Favourite Running Books?

Marathon Man

Apart from running, talking about running, watching running, and some more running, I enjoy reading about running. Yep I have a problem, I admit it;). But seriously what are your favourite running books? Maybe they inspire you with magnificent feats or are very practical guide books to staying fit and uninjured. Anyway here are my top 3 in no particular order:
1. 'Better Training For Distance Runners' by Peter Coe and David E. Martin
2. 'Winning Running' by Peter Coe
3. 'High Performance Middle-Distance Running' by David Sutherland

RoyMcC

I've not read those MM. However Feet In The Clouds (Richard Askwith) is awesome. It's the definitive book on fell running and that sport totally re-defines the word endurance for road softies like me :eek:

I've also just finished a nice little biography of Bertie Messitt by his son Ray. Bertie's a new name to me but presumably a familiar and famous one to you Irish guys.

aoifekavanagh

i don't know what a running book is as i have never yet red one

Woddle

Survival of the fittest by Mike Stroud, its about adventure racing mixed with the mechanics of the body and stuff,great read

Running is easy by Bruce Tulloh, everything you need to know including a fitness progress chart from 1 to a 100, once upon a time I got to 85 now at 42

deadlybuzz

Advanced Marathoning - Pete Pfitzinger, and The Competitive Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover are decent reference books, which I return to from time to time.

I prefer running stories and biogs over the reference books. My favourite :
Running with the Buffaloes - by Chris Lear. (about a US collegiate cross-country team).

Pre - by Tom Jordan (Steve Prefontaine biog).

The Perfect Distance - Ovett & Coe - Pat Butcher ... is a great read, esp. for all those like me who grew up watching Coe and Ovett's famous duels on the BBC years ago. Oh, I feel old...:(

RoyMcC

Running is easy by Bruce Tulloh, everything you need to know including a fitness progress chart from 1 to a 100, once upon a time I got to 85 now at 42[/quote]

Reminds me that Bruce wrote a book - long out of print, describing his run across the US from LA to NYC - excellent. I can only assume that Tom McNab's 'Flanagan's Run' (best-selling sports novel ever) was based on this.

Domer

The Looniness of the Long Distance Runner: An Unfit Londoner's Attempt to Run the New York City Marathon from Scratch. By Russell Taylor

An hilarious account of preparing for a marathon. Includes a very good history of the Marathon, and some amusing stories about marathons in general. Very motivational too!

2Scoops

Daniel's Running Formula is very good read for those interested in training and not actual stories or biographies.

Odysseus

Woddle wrote: »

Survival of the fittest by Mike Stroud, its about adventure racing mixed with the mechanics of the body and stuff,great read

Just finished the above excellent book.

The Marathon des Sables by Mark Hinds is worth a read, it basically his training log and his experience of the race.


Running through the wall edited by Neal Jamison excellent series of 40 short personal experiences of ultras.

Dean Karnazes Ultra-marathon man worth a read.

Not just running but it covers a few few races Ranulph Fiennes Mad, bad and dangerous to know excellent.

There maybe [a very big one at the moment] a book about an Irish guys experence of the 2009 MdS if things go to plan, I would say it would be another excellent read;)

johnnyfox24

Would have to be "The Lore of Running" by Tim Noakes....its like the bible of running!

2Scoops

johnnyfox24 wrote: »

Would have to be "The Lore of Running" by Tim Noakes....its like the bible of running!

That's what Noakes writes on the back cover anyway!

Jnealon

I'll second Bob Glovers book. I still go back to it every now and again.
At the moment i am reading Chi-Running by Danny Dreyer. This is my second attempt to read it and so far so good

RRSC

try both of ron hill's top of the hill (and beyond). long hard miles and loads of them, and then a few more miles,and then breakfast...:)

the perfect distance - i'll second that..and i feel old too. gives a great insight into the middle distance era around coe and ovett and the others of that time

i read glover's one years ago - good too. he wrote with a guy called shepherd i think. beginning and advanced runners handbook ?.

there was one by a Ron Daws which was a good read too.

i see a lot of the 1980s running boom books coming back with new covers of late . anyone else notice that too ?

more recently

Running for my life by Catherina McKiernan a very honest account

paula - my story so far. interesting in spots especially around what went wrong before and in Athens

There was a stage there when i did more reading about running than running. Don't fall into that trap

ecoli

okay i picked up a few recently but very hard to come by over here as i got the in the states
1. perfect mile ( story of roger bannister, john landy and wes santee all questing for the 4.00 mile most inflential running book i have read)
2. Running with the buffalos ( quest for NCAA team and individual titles through a turrbulent book amazing)
3 Sub 4.00 ( Alan webbs college days battling injury in his freshmen year from same author as #2)

while tim noakes the lore of running is definitive i would not exactly put it up there for motivation but definitely a must read if you can its huge lol thou focus more towards marathon and ultra distance running

islandexile

Anybody know when Eamon Coughlan's autobiography "Chairman of the Boards" is hitting the shelves? Should make for a great read.

Peckham

Some interesting choices here that I must check out.

Pfitzinger's book is my running bible, although refer to Lore of Running quite a lot too.

Currently reading Explosive Running, many of the same themes as the Chi-Running book which I lost interest in after a short while.

Fast_Mover

I don't suppose any of ye could recommend a book that would get you motivated into getting back running again/reaching your potential in the long run. Im fully aware the drive/motivation needs to come from inside the person themselves, but maybe there is a book that will perhaps give me a kick in the ass that I need..that will just make me go 'yeah, I can succeed to my potential too!!' Don't wana look back on my life and have regret, which im currently feeling, however I can't do anything about it!:o

Bagheera

Maybe go for one of the sporting autobiographies - something like Lance Armstrong or Paul Kimmage. Reading about their passion is always inspirational.

Or Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes