Best Running Book

A Cold, Clear Day by Frank Murphy. The story American marathoner Buddy Edelen, first man to break 2:15 (in 1963).

It struck me how pure running was in his time, and how dedicated he was to the pursuit of his goals. It's a brief, but richly detailed book, with a good mix of training info and storytelling.

http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Clear-Day-Frank-Murphy/dp/0735103992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292885982&sr=8-1

Jack Daniels' Running Formula

running with the buffaloes

The Self-Made Olympian, by Ron Daws

Anything by the great Michael Sandrock--the Mark Twain of our generation---also try The Penguin--stimulating --it's grab you be the "nads" type of running writing---there's always Chris Lear--insightful,been there done that writing from a guy who's been in the trenches and washed the jocks and can tell you what it all smells like--Finish it off with Chris McDougall --he'll get you to start running in the thinnest possible coverings you can wear on your feet all in the name of keeping it natural---meanwhile you can count down the days until you totally breakdown.

Trouble sleeping? Try anything by George Sheehan--makes the simple art of running into a complex philosophical act with endless references to obscure writers.

Hope this all helps.

Buffalo Billy wrote:

Anything by the great Michael Sandrock--the Mark Twain of our generation---also try The Penguin--stimulating --it's grab you be the "nads" type of running writing---there's always Chris Lear--insightful,been there done that writing from a guy who's been in the trenches and washed the jocks and can tell you what it all smells like--Finish it off with Chris McDougall --he'll get you to start running in the thinnest possible coverings you can wear on your feet all in the name of keeping it natural---meanwhile you can count down the days until you totally breakdown.

Trouble sleeping? Try anything by George Sheehan--makes the simple art of running into a complex philosophical act with endless references to obscure writers.

Hope this all helps.

well played. very very well played

The Olympian by Brian Glanville or The Games by Hugh Atkinson are my two favorites

Once a runner by parker. It is fictional but has a great story line. Have to love the protagonist Quenton Cassidy

I can't believe i forgot about Once a Runner, that's probably the best.

Once A Runner is also my first pick.

If you can find the Frank Shorter and Bill Rogers biographies those are good.

The Ron Daws book previously mentioned is also a personal favorite.

There was also a Derek Clayton book that was published in the '70s.

A non running book that has running for survival is Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNabb.

It is about an SAS patrol that was in Iraq in the first Gulf War that was discovered by the Iraq army and it's soldiers then began to escape and evade 220 miles to the Syrian border.

It give you something to think about when you do long runs.

Here is my list:

Devil at My Heels and Unbroken--both about Louis Zamperini

Running with the Legends

Lore of Running (the science is ok, but the stories about the runners/pedestrians are great)

Running with the Buffaloes

_Born to Run_ is surprisingly readable, and also thought-provoking.

It's also the running book that any non-runner you meet is by far the most likely to have read.

One more vote for "A Cold Clear Day"

Another vote for "A Cold Clear Day". Even my non-runner wife loved it.

The Perfect Distance: Ovett and Coe: The Record Breaking Rivalry

If you are looking for fiction, try Life at These Speeds. Obviously, Once a Runner gets all the attention in the fictional running department, but this one also deserves some attention.