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books for running? (Read 975 times)


Slow-smooth-fast

    Now I know that in order to improve my running times I am the only one that can do that, but I have been contemplating getting a book, with good training plans in, so I can have something concrete to stick to. Please share with me your recommendations, and perhaps a little info as to how it has helped you. Much appreciated.

    "I've been following Eddy's improvement over the last two years on this site, and it's been pretty dang solid. Sure the weekly mileage has been up and down, but over the long haul he's getting out the door and has turned himself into quite a runner. He's only now just figuring out his potential. Consistency in running is measured in years, not weeks. And over the last couple of years, Eddy's made great strides" Jeff 14 Jan 2009

    Scout7


      "Lore of Running" - Dr. Tim Noakes: All-around book that gets extremely technical in terms of physiological processes and such, but also talks about the history of running, and goes into great detail about various aspects of training. "The Competitive Runner's Handbook" - Bob Glover: Lots of plans for different ability levels, goes into a fair amount of detail on several topics, from speed training, to picking the right shoe.


      Now that was a bath...

        I have become a disciple of Lydiard in the last few weeks. I have been holding back on starting his training programs as I was waiting for my race but Lydiard suits my extreme personality and I definitely want to give his methods a try. I have 8 more weeks of base building and then I move on to his schedule of brutal hill training, anaeorbic training, race trials and form drills. His methods are hard though. No rest days - (Lydiard calls any easy run day a rest day) and some weeks have 3 days of hill training, one of speed work, a long run and a couple of 'easy' runs. I just want to see where he can take me! I've read 'Distance training for women', 'Running with Lydiard', 'Run the Lydiard way', 'Arthur Lydiard Master Coach'. 'Running with Lydiard' has a whole heap of schedules in the back - but they are all 7 day week schedules and not for the faint hearted. Claire xxx
      • jlynnbob "HTFU, Kookie's distal tibia"
      • Where's my closet? I need to get back in it.
          I would be careful with Lydiard. The training programs he outlines in his books are what he would called optimal schedules. I had the oppurtunity to speak with him once and he always said that if your body needs rest then take it, don't worry about following the schedule to a tee. The runners he coached could follow schedules like that because they built up with months and years of 100 mile weeks so they were able to handle the stress of his workouts. While I definitely agree with his basic philosophy of a build up, hill resitance, anaerobic training, followed by coordiantion training I would try an easier modified version first by cutting back on the workouts and adding in more easy runs otherwise you might be headed towards overtraining or injury. Remember everyone has different strengths and weaknesses so a pre-written schedule from a book or website is not made specifically for you. I would recommend going to the library, take out a bunch of books and find a schedule that looks both reasonable and enjoyable. Definitely check out Daniel's running formula if you can. Of course another great solution would be too find a running club with a knowledgable coach if that is an option. Dan
          The point is you see, that there is no point in driving yourself mad trying to stop yourself going mad. You might as well give in and save your sanity for later.
          derek


            Now I know that in order to improve my running times I am the only one that can do that, but I have been contemplating getting a book, with good training plans in, so I can have something concrete to stick to. Please share with me your recommendations, and perhaps a little info as to how it has helped you. Much appreciated.
            My first marathon I want to run is in Dec so I'm not starting a "training plan" per se as yet, but I'm hoping to start one of Pfitzinger's plans in "Advanced Marathoning" towards the middle of the year. He has various plans for different weekly mileages. For now, I'm simply base building. The plan I will follow would depend on the weekly mileage I get up to by the middle of the year.

            Derek


            Now that was a bath...

              I would be careful with Lydiard. The training programs he outlines in his books are what he would called optimal schedules. I had the oppurtunity to speak with him once and he always said that if your body needs rest then take it, don't worry about following the schedule to a tee. Dan
              Which is exactly why I don't think you need to be any more careful with Lydiard than with any other training schedule as he makes this particular point very clear and very often, evidently even to people he meets in passing Wink. His distance schedule for women makes a very strong point that you should always stop when your body has had enough and that a training program or coach should never make you go furthur. I don't think that you have to be careful with Lydiard because I think he was a sensible man with very proven techniques. I think the only thing that you need to be careful with is mis-interpratation of his training schedules. This is after all the man who's motto was 'Train don't strain'. Just my 2 cents - I've never had the privilege of meeting him but I have read almost every word he had published in the last few weeks and I think there is a lot of sense in his words. Claire xxx
            • jlynnbob "HTFU, Kookie's distal tibia"
            • Where's my closet? I need to get back in it.
              JakeKnight


                Kooky: I actually agree with OnceaRunner/Dan up there - but since you aren't about to listen, you might find this guy's blog interesting. All about his own interpretation of Lydiard and application to his training. Fascinating stuff. Seems like a nice guy, too ... if you're really going to follow Lydiard's regimens, maybe you could drop this guy an e-mail. http://championseverywhere.blogspot.com/

                E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
                -----------------------------

                OverAnalyzer


                  Claire, I see you have graduated from the "Non-runner's Guide to the Marathon" (a book I adore) but w/your to the max personality, I am not surprised. There are a lot of online training guides that I've found reasonable and helpful. I have found that 4-5 days running w/1-2 x-training workouts is about all my body can handle, though... The other books I've read are female-centric, so no help for you there. Wink


                  Now that was a bath...

