Runnnnn wrote:
Life at these speeds is super good
I enjoyed that book tremendously. The training scenes where the protagonist are running down country roads, doing upwards of a 100 mile weeks as a high schooler are fantastic. I used to think the novel was unrealistic - but now we get sub 4 high schoolers most years and like Cooper Lutkenhaus and Jane Hendgren. I never really liked the ending though. It makes sense in the literary tradition it seeks to emulate, but its a downer.
Some of my other favorites:
Long Road to Boston - a guy with nothing else to live for decides to train for Boston. No, not to run it, to win it.
Pain - A novel about the senior year of a top college runner in the 90s. Everything in it feels authentic except for copious binge drinking. I guess part of the point is that the protagonist is an alcoholic.
Nonfiction
The Self Made Olympian - part autobiography of Ron Daws, part basic explanation of how to structure a lydiard based approach to training
Running with the Buffaloes - follows CU xc team for one season - the one where Adam Goucher won nats. You'll hear his wife frequently commentating track and field.
Recent works:
Like the Wind - not new, but recently translated from Japanese. Pretty inspirational. It feels unrealistic that some can go from beginners to national class in weeks, but then we are living in an age of phenoms.
Bakken's book on training - haven't read this one yet. I understand theshold training and avoiding the red line where you risk injury are big components of his program.
