THE Complete Keys to Progress


John McCallum - 1993
    Here they are: the full collection of the original John McCallum articles, classic gems. If you were to only buy one book - ever - on how to train, this is it. 288 pp.

The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer


David A. Whitsett - 1998
    Runner. Marathoner. Are these words you wouldn't exactly use to describe yourself? Do you consider yourself too old or too out of shape to run a marathon? But somewhere deep inside have you always admired the people who could reach down and come up with the mental and physical strength to complete such a daunting and rewarding accomplishment? It doesn't have to be somebody else crossing the finish line. You can be a marathoner. "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" is based on the highly successful marathon class offered by the University of Northern Iowa, which was featured in a "Runner's World" article titled "Marathoning 101." The class has been offered five times over 10 years, and all but one student finished the marathon. That is approximately 200 students -- all first time marathoners and many with absolutely no running background. This book follows the same 16-week, four-day-a-week workout plan. What makes the success rate of this program so much higher than any other? The special emphasis on the psychological aspects of endurance activities. You don't have to love to run -- you don't even have to like it -- but you have to realize that you are capable of more than you have ever thought possible. One participant in the program explained it like this: "I'm doing this for me -- not for others or the time clock. I just feel better when I run, plus it helps me to cope with things in general. The skills we've learned in this class don't apply just to marathoning -- they apply to life Just like you never know what the next step in a marathon will bring, so too, you never know what will happen next in life. But if you don't keep going, you're never going to find out. By staying relaxed, centered, and positive you handle just about anything that comes your way." This is marathon running for real people, people with jobs and families and obligations outside of running. "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" has proven successful for men and women of all ages. Now let it work for you.

Anatomy for Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention


Jay Dicharry - 2012
    Unfortunately, with running comes injuries, as a result of wrong information and improper training.Along with clear and thorough explanations of how running influences the body, and how the body influences your running, this book answers many of the common questions that athletes have:Do runners need to stretch?What is the best way to run?What causes injuries?Which shoes are best for running?Is running barefoot beneficial?And much moreThe mobility and stability tests will assess your form, and the corrective exercises, along with step-by-step photos, will improve your core and overall performance, so that you can train and run with confidence, knowing how to avoid injuries!

Runner's World Complete Book of Beginning Running


Amby Burfoot - 2005
    Peppered throughout with motivating tips and advice from those who have been there, this much-needed volume presents a can't-fail program that is sure to help new runners feel and look better and have more energy and less stress. Inside you'll find: o Information on nutrition and how to adjust your diet to fit your new running lifestyleo Training advice, including how to use cross-training, stretching, and strength exercises to keep enthusiasm up, weight down, and fitness at an optimum levelo A special section for women runnersWritten by the executive editor of Runner's World magazine and covering every problem the new runner may encounter-from choosing the right shoes to preventing injury to preparing for a race-this authoritative volume provides all the information and inspiration any novice requires to turn running into a healthy, lifetime pursuit.

The Ultimate Beginner's Running Guide: The Key to Running Inspired


Ryan Robert - 2012
    She obsessed about her weight and let it take control of her life. Eventually she even lost the confidence she once effortlessly displayed. As an avid runner, Ryan knew if he was able to get his niece to start running she would gain self-confidence, better mental and physical acuity. It would also allow her a better focus on health rather than weight. Ryan started writing notes to his niece about different aspects of running. These notes became the impetus for his book Running Inspired.Running Inspired provides a wealth of information for the non-runner and beginning runner. The book covers everything from proper form, to shoes, to running schedules, and food. There is also information on how to stay motivated including visualization exercises. These are the tools Ryan used to teach his niece to run inspired and they will help you too.Ryan's writing style is friendly, easy to read, and non-judgmental. If you have ever thought about running, even if you've never tried it, Running Inspired is the perfect place to start.

Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding


Daniel E. Lieberman - 2021
    Using his own research and experiences throughout the world, Lieberman recounts without jargon how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other necessary and rewarding physical activities while avoiding needless exertion.Exercised is entertaining and enlightening but also constructive. As our increasingly sedentary lifestyles have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diseases such as diabetes, Lieberman audaciously argues that to become more active we need to do more than medicalize and commodify exercise.Drawing on insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman suggests how we can make exercise more enjoyable, rather than shaming and blaming people for avoiding it. He also tackles the question of whether you can exercise too much, even as he explains why exercise can reduce our vulnerability to the diseases mostly likely to make us sick and kill us.

