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Running Books/Running Stories (Read 539 times)
htkf
posted: 12/3/2008 at 2:48 AM
Does anyone out there know of any good books about running other than Once a Runner or Again to Carthage?
"Our workouts are longer than our shorts" SHS XC 2008
Guus25
posted: 12/3/2008 at 6:36 AM
I recently bought/read The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb. About 3 men trying to get under the 4 min for the mile. I liked the story a lot.
Troy.
posted: 12/3/2008 at 12:45 PM
modified: 12/3/2008 at 12:46 PM
Running with the Buffaloes by Chris Lear is a pretty good read about Colorado under Mark Wetmore when Adam Goucher was there.

And What I Talk about When I Talk about Running by Haruki Murakami has gotten a lot of attention lately, although I haven't read it yet.
nbweis
posted: 12/3/2008 at 12:51 PM
I agree with guus. The perfect mile is a good read.
Also try
My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso. He tells interesting tales of his many running adventures.
Duel in the Sun by John Brant is about 1982 marathon duel between Salazar and Beardsley.
What I Talk about when I talk about running by Haruki Murakami
Troy.
posted: 12/3/2008 at 12:53 PM
Also, The Runner's Literary Companion, a collection of short stories edited by Garth Battista.
skootrtmbg
Cock of nothing!
 posted: 12/3/2008 at 1:34 PM
modified: 12/3/2008 at 1:35 PM
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a pretty interesting read...it's pretty fatalistic, but it's cool to get inside another distance runner's head. It's definitely a very existential book, and not really advice on running, which appealed to me, personally. I will say, I think it would have been a lot less interesting a book if I wasn't a huge Murakami fan in the first place.
2009 goals:
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milkbaby
posted: 12/4/2008 at 9:44 PM
From the John L. Parker books you mentioned, definitely pick up Running with the Buffaloes by Chris Lear. He follows the Colorado Buffaloes XC team through the season describing training, races, and everything else surrounding the runners lives. It is surprisingly dramatic, don't want to spoil anything, but a must read if you want to read about competitive running.

The Perfect Mile by Neil Bascomb is another one that follows Roger Bannister, John Landy, and Wes Santee closely through their training, preparation, and racing to be the first to break the 4 minute barrier for the mile.

Both of the above are great as far as reading about the training, racing, and even the personal stuff all runners go through.

Additionally, there is a series of books from Breakaway Books that collect race reports and essays about running. Two of them edited by Gail Kislevitz are First Marathons and Spirit of the Marathon. I especially like the former as it is basically a collection of essays by people about their first marathon, the reasons why, how they trained, the race itself, and how it impacted their lives. It includes elites as well as just regular folks from all walks of life. Another similar one is Running Through the Wall edited by Neal Jamison which is essays and race reports by ultrarunners.
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
-- Mahatma Gandhi
"I have need to be all on fire, for I have mountains of ice about me to melt."
-- William Lloyd Garrison
"The marathon is an art; the marathoner is an artist."
-- Kiyoshi Nakamura
milerBonnie
posted: 12/4/2008 at 10:28 PM
I loved The Perfect Mile too. Here are a few more good ones.

The Perfect Distance: Ovett and Coe by Pat Butcher (another book about Mile racing)

Ultramarathon Man Dean K

Running with the Legends by Sandrock (About great runners, snapshots of their lives and training)
Teresadfp
posted: 12/4/2008 at 10:30 PM
Thanks for the "Buffaloes" suggestion. I'm going to buy it for my son who runs XC in high school. My dad went to grad school at Colorado, so there's a connection, too!
Boomer101
posted: 12/5/2008 at 1:39 AM
3. "The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life" ~ Amby Burfoot good moto and easy easy read.

4. "Ultra Marathon Man" ~ Dean Karnazes easy read and great to get you started and keep you going

5. "The Perfect Mile" ~ Neal Bascomb could easily be made into a movie. As others have said great book

6. "My Life On the Run" ~ Bart Yasso is a collection of his running life. Good book for that person who reads slow and takes breaks between chapters.

2. "Running With the Buffaloes" ~ Chris Lear is one of the better books a former or present CC runner caould read. Reminded me of many stories I have in my memory bank.

9. "I Run Therefor I am Nuts" ~ Bob Schwartz was a gift for Christmas along with tupperware full of every one of my favorite nuts and chocolate covered nuts and all that. Sorta fun to get as a gag style gift.

7. "50/50" ~ Dean Karnazes about his 50 states in 50 days. Great read sorta like reading a diary with some tangents.

8. "Strides" ~ Benjamin Cheever was an easy read but don't remember too much about it.

1. "Bowerman and the Men of Oregon" ~ Kenny Moore is by far my favorite book about running. It is a history book on Bill Bowerman the legendary coach of Oregon and the founder of Nike. Awesome story and told oh so great by one of his former runners Kenny Moore.


Thery are numbered in my order of preference. Some of them are inner changeable and this is just my running books.
"26.2 miles of bald-headed sexy"
dnephin
Jeff right, me left.
 posted: 12/5/2008 at 1:47 PM
I liked:

http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Run-Natural-History/dp/0060958707 by Bernd Heinrich.

The aforementioned "Duel in the Sun" was good.

Also enjoyed Dick Beardsley's Staying the Course http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Course-Runners-Toughest-Race/dp/0816637598/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228484423&sr=1-1 About his trials and tribulations

I don't know that I loved "What I Talk about When I Talk about Running" by Haruki Murakami. I have a feeling though, that I'd read it again as I get older.

Of these, I enjoyed Heinrich's book the most. There may be a book users group if you do a search.
Boston 2008
DWARP
Marathon Madness Mob
NaderAlfie
posted: 12/5/2008 at 7:44 PM
The Principles of Running by Amby Burfoot
jules2
jules2
 posted: 12/5/2008 at 8:38 PM

I agree "What I Talk About" plus "Feet in the Clouds" a tale of fell running and obsession by Richard Askwith, ISBN 1 85410 989 8, although my colonial friends you may have problems understanding some of it but I am always available to translate.
you can't keep your money for ever its like saving sex for your old age
htkf
posted: 12/5/2008 at 11:07 PM
awesome i didn't expect to get that much of a response from that thread.
yea i read running with the buffaloes awhile ago, and im reading life at these speeds currently
Thanks for the suggestions i'll definately look into those
"Our workouts are longer than our shorts" SHS XC 2008
srlopez
Guy running in pink
 posted: 12/5/2008 at 11:10 PM
Quote from jules2 on 12/5/2008 at 8:38 PM:
I agree "What I Talk About" plus "Feet in the Clouds" a tale of fell running and obsession by Richard Askwith, ISBN 1 85410 989 8, although my colonial friends you may have problems understanding some of it but I am always available to translate.


What's an ISBN?

(joke)


((or is it?))
With realistic Pants-on-Fire action!
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