boy was I pleasantly surprised. An honest and funny account of a man striving to be better, in both running terms and his personal life. Over time I can see this moving up the rankings as I start to fully digest it.
7. "Staying the course" by Dick Beardsley
It is probably unfair that he is best known for his second place finish to Alberto Salazar in what became known as "The duel in the sun", as there is so much more to this athlete. This book documents how he met with both triumph and disaster, and they're not all running related.
6. "A life without limits" by Chrissie Wellington
Best known for her Ironman exploits in Hawaii and her infectious smile, Wellington is also a superb runner. What I look for in a good sports biography is honesty and how the writer conquers adversity and this book has it in abundance.
5. "Today we die a little" by Richard Askwith
This book had me from the title alone, Emile Zatopek was a pioneer of interval training and hard work, rightly remembered for his heroic exploits in the Helsinki Olympics 1952 winning gold in the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and the marathon. He was considered one of the good guys by all his peers but somehow found himself written out of Czechoslovakian history. A deeply flawed individual, this book lays out all the facts regarding the man, the athlete and his political views.
4. "Ultra Marathon Man" by Dean Karnazes
Love him or hate him, this book is a terrific read. Karnazes ,clearly in the midst of a midlife crisis, turns to running to help him come to terms with the loss of a loved one. Running is his escape, his medication for a better quality of life, which ultimately takes him on a journey of healing.
One of the best training bibles around. It's a wealth of knowledge for those interested in applying principles of physiology into their training. My own training plans have been heavily influenced by it along with the next book below.
2. "Hansons Half Marathon Method" by Luke Humphrey with Keith and Kevin Hanson
Similar to the book above, it's just full of great detail. I've never actually followed any of their plans but I have incorporated some of their ideas with my own and have seen some great success with it.
There is also a "Hansons Full Marathon Method" book for those who want to take things to the next level.
1. "From last to First" by Charlie Spedding
A must read and by far my favourite running book having read it multiple times and passed it on to numerous runners as part of their marathon preparation. One went so far as to say the book was worth two minutes and he comfortably ran sub 3 for the first time.
The opening chapter is the Los Angeles Olympic marathon in 1984, his account is thrilling and sets the book up nicely to show he got there. He explains how his training was geared towards peaking,how he handled injury and rehab, and how a change in his mindset played a key part in his success
I haven't read any running books throughout my life, but this post makes me feel intrigued. Even though I'm not much of a reading I definitely have the thought lying in my head to go check these out. Thanks for sharing!
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