Customer Reviews

Best Half Marathons: Jog, Run, Train or Walk & Race The Half-marathon

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this book because I wanted to train for my first half marathon. After reading all the glowing recommendations above I was sure to receive just what I needed. Although I found some great tips on cross-training and how to increase my speed, I didn't find enough specifics on precisely how to create the right training program for me as I did in several other books. The author's writing style is awkward. Narrative sentences are almost non-existent. Instead, most sentences are short commands making the text read like a Dr. Bronner's bottle. This is an author-published book and the formatting is awful! Body text is huge and headings are sometimes underlined and sometimes italicized (and sometimes not). Spelling and grammar are atrocious making reading a scavenger hunt. Overall a thumbs down.

While the info in this book seems sound it is a great shame that the book design takes so much pleasure away from reading it.

With too-small margins (no space to write your own notes), a chunky font, few photos or drawings, and no quotes or side bars to provide visual relief, reading through it was a chore.

I hope for a future edition that addresses these problems.

Best Half-marathons will take you to your first 5K and then to your first half-marathon, but gently with small increases in training.
He believes in no aches and no pain to avoid injuries and to keep your motivation yet you will:
Run up-hills, but starting with just a few easy repeats up gentle slopes;
Run at all paces which the half-marathon world record holder trains at...but at your speed, with the same heartrate intensity which the world record holder runs, and starting with a half mile and increasing gradually.
Holt includes motivation tips, stretching, weight and aerobic cross-training and how to peak for faster half-marathons.
Excellent and easy to read with training programs for everyone from jogger to experienced runners at 25 to 60 plus miles per week.

While this book may be excellent to help runners prepare for half marathons, it leaves something to be desired for those of us, unable to run, or who prefer to rapidly walk half marathons. Unlike Absolute Beginner's Guide to Half-Marathon Training: Get Ready to Run or Walk a 5K, 8K, 10K or Half-Marathon Race there are no specific instructions for walkers per se. The book seems geared only to prepare walkers for running. This would be OK if the title was NOT Best Half Marathons: Jog, Run, Train or Walk & Race The Half-marathon IMPLYING at least that walking a half marathon is a legitimate alternative. There is, however, an appendix (Appendix IV) which makes the following points about the value of consistent exercise:

1. Walking extends your life.
2. Walking lowers stroke risk.
3. Save your gallbladder.
4. Wake up! Exercise decreases blood pressure.
5. Exercise decreases the severity and side effects from diabetes.
6. Stronger bones and fewer fractures from osteoporosis.
7. Cholesterol.
8. Decrease belly fat and body weight.
9. Decrease eyesight loss from glaucoma.
10. Walking decreases the pain of arthritis.
11. Exercise elevates mood and the enjoyment of time spent on this planet.
12. Increased cognitive function.
13. Less breast cancer.
14. Exercise reduces Tylenol needs.
15. Problems with insomnia...exercise is better than a Restoril or other sedative.
16. Exercise for your baby.
17. Exercise reduces DVT's.
18. Run to increase your libido.
19. Exercise to beat the cold.

I agree also with a previous reviewer that "the author's writing style is awkard. Narrative sentences...almost non-existent....most sentences are short commands.." Personally the more I read of the book, the more boring it became. The text did not read very well and it was difficult extracting valuable informatin from such a narrative.

I did, however, find valuable information applicable to BOTH runners AND walkers (even if not so stated) in Chapters 6 Stretching and Mobility, 9 Cross-Train with Weights and 10 Cross-Train Aerobically. The author gave appropriate attention to the value of working out on weight machines as well as with free weights. He recommended the following six exercises:
* Leg extension and leg curl;
* Hip adduction and hip abduction;
* Low back extension and abdominal curl;
* Chest, press, shoulder press and compound row;
* Lateral raise and latissimi pull down:
* Biceps curl and triceps extension. He also offered up Choice One: Deep Water Running/Swimming, Choice Two: Elliptical Training and Choice Three: The Bicycle as viable cross-training options.

All in all, although the book had some merit I did not find did as helpful in preparing for a half marathon as I would have liked.

Half-marathoners will get everything they need from David Holt's newest book. Great starter program to move from 20 to 35 or more miles per week and your first half marathon; 10 to 20 weeks or more programs to become faster at all levels...all levels of both mileage and ability.
The pace tables show you the speeds to train at to reach your full potential and to avoid overtraining. The 40 pages of cross training insights will keep you healthy and running for years.
Great book, great motivation, beautifully organized and researched.