There’s a four-day long weekend coming up. It’s the best time to log more mileage and catch up on your reading. Through the years, I’ve collected books written by runners for runners. They include books about how to train for a race ranging from the 5K to the full marathon, memoirs of famous runners and pioneers in the sport of running.
The following titles are on my shelves – well thumbed, while some are worn from having been read more than twice. I hope you find them helpful in your quest for a PR and the perfect training technique. I hope you draw inspiration from the runners’ stories when you’re hit by the occasional running blues.
Chicken Soup for the Runner’s Soul (Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Amy Newmark, Dean Karnazes)
I borrowed a copy of this book from my boss who is also a runner. I intended it to be part of my Holy Week reading, but couldn’t put it down and finished it by Holy Monday. It has 101 inspirational stories about the great sport of running — the camaraderie, the self-discipline, the energy and endorphins runners enjoy, the self-discovery. It includes a whole chapter on triathlon stories too. The stories are written by famous runners as well as beginners and regular runners like you and me.
Born to Run (Christopher Mc. Dougall)
The book, which features the reclusive Tarahamura Indians of Mexico sparked the barefoot running revolution.
“Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.
With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.”
My Life on the Run (Bart Yasso)
Of all the the books on running I’ve read so far, I find Bart Yasso’s book most helpful in designing my own training program for the 5K, 21K and the full marathon. This book taught me how to create training weeks that last 10 days instead of 7 days to give me more time for rests in between. It also teaches you how to set and predict your marathon finish time through the Yasso 800’s.
“Recounting his adventures in exotic locales like Antarctica, Nepal, and Chitwan National Park in Africa (where he was chased by an angry rhino), Yasso recommends the best exotic marathons for runners who want to grab their passports to test themselves on foreign terrain.”
Marathon Woman (Kathrine Switzer)
I got my copy of this book as a gift from race director Raffy Uytiepo in 2009 when I was just starting to run full marathons. He said it’s supposed to inspire me to work hard at training and work and inspiring other women to run longer distances.
“In 1967, Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to officially run what was then the all male Boston Marathon, infuriating one of the event’s directors who attempted to violently eject her. In what would become an iconic sports image, Switzer escaped and finished the race. This was a watershed moment for the sport, as well as a significant event in women’s history. Including updates from the 2008 Summer Olympics, the paperback edition of Marathon Woman details the life of an incredible, pioneering athlete, and the lasting effect she’s had on women’s sports. Switzer’s energy and drive permeate the pages of this warm, witty memoir as she describes everything from the childhood events that inspired her to succeed to her big win in the 1974 New York City Marathon, and beyond.”