Bob Glover's Handbook

Glover's book is okay, but I would recommend "Road Racing for Serious Runners" by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas. It is based on empirical data and helps you set up a training program based on your target race distance and mileage committment.

The only problem I have with Glover's book was that it gives you a hard schedule that might not match your needs.

You're probably better off with the old, 'outdated' methods from back in the day. If you read the introduction to later editions, Glover will say that the main modification he made was to make the programs easier, to respond to the needs or wishes of the more casual runner. Also, the earlier editions included a chapter on training to race the mile, but as the demographics of his readership changed, he dropped that because middle-distance training was considered too intense.

Glover is a psychotic asshole, but his book is great--especially the earlier edition. The concepts are Lydiard-based, and he's not afraid to make people work. Neither is Pfitzinger, mind you, so it's just two slightly diff. approaches to the same end. Glover's book has a ton more general info on a lot more topics than Pfitz's.

skylon wrote:

Glover is a psychotic asshole,

Ummm care to expand on this? I've never met the man or met anyone who has (to my knowledge). Why exactly is he a "psychotic asshole"?

I don't mind a difficult or challenging training schedule. I will not be working many hours and will be able to spend the time training. So, if the major draw back to the book is that the program is hard, I'm okay with that! Other than that, in general do you think the training schedules are set right?

Someone else who took his class? He was a nut and cruel to more than a few people, all miscommunication problems on his end. Good class for people who have never been on a track team and want to learn what it takes.

Even more old-school, try and find a few copies of the "Self Coached Runner" books...one is I think mile-5k and the other is 10k-marathon. Good stuff...I gave mine to someone, never got it back. Used those plans to pr in 5k, 10k, etc.

I have this book "The New Competitive Runner's Handbook" by Bob Glover and Pete Schuder, from what looks like 1988. It has some good training and racing schedules in there and I am wondering if the training techniques are outdated or if the information is still relative,

The information in the book is still relevant (not "relative"), and the book is very broad, in that it covers everything from tempo runs to dealing with cold weather.

However, the training schedules (at least in the new edition) are a bit on the soft side. Maybe the older edition is better, but the new edition appears almost lawsuit-conscious or over-edited or something -- it's Bob coming through faintly through a filter of politically correct editing. The real Bob (who average Joe calls a "psychotic asshole") is muffled out. I run for Bob's team in New York, and many of the runners on his team go outside the milage he recommends in that book, and do speed work more than once a week (most of the schedules only have one speed workout a week). Many of the runners on his team either go to both his speed workouts, or do one with the training group, and one on their own.

For a serious training schedule, I'd suggest you take a look at the Daniels book. The Daniels approach -- a periodised long term approach, is the way to go if you have the patience and discipline to pursue it. Bob's point of view does make sense -- he argues that most runners aren't willing to commit to a long term schedule, so his short 12 week schedules, as he admits in the book are a pragmatic compromise, rather than an ideal training program.

Average_Joe wrote:

skylon wrote:

Glover is a psychotic asshole,

Ummm care to expand on this? I've never met the man or met anyone who has (to my knowledge). Why exactly is he a "psychotic asshole"?

He is a wacko. the new york club scene is littered with scores of ex-GNY people with whom he's had run-ins. Meglomaniac truly fits here.

But the book is actually very good, very thorough. For all his faults, Glover's uber-competitiveness has meant he's resisted the penguining / Gallowalking of running, which is one notch in his favor I guess.

I thought the classes were pretty good over all, but having people sprint up cat hill / 90th street hill coming off the NY marathon probably wasn't the smartest thing. I thought the classes included way too much anaerobic work. If you're diong them, you really need to do a more aerobic workout by yourself to get some sort of balance. The 2x2 mile, the east river workout and the harlem hill reps were kick ass workouts though.

In my opinion you'd do well by chucking this book in the trash. If you'd like to get back into running and doing some races, you'd be better off just going out and doing some very easy running, gradually building up the mileage and racing a 5k every few weeks. Check this out as a better training alternative :http://www.ffh.us/cn/hadd.htm

Good luck!