Best Running Books

Does "Running with the Buffaloes" count as a training book? That's probably the closest I've read to a training book...and it was pretty good. Although I did feel pretty inferior.

Advanced Marathoning by Pfitzinger, Lore of Running by Noakes, Daniel's Running Formula, Train Hard Win Easy the Kenyan Way by Toby Tanser, Better Training for Distance Runners by Coe and Martin, Run to the Top by Lydiard (original edition).... have I missed any? I've also got Self-Made Olympian by Ron Daws, which I checked out from the library. For good stories about great runners, check out Running with the Legends.... lots of little tid-bits to pick up.

I also like the Van Aaken Method; its a little hard to find but worth it.

"Bowerman and the Men of Oregon". Just finished it. Kenny Moore is, no doubt about it, the best author on runners and running, ever. This book had me in tears a number of times. Mr Bowerman did so many great things for runners and running. Kenny Moore filled in all the blank spaces for me. I started running in 1967 and I heard things (almost always good or great things) about Bill Bowerman for almost 30 years. Was Bill Bowerman the best ever track coach in the US? Probably. Was he the best American distance coach ever? Maybe. (Maybe not) But what I REALLY admire about him is that he DID NOT TRASH COLLEGE RUNNERS AND THEN BRING IN THE NEXT CROP OF FRESHMAN, ETC. Running should be a lifetime sport. Those runners that are pushed so hard for 4 years in college oftern quit after that. Bowerman's did not oftern quit running. Bill was involved in so many things, other than coaching, yet it is his "take an easy day, take an easy week, take an easy month" coaching philosophy that I admire most about him.

From the introduction: "I began to gain, and the crowd, Bowerman's crowd, 10,000 strong, saw me coming and got up and called. With half a mile to go, I had no real will left. all control had passed to that thunder that would not let me slow. Into the last turn, Story still had ten yards. Then he looked back, shis shoulders tightened, and I experienced for the first time the full sabagery of my competitive heart.

I out kicked him by a second in 8:48.1, ripping 27 seconds from my best, finishing in dedlam, crowd and teammates pressing the air out of me....

Bowerman was there with wild blue eves and a fiendish grin, and I knew what he would say. "See!" he'd crow. "I told you! You needed rest!"

But he didn't. He whispered in my ear..."Even I didn't think you could run that fast, Kenny," he said. "Even I."

You may want to add "Run Strong" by Kevin Beck to the list.

bump

Speed with Endurance

http://www.speedwithendurance.com/

what ever happened to again to carthage

my favorite by far is Kiwi\'s can fly. It tells the story of Rod Dixon and John Walker during the European tour that Walker became he first man under 3:50 for the mile. great story

Noake's Lore of Running has the most info about running in one place so it is the richest single source of history and science.

The other books get deeper into specific aspects of running and Kenny's goes very deep into a specific person.

It is not useful to try to rank books like we might rank track performances even if there were some age-graded, Hungarian table for equating books.

Get them all and read them all.

Tom

"The Lore of Running"

kinda thick but pretty good

some fiction, some non-fiction..

http://dougcross.tripod.com/reading.htm

Have about 45 pages left of Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, have to agree, fantastic book.

You'll laugh your butt off at time, and be brought to tears at others.

Also recently read Duel in the Sun. Another great read.

I like Run with the Champions by Marc Bloom and Running Tough: 75 Challending Training Runs by Michael Sandrock.

These books aren't as complete as the treatises above, they're just interesting collections of interviews and workouts from Nurmi to Shorter to Culpepper.

"A Clean Pair of Heels," which is about Murray Halberg. And "The Unforgiving Minute," which is about Ron Clarke. The worst-written running book I've ever owned was "The Dave Bedford Story." But it had some great photos.

"A Clean Pair of Heels," which is about Murray Halberg. And "The Unforgiving Minute," which is about Ron Clarke. I also really liked Cordner Nelson's "The Jim Ryun Story." The worst-written running book I've ever seen was "The Dave Bedford Story." But it had some great photos.

"The Lonely Breed" by Ron Clarke

by far the greatest running book ever written

hard to get ahold of though

The Olympian by Brain Glanville (I think) -- greatest novel about distance running ever written

anything by Frank Murphy The Last Protest Lee Evans in Mexico Cit, The Silence of Great Distance, A Cold Clear Day