Book picks similar to
Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons by Bryon Powell
running
non-fiction
sports
fitness
Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning: Training for an Ultramarathon from 50K to 100 Miles and Beyond
Hal Koerner - 2014
Don’t learn the hard way, get a jump on training for ultramarathon with Hal Koerner’s Field Guide to Ultrarunning, a comprehensive guide to running 30 to 100 miles and beyond.Hal Koerner is America’s top ultrarunner with podium results in more than 90 ultramarathons. In his Field Guide, Koerner reveals hard-earned wisdom, smart habits, and reliable tips to help you prepare for your most epic runs. You’ll hear entertaining stories of trailside woe and practical advice on the smartest ways to fuel, trail running technique, and mental strategies to carry you to the finish line. Koerner offers 3 detailed training plans to prepare for 50K, 100K, and 100-mile ultramarathons.
The Rise of the Ultra Runners: A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance
Adharanand Finn - 2019
But is the rise of this most brutal and challenging sport―with races that extend into hundreds of miles, often in extreme environments―an antidote to modern life, or a symptom of a modern illness?In The Rise of the Ultra Runners, award-winning author Adharanand Finn travels to the heart of the sport to investigate the reasons behind its rise and discover what it takes to join the ranks of these ultra athletes. Through encounters with the extreme and colorful characters of the ultramarathon world, and his own experiences of running ultras everywhere from the deserts of Oman to the Rocky Mountains, Finn offers a fascinating account of people testing the boundaries of human endeavor.
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner
Dean Karnazes - 2005
He has run over mountains, across Death Valley, and to the South Pole-and is probably the first person to eat an entire pizza while running. With an insight, candor, and humor rarely seen in sports memoirs (and written without the aid of a ghostwriter or cowriter), Ultramarathon Man has inspired tens of thousands of people-nonrunners and runners alike-to push themselves beyond their comfort zones and be reminded of what it feels like to be truly alive, says Sam Fussell, author of Muscle.Ultramarathon Man answers the questions Karnazes is continually asked:- Why do you do it?- How do you do it?- Are you insane?And in the new paperback edition, Karnazes answers the two questions he was most asked on his book tour:- What, exactly, do you eat?- How do you train to stay in such good shape?
Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
Scott Jurek - 2012
Until recently he held the American 24-hour record and he was one of the elite runners profiled in the runaway bestseller Born to Run.In Eat and Run, Jurek opens up about his life and career as a champion athlete with a plant-based diet and inspires runners at every level. From his Midwestern childhood hunting, fishing, and cooking for his meat-and-potatoes family to his slow transition to ultrarunning and veganism, Scott’s story shows the power of an iron will and blows apart the stereotypes of what athletes should eat to fuel optimal performance. Full of stories of competition as well as science and practical advice—including his own recipes—Eat and Run will motivate readers and expand their food horizons.
Footnotes: How Running Makes Us Human
Vybarr Cregan-Reid - 2016
It reconnects us to our bodies and the places in which we live, breaking down our increasingly structured and demanding lives. It allows us to feel the world beneath our feet, lifts the spirit, allows our minds out to play and helps us to slip away from the demands of the modern world. When Vybarr Cregan-Reid set out to discover why running meant so much to so many, he began a journey which would take him out to tread London’s cobbled streets, climbing to sites that have seen a millennium of hangings, and down the crumbling alleyways of Ruskin's Venice. Footnotes transports you to the cliff tops of Hardy's Dorset, the deserted shorelines of Seattle, the giant redwood forests of California, and to the world’s most advanced running laboratories and research centres, using debates in literature, philosophy and biology to explore that simple human desire to run. Liberating and inspiring, this book reminds us why feeling the earth beneath our feet is a necessary and healing part of our lives.
My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon
Bart Yasso - 2008
With insight and humor, My Life on the Run chronicles the heatstroke and frostbite, heartache and triumphs he’s experienced while competing in more than 1,000 competitive races during his nearly 30 years with Runner’s World magazine.
Yasso gives valuable and practical advice on how to become a runner for life and continually draw joy from the sport. He also offers practical guidance for beginners, intermediate, and advanced runners, such as 5-K, half-marathon, and marathon training schedules including his innovative technique known as the Yasso 800s.
Recounting his adventures in exotic locales like Antarctica, Africa, and Chitwan National Park in Nepal (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. With the wit and wisdom of a seasoned insider, he tells runners what they need to know to navigate the logistics of running in an unfamiliar country.
Yasso’s message is this: Never limit where running can take you because each race has the potential for adventure.
Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America
Marshall Ulrich - 2011
The ultimate endurance athlete, Marshall Ulrich has run more than one hundred foot races averaging over one hundred miles each, completed twelve expedition-length adventure races, and ascended the seven summits-- including Mount Everest. Yet his run from California to New York--the equivalent of running two marathons and a 10k every day for nearly two months straight--proved to be his most challenging effort yet. In "Running on Empty "he shares the gritty backstory of his run and the excruciating punishments he endured on the road. Ulrich also reaches back nearly thirty years to when the death of his first wife drove him to run from his pain. Ulrich's memoir imbues an incredible read with a universal message for athletes and nonathletes alike: face the toughest challenges, overcome debilitating setbacks, and find deep fulfillment in something greater than achievement.
Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself
Rich Roll - 2012
Nearly fifty pounds overweight and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he could see where his current sedentary life was taking him—and he woke up. Plunging into a new routine that prioritized a plant-based lifestyle and daily training, Rich morphed—in a matter of mere months—from out of shape, mid-life couch potato to endurance machine. Finding Ultra recounts Rich’s remarkable journey to the starting line of the elite Ultraman competition, which pits the world’s fittest humans in a 320-mile ordeal of swimming, biking, and running. And following that test, Rich conquered an even greater one: the EPIC5—five Ironman-distance triathlons, each on a different Hawaiian island, all completed in less than a week. In the years since Finding Ultra was published, Rich has become one of the world’s most recognized advocates of plant-based living. In this newly revised and updated edition, he shares the practices, tools, and techniques he uses for optimal performance, longevity, and wellness, including diet and nutrition protocols. Rich reflects on the steps he took to shift his mindset and leverage deep reservoirs of untapped potential to achieve success beyond his wildest imagination, urging each of us to embark on our own journey of self-discovery.
Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon
Neal Jamison - 2003
Some of the biggest ultras are 50 or 100 miles long, races in which people run all day, through the night and on into the next day. What makes them tick? What thoughts go through their minds at mile 93? How is the pain different from that of a marathon? How can you train for such a colossal undertaking? All these questions are answered in 35 interviews with ultramarathoners. Ultramarathoning is the logical next step for those who burn with a desire to achieve and explore their limits. Every kind of ultra runner is included here, and this book will be an indispensable volume for anyone dreaming of running long.
Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon: How to Be Your Own Best Coach
Brad Hudson - 2008
Hudson is the most innovative running coach to come along in a generation. Until now, only a handful of elite athletes have been able to benefit from his methods. Now Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon shows all runners how to coach themselves as confidently and effectively as Brad coaches his world-class athletes. Becoming your own best coach is the ticket to running faster at any distance. First you will learn to assess your abilities. Then you’ll learn how to devise a training program specifically geared to you. Filled with easy-to-follow sample training programs for distances ranging from the 5K to the marathon and abilities ranging from novice to advanced, Run Faster is the cutting-edge guide for optimal performance.With Hudson’s guidance, you can train smarter and more effectively—and avoid injury. And you’ll soon be running faster than you ever thought possible!
Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports
Kathrine Switzer - 2007
She fought off the director and finished the race. From the childhood events that inspired her to winning the New York City Marathon in 1974, this liberally illustrated book details the struggles and achievements of a pioneering women in sports.
Nowhere Near First: Ultramarathon Adventures From The Back Of The Pack
Cory Reese - 2016
In “Nowhere Near First,” Cory shares his deeply personal story about experiencing his father’s suicide at a young age, and how this led to a career in endurance running and a desire to live life to the fullest. “Nowhere Near First” is a humorous, captivating, and uplifting account of Cory’s memorable ultramarathon experiences. Not only does Cory’s entertaining and powerful writing allow readers a unique perspective into the challenges and rewards of running, but it also inspires each of us to turn tragedy into triumph. “Cory Reese writes with humor, humbleness and honesty. His story is both uplifting and real, and his tales of persistence and perseverance are sure to inspire, whether you’re at the front of the pack or nowhere near first. Regardless of the title, this book’s a winner!”
~ Dean Karnazes, author of Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner “Cory Reese’s book, Nowhere Near First, is an immensely entertaining and profoundly educational story about overcoming challenges to forge a meaningful life. Reese’s story is must-read for people looking to find meaning and purpose in modern-day society.” ~ Karl Hoagland, Publisher, UltraRunning Magazine “Cory has penned a very personal account of overcoming hardship in his personal and athletic life. Nowhere Near First tells his story of perseverance and survival in a vivid, down and dirty way that peaks with his extraordinarily positive way of looking at life.” ~ Marshall Ulrich, author of Running On Empty: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America
Training Essentials for Ultrarunning: How to Train Smarter, Race Faster, and Maximize Your Ultramarathon Performance
Jason Koop - 2016
Now the sport's leading coach makes his highly effective ultramarathon training methods available to ultrarunners of all abilities in his book Training Essentials for Ultrarunning.Ultramarathoners have traditionally piled on the miles or tried an approach that worked for a friend. Yet ultramarathons are not just longer marathons; simply running more will not prepare you for the race experience you want. Ultramarathon requires a new and specific approach to training. Training Essentials for Ultrarunning will revolutionize training for those who want to race an ultramarathon instead of just gutting it out to the finish line.Koop's race-proven ultramarathon program is based on sound science, the most current research, and years of experience coaching the sport's star runners to podium performances. Packed with practical advice and vetted training methods, Training Essentials for Ultrarunning is the new, must-have resource for first-timers and ultramarathon veterans.Runners using Training Essentials for Ultrarunning will gain much more than Koop's training approach:- The science behind ultramarathon performance.- Common ultramarathon failure points and how to solve them.- How to use interval training to focus workouts, make gains, reduce injuries, and race faster.- Simple, effective fueling and hydration strategies.- Koop's A.D.A.P.T. method for making the right decisions to solve a race-day crisis.- How to plan your ultra season for better racing.- Course-by-course coaching guides to iconic U.S. ultramarathons including American River 50, Badwater 135, Hardrock 100, Javelina 100, JFK 50, Lake Sonoma 50, Leadville 100, Vermont 100, Wasatch 100, and Western States 100.- How to achieve your goal, whether it's finishing or winning.A revolution is coming to ultrarunning as ultramarathoners shed old habits and embrace the smarter methods that science and experience show are better. Featuring stories and advice from ultrarunning stars Dakota Jones, Kaci Lickteig, Dylan Bowman, Timothy Olson, and others who work with Koop, Training Essentials for Ultrarunning is the go-to guide for first-time ultrarunners and competitive ultramarathoners.
Road Racing for Serious Runners
Pete Pfitzinger - 1998
This training plan is based on solid science, and its physiological basis is clearly explained and incorporated into a running program that produces maximum results and reduces the risk of injury.In Road Racing for Serious Runners, Pete Pfitzinger-a world-class marathoner, distance running coach, and exercise physiologist-tells you how to get the most out of your limited training time. Pfitzinger teams up with former Running Times editor-in-chief Scott Douglas to present a training and racing plan that will help you excel in the full spectrum of road racing distances. You will learn how to- design a week-by-week training program, - determine the right pace to run during speed workouts, - get the most out of long runs, - taper training before an important race, - detect and avoid staleness and injury, - determine the best strategy for each race, and- achieve the optimal mental state to train and race.Included with each of five training schedules are racing tactics, mental tips, and lessons from world-class runners. Whatever distance you plan to race, Road Racing for Serious Runners will guide you to peak performance!
The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience
Jennifer Pharr Davis - 2018
With a storyteller's ear for fascinating detail and description, Davis takes readers along as she trains and sets her record, analyzing and trail-testing the theories and methodologies espoused by her star-studded roster of mentors. She distills complex rituals and histories into easy-to-understand tips and action items that will help you take perseverance to the next level. The Pursuit of Endurance empowers readers to unlock phenomenal endurance and leverage newfound grit to achieve personal bests in everything from sports and family to the boardroom.