10K & 5K Running, Training & Racing: The Running Pyramid [Paperback]

David Holt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 20, 1998

A five step program for successful racing at 10 and 5 kilometers...the two most popular race distances. Run up the training pyramid with these five steps. One. Build mileage and aerobic base while maintaining legspeed with fartlek running. Two. Run hills and other resistance training and use strength training to build your running muscles. Three. Turn this strength into speed endurance with anaerobic threshold running at 15K race pace. Four. Further improve running efficiency and your VO2 max by running intervals at 2 mile to 5K race pace. Five. Race Peaking. Resting and special speed sessions to reach the peak of your pyramid. 60 pages of training schedules for 20 to 100 miles per week; for the less intense to the serious racers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lifetime runner with bests of 31.16 for 10K and 15.18 for 5K, David Holt has been advising runers for 15 years. The training pyramid brings logic and science together to help you avoid too much speedwork or too many slow miles which can ruin your racing.

Former Portsmouth and Yeovil (both southern England), and current Santa Barbara, CA runner Holt has raced in Europe and the United States; has run with national champions from both continents, and brings you their wisdom.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: David Holt (December 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965889718
• ISBN-13: 978-0965889711
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Assumes a lot, December 15, 1999

By 

Jay W. Neff (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 10K & 5K Running, Training & Racing: The Running Pyramid (Paperback)

This is a good book if you are already a runner of some experience. If you're not, it may not be for you. The book assumes that you already know a fair amount about running and training. If you don't, then this book is likely to be quite confusing for you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Better Choices, especially if you are new., September 20, 2001

By 

"sdjulien" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 10K & 5K Running, Training & Racing: The Running Pyramid (Paperback)

This book was very disappointing, not only in it's content, but also in its production. The content is not as organized as some of the other books on the market (Glover, Theil) and seems to gloss over a lot of fundamentals. If you are new to the sport, I would strongly advise another book as following this could lead you to injury. If you are more experienced, there are some concepts and suggestions that you could benefit from, but still look at options.
The production of the book is another issue: Pages stuck together and several pages were placed in the wrong order, missing and duplicated. Frankly, if the publisher's qualtity is not that up to par, it damages one's faith in the quality of the content.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suberb training programs and running tips, March 5, 2003

By 

Maria Lisamore (Cambridge, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 10K & 5K Running, Training & Racing: The Running Pyramid (Paperback)

Great tips on the physiology of training for beginners and running technigue and numerous tips for experienced runners. The programs are concise and easy to follow and allow runners to select the length of program by staying at each level until they are ready to move to the next type of training.
David takes you through all the methods of training and asks you to run at the slowest paces which will achieve the huge physiological and race time improvements.
He does not waste your legs with fast Intervals. He gets you to 100 percent of your VO2 max with sedate Intervals at the right running pace for your current level.
Before that he gets your muscles strong with sensible hill training that does not kill your legs, and improves your anaerobic threshold to delay the point at which you reach oxygen debt/lactate threshold.
He has 20 pages on each of the major training intensities, then summarizes each one at the start of the training programs. You can read one paragraph on why you should run at anaerobic threshold (page 151) and then run the sessions, then read the entire Chapter on threshold training at your leisure.
Likewise for VO2 max training and hills during which he'll have you run at the sloest pace for maximum racing gains.
My boyfriend and co-worker love this book too, despite the fact that they are 30 miles per week in running and 10 minutes apart at the 5K apart.