                    Jake - thanks for the link. I had a quick browse and it looks great. Right now I have to take #2,3 & 4 to a show, go shopping, cook a chilli and then take 2,3 & 4 to athletics to watch #2 run. Who needs names for their children after all! Well now I am an honorary Kiwi, I have an inherited right to believe that Lydiard is actually God so forgive me for my sins. Big grin Seriously, he is such an icon here! The day I hobbled with an overuse injury into the sport's physio the first thing the physio said was 'Read Lydiard, run like Lydiard says. He'll take you where you want to go.' You know that I was such a novice that day (four whole weeks ago) that I didn't even know who Lydiard was and I had to get her to write the name on a piece of paper. Lisa - I blame you for even getting me started on the sport's reading! Smile I had never in my life read a book on running before that one winged it's way across the ocean from you. Now I cannot get enough of it! Claire xxx
                  • jlynnbob "HTFU, Kookie's distal tibia"
                  • Where's my closet? I need to get back in it.
                    JakeKnight


                      Well now I am an honorary Kiwi, I have an inherited right to believe that Lydiard is actually God so forgive me for my sins. Big grin Seriously, he is such an icon here!
                      Oh geez, I totally forgot where he was from. Of course. No wonder. Then again ... knowing you, I think I could have predicted with certainty exactly which author you'd gravitate towards. I'd have been surprised if you picked anybody else. But I did think it'd take you a couple more weeks. Is it too late for the 2008 Olympic try-outs? Can you represent New Zealand, or do you have to fly back to the U.K.?

                      E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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                      derek


                        'Running with Lydiard' has a whole heap of schedules in the back - but they are all 7 day week schedules and not for the faint hearted.
                        I'm very interested in Lydiard training, but it's been impossible for me to find any of his books. I managed to find this one, "Running with Lydiard" which I ordered yesterday from a bookstore in New Zealand.

                        Derek


                        Now that was a bath...

                          Derek - In my opinion that book is the best one. It contains all the same information as in his other books but is written later so has been honed down and refined. Enjoy it! Plus it has a very nice picture on the front of a woman in a Papakura running vest. Papakura is just down the road from my home town Papatoetoe. Couldn't ask for more than that from a book. Wink Claire xxx
                        • jlynnbob "HTFU, Kookie's distal tibia"
                        • Where's my closet? I need to get back in it.
                            I've been a huge Lydiard fan for years. Any coach who learned about what he or she teaches by doing has to be and inspiration. My favoriate Lydiard book would have to be "Run to the Top". It was first published in 1962. Although his later books were great as well, I enjoyed his less sceintific writing (with the help of Garth Gilmour). I've also enjoyed the biographies of a couple of his runners (A clean pair of heels - Murray Halberg, and No Bugles, No Drums - Peter Snell, both written by the athletes with the help of Gilmour). I found that the combination of the three really gave a complete picture of the Lydiard system during it's hayday of the 60's and early 70's. Another tremendous Lydiard book is "Arthur's Boys" written by Joseph Romanos. This book was published in 1994 and covered most of Arthur's coaching career from the beginning before the Olympians, right up to when he toured with his lectures. Typically Lydiard is misunderstood from most runners, as some think all he taught was long, slow, distance. Which was far from the fact, if you really look at how he coached. Others think that he asked for his athletes to do way too much, both in quantity and in quality. But, as it's been pointed out. Everything was laid out in a well groomed plan, that was usually followed if the individual really was a Lydiard convert. As we know, there are champions from all systems, even some of the more spartan ones. Lydiard did a great job of combining a lot of what worked from trialing and erroring on himself. In later years (late 70's) he was able to work with the exercise physiologists to show exactly why his program worked so well. I was lucky enough to meet Arthur at a clinic, in Montana, of all places. I'm afraid I went to hear the tales of the great athletes, and he wanted to teach about jogging. In the end we both came out on top. I sat through the clinic, and after a short track session, a small group retired to a local tavern and that's when the stories poured forth and the books really had help coming to life. He was a great coach and a great man.
                            derek


                              Derek - In my opinion that book is the best one. It contains all the same information as in his other books but is written later so has been honed down and refined. Enjoy it! Plus it has a very nice picture on the front of a woman in a Papakura running vest. Papakura is just down the road from my home town Papatoetoe. Couldn't ask for more than that from a book. Wink
                              I think I'm actually getting the older edition. I'll know for sure once I actually receive the book. The site I ordered it from had this image as the cover:

                              Derek


                              Now that was a bath...

                                Bill, thanks for tstepping up to the plate and making Derek and I look less insane! The more I have read of Lydiard the more sensible his training methods seem. His programs ask purely for dedication and time. People say that Lydiard will run 'new' runners only to injury - but I see a man that invented 'jogging' - the least extreme form of running and used his knowledge to help people recover from heart attacks by running their way to better health. There is a Lydiard program for everyone. Interesting that we have two posters that have met him too! Derek - my book is green. Jealous? Claire xxx
                              • jlynnbob "HTFU, Kookie's distal tibia"
                              • Where's my closet? I need to get back in it.
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