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development


Brooks D. Kubik - 1996
    

Beyond Training: Mastering Endurance, Health & Life


Ben Greenfield - 2014
    Whether you're an extreme exercise enthusiast or you're just looking to shed a few pounds, this is the last book on training, endurance, health, and life you will ever need.In this book you will learn:• The 2 best ways to build fitness fast without destroying your body• Underground training tactics for maximizing workout efficiency• The best biohacks for enhancing mental performance and entering the zone• How to know with laserlike accuracy whether your body has truly recovered• 26 ways to recover quickly from workouts, injuries, and overtraining• The 25 most important blood and saliva biomarkers and how to test them• 5 essential elements of training that most athletes neglect• 7 stress-fighting weapons to make your mind-body connection bulletproof• Proven systems to enhance sleep, eliminate insomnia, and conquer jet lag• 40 high-calorie, nutrient-dense meals that won't destroy your metabolism• Easy tools for customizing your carbs, proteins, and fats for your unique body• 9 ways to fix a broken gut, detox your body, and create a toxin-free life• A complete system to safeguard your immune system and stomach• Simple time-efficiency tips for balancing training, work, travel, and family

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.

Slow Burn: Burn Fat Faster By Exercising Slower


Stu Mittleman - 2000
    All you have to do is change your focus and you'll change your life. Let Slow Burn show you how to enjoy the journey and achieve the results.

The Triathlete's Training Bible


Joe Friel - 1998
    The book also contains seasoned advice on the mental aspects of training. Author Joe Friel shows how to achieve greater fitness by examining personal strengths and weaknesses, and devotes individual chapters to planning, racing, rest, and recovery. Appendices include annual training plan worksheets and suggested swim, bike, run, and combined workouts.

Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory


Deena Kastor - 2018
    In Let Your Mind Run, the vaunted Olympic medalist and marathon and half-marathon record holder, will reveal how she incorporated the benefits of positive psychology into her already-dedicated running practice, setting her on a course to conquer women's distance running. Blending both narrative running insights and deep-dive brain science, this book will appeal to and motivate steadfast athletes, determined runners, and tough-as-nails coaches, and beyond. This memoir, written by perhaps the most famous American woman active in the competitive world of distance running, will appeal to the pragmatic athletic population, and jointly to fans of engaging sports narratives, inspirational memoirs, and uplifiting biographies.

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance


David Epstein - 2013
    In college, I ran against Kenyans, and wondered whether endurance genes might have traveled with them from East Africa. At the same time, I began to notice that a training group on my team could consist of five men who run next to one another, stride for stride, day after day, and nonetheless turn out five entirely different runners. How could this be?We all knew a star athlete in high school. The one who made it look so easy. He was the starting quarterback and shortstop; she was the all-state point guard and high-jumper. Naturals. Or were they?The debate is as old as physical competition. Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training?The truth is far messier than a simple dichotomy between nature and nurture. In the decade since the sequencing of the human genome, researchers have slowly begun to uncover how the relationship between biological endowments and a competitor’s training environment affects athleticism. Sports scientists have gradually entered the era of modern genetic research.In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success, Sports Illustrated senior writer David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving this great riddle. He investigates the so-called 10,000-hour rule to uncover whether rigorous and consistent practice from a young age is the only route to athletic excellence.Along the way, Epstein dispels many of our perceptions about why top athletes excel. He shows why some skills that we assume are innate, like the bullet-fast reactions of a baseball or cricket batter, are not, and why other characteristics that we assume are entirely voluntary, like an athlete’s will to train, might in fact have important genetic components.This subject necessarily involves digging deep into sensitive topics like race and gender. Epstein explores controversial questions such as:Are black athletes genetically predetermined to dominate both sprinting and distance running, and are their abilities influenced by Africa’s geography?Are there genetic reasons to separate male and female athletes in competition?Should we test the genes of young children to determine if they are destined for stardom?Can genetic testing determine who is at risk of injury, brain damage, or even death on the field?Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism.

Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating


Walter C. Willett - 2001
    Dr. Walter Willett’s research is rooted in studies that tracked the health of dieters over twenty years, and in this groundbreaking book, he critiques the carbohydrate-laden diet proposed by the USDA. Exposing the problems of popular diets such as the Zone, South Beach, and Atkins, Dr. Willett offers eye-opening research on the optimum ratio of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and the relative importance of various food groups and supplements. Find out how to choose wisely between different types of fats, which fruits and vegetables provide the best health insurance, and the proportions of each to integrate into their daily diet.

8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot


Esther Gokhale - 2008
    Arguing that most of what our culture has taught us about posture is misguided—even unhealthy—and exploring the current epidemic of back pain, many of the commonly cited reasons for the degeneration of spinal discs and the stress on muscles that leads to back pain are examined and debunked. The historical and anthropological roots of poor posture in Western cultures are studied as is the absence of back pain complaints in the cultures of Africa, Asia, South America, and rural Europe. Eight detailed chapters provide illustrated step-by-step instructions for making simple, powerful changes to seated, standing, and sleeping positions. No special equipment or exercise is required, and effects are often immediate.