Personal Best, Running to Win, Running & Being. All by George Sheehan. These books are so great that you can almost flip to any page and read something profound and inspirational.
The Complete Guide to Running by Earl Fee (Essential read if you're a masters runner, especially at 200 to 1500m)
The Lore of Running. It was a seminal work in its day. Some parts might be dated now, but it's worth a read.
Training for Young Distance Runners
Total Heart Rate Training by Joel Friel (he has updated the LTHR method online, but the book changed how I trained. I think it's far superior to the traditional zone methods of HR training. If you train by HR Zones, this book and the updates online will make you a faster runner.)
Programmed to Run by Miller (how a short, stocky guy changed his form to run Boston) It changed how I run. I still use some of his cues for good form.
200 Tips Every Runner Should Know. You'll know most of these tips, but the ones you don't know can make a lasting change how you train, rehab, and race. I'm the author so I'm biased.
Brain Training For Runners. Your brain acts like a governor, limiting your performance. Matt Fitzgerald teaches you how to override it. It changed how I train for major races.
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What a great list 800 dude! Fortunately, I own a copy of each of those except the hard to find Canova book.
Today I will agree with that list but scratch Magness and replace with Ron Daws autobiography The Self Made Olympian.
Vigil should be required reading.
Thanks! Good for you having a copy of Best Efforts. Not an easy one to find these days.
I debated including Magness, but decided to ultimately because I think the science section of the book is probably the best comprehensive reference out there, notwithstanding that it could use a lot of editing. The practical coaching stuff is basically Canova with a few weird theories thrown in there. I don't read it for that.
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For historical importance, I'd nominate Jim Fixx, Complete Book of Running (1977), but I'd consider another candidate that was more important to the first running boom.
Check back on this thread as Tom Derderian will occasionally be found posting on such threads. He will be able to confirm the various editions and updates of his history of the Boston Marathon. The earliest (and perhaps first) edition I own is Boston Marathon: The History of the World's Premier Running Event from 1993.
in no particular order: Once a Runner Running with the Buffaloes Running for My Life Running to the Edge 26 Marathons: What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career Again To Carthage Shoe Dog Daniels Running Formula The Perfect Distance