Dr. MLK,Jr brithplace
excellent idea
Kiho Maru
Here are three of the best running books I’ve read this year:
Run Faster From the 5K to the Marathon, Hudson/Fitzgerald, Broadway Books, 2008
(ISBN: 978-0-7679-2822-9).
Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners, Matt Fitzgerald, Rodale, 2006
(ISBN: 1-59486-218-4).
Runner's World The Cutting-Edge Runner, Matt Fitzgerald, Rodale, 2005
(ISBN: 1-59486-091-2).
We've talked about the first two in other threads ... but the third book talks about "modern day" training strategies based on advances in sports science. Lots and lots of research (scientific testing) in recent years to find out what works and why. A fun read and not too technical.
Fitzgerald is an engaging and entertaining writer. As far as I can tell (from my non-science perspective) he does a good job summarizing the latest research in a down to earth, easy to understand way and offering guidance on how to put it into practice. I've read "Cutting Edge Runner" and another of his books "Brain Training for Runners." I also follow his blog regularly www.mattfitzgerald.org. If you follow his blog you know that he's been suffering a recent bout of injuries and sub-par (for him) performances in his races. The personal results an author achieves shouldn't serve as an indictment of all the science behind his program, but it is worth noting that, in chasing top performances he's willing to risk geting hurt.
Not to be a dogmatic pedant, but, I don't think Fitzgerald would describe his training style as low heart rate. Reading his work, you realize that his approach to training springs from a wholly different perspective than Maffetone et.al. I think that for a runner finishing a "base phase" and trying to figure out how to take his/her training "to the next level," Fitzgerald's programs may be just right. My only caution would be that one shouldn't expect to realize all of the same benefits from Fitzgerald's program that Maffetone or Mittleman attribute to their programs. Likewise, you might realize benefits from Fitzgerald's approach (such as getting faster more quickly) that you wouldn't realize from LHR training protocols.
None of this is intended to disparage your opinion of his training programs Istvan. Anyone cranking off 10-12 marathons each year without injury is clearly doing something right. You're obviously getting great results from his programs, and, as you've individualized them based on your personal response, they seem to work very well for you. Just my two cents on Fitzgerald. Probably worth half that to most of you.
My best "fitness and health" books from this year:
Challenge Yourself: Leanness, Fitness & Health at Any Age, Clarence Bass, Clarence Bass's Ripped, 1999 (ISBN: 0960971475) (Considering that he's a bodybuilder who practices high intensity training, his approach is remarkably balanced. Caveat: In the late 70s, Bass used steroids. He acknowledges this fact in his books and acknowledges that it was a big mistake. www.cbass.com)
Fitness Intuition: The Wisdom of the Heart in Exercise and Sports Training, George Beinhorn, self-published, 2008 (available at http://www.lulu.com/content/413726) (From the translator of "The VanAaken Method" this is a book that offers a great perspective on how to "listen to your body." Sounds like he's living a fascinating life. www.fitnessintution.com)
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen, Christopher McDougall, Knopf, 2009 (ISBN: 0307266303) (Not a "how" book, but a "why." Simply fabulous. I won't spoil it by spilling any details.)
--funny, well-written, and a real ride
Well-written accounts of ultramarathon experiences. One of our resident aerobigods, Ultrasteve, and his wife Ultradeb, both wrote chapters. I've read this whole book twice, during two different harsh winters.
Training books aren't my favorite reading. I like books about running experiences, and if they talk about personal experiences with training, that's a plus.
--Jimmy
Jimmy ... have you read the PRE: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine book by Tom Jordan? Obviously Prefontaine was not following LHR training methods, but that young man was a case study in focus and determination.
GMoney ... I agree with your comments about Fitzgerald. Although a triathlete like Allen, he trains quite a bit differently. I follow BRAD HUDSON's training programs, but like the way Fitzgerald presents material and tells about recent developments in sports research. His recent book, Runner's World: The Runner's Body , with Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas was a great disappointment. The "science" explanations were too long, and conclusions too general.
Triathlete or Runner?
Dean Karnazes has another book. Great. Bart Yasso was the guest speaker at the 2005 Vermont City Marathon. He was great. Funny. Showed slides of all the funky marathons he's been to.
Jimmy --- I've ordered Running Through the Wall.
Who's giving out "Reading Stars" for the LHR Training Group?
Mine too, need to find some time to read it.......
and also:
"One a Runner," John Parker
"Born to Run," Christopher McDougal
and yes Jimmy, "Running through the wall" is an excellent read and finished it in about 2 days
Do you have an earlier edition too? If so, I'd love to know how much has changed from prior editions. If it's a complete overhaul I'll be inclined to buy it rather than wait for it to show up in the library.
I checked out a copy of Maffetone's Training For Endurance from my local library yesterday. Turns out they had to borrow it from a library in Schaumburg, Illinois. I'm really looking forward to reading it.
Bob
