The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing Dr. Philip Maffetone
One of the best books available that every runner should read is Phil Maffetone’s The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing. Many of the posts I write and tweets that I make are based on Maffetone’s philosophies. He adheres to the principals of running easy (which is relative) at your aerobic pace. Your aerobic pace, according to Maffetone, is measured by heart rate and is found by taking 180-age. If you have been training for two years or more with no injuries you can add 5 beats to the calculated rate. Logging as many miles as you can at this pace taking into account rest and gradual adaptation will build a strong base for racing season. During this base building period no anaerobic training or even tempo workouts should be performed. In fact, Maffetone says that 4-6 weeks of anaerobic training is all that is necessary to see improvements in speed before competing. Mark Allen (a six time ironman world champion) was trained by Phil Maffetone and has wrote the forward for this must have book. Mark overcame chronic injuries and dramatically improved his running by following Phil’s principals. This book is equivalent to a drivers license – you shouldn’t drive without one and you shouldn’t run without reading this book.
See link below for Phill Maffetone’s Book.
“The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing.” Skyhorse Publishing, 2011-02-15.
The Hansons Marathon Method: A Renegade Path to Your Fastest Marathon
REVIEW COMING SOON
Tread Lightly: Form, Footwear, and the Quest for Injury-Free Running
Form, footwear, and the quest for injury free running.
Praise for the work of Peter Larson
“Larson presents a wealth of balanced info on the raging debate over proper running form and minimalist running shoes.” —Erin Beresini, Outside Online
“Peter Larson is both a scientist and a realist when it comes to running shoes, and that’s a good combination.” —Amby Burfoot, Peak Performance Blog, Runner’s World
Humans evolved over the millennia to become one of the most exceptional distance-running species on Earth. So why are injuries so common? Are our shoes to blame, or is it a question of running form, training, or poor diet? In this groundbreaking book, Peter Larson and Bill Katovsky explore the reasons why runners experience injuries and offer potential solutions to the current epidemic of running-related injuries. Their findings, gleaned from research studies and conversations with leading footwear scientists, biomechanical experts, coaches, podiatrists, physical therapists, and competitive runners, are informative and enlightening. Topics include:
How modern runners differ from their ancestors
Why repetitive stress causes most injuries, and how runners can safely reduce their occurrence
The pros and cons of barefoot running
Why it’s time to move beyond the pronation-control paradigm with running shoes
How certain running-form flaws might increase injury risk
How footwear has evolved over the past 10,000 years
The recreational runner
Why running shoes are not inherently evil
Tread Lightly is a highly readable, multifaceted investigation of running—past and present, with a hopeful look to the future. 15 b/w illustrations
Tread Lightly: Form, Footwear, and the Quest for Injury-Free Running
The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-Stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness
I really loved reading this blog! It opened my eyes to so many new things about running.