Justin91 wrote:
man behind the curtain wrote:And they'd like to see you shut your pie hole.
That's a reasonable inference, but I've gained a (small) amount of wisdom over the years and don't lecture people about what to do to run faster. That's part of the reason why I'm looking for a book. Put the tools in their hands without the lecturing about the "real way" to run.
Based on the post, it seems as if these friends want to get faster, so I see no issue. I'm always happy to get suggestions/ideas on improving my training. I may not always be able to use specific bits of advice, but regardless, I'll thank the person for sharing it. And if they have books they recommend, all the better!
Books: Lots of good ones suggested above. It might also be worth looking into running related novels--for the inspiration: Once a Runner is a good read. A classic is Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.
For a nice collection, check out The Runner's Literary Companion.