Customer Reviews

The Competitive Runner's Handbook: The Bestselling Guide to Running 5Ks through Marathons

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book starts off by breaking runners into categories from Novice to Elite. There are 7 categories (further broken down by age groups and gender), and any recent race time (from 5k all the way to marathon) can be used to help you find out where you fit. Glover explains the different training concepts to help you improve your times. He goes into a lot of detail about all of the important topics. He gives weekly mileage guidelines, talks about maintaining a running base (what % of your weekly mileage should be used as a base), and what paces you should be training at based on your desired race time. Although his advice is specific (and supported with examples of studies that have been done to prove how certain concepts work), all of his advice can be adjusted to fit the individual reader's level and goals. He gives examples of training schedules for the 5k up to the marathon for each category of runner, and tells you how to write your own schedule. He gives many examples of different types of speedwork, hill training, and tempo training so runners can add variety to their own schedules. He says how often each workout should be done on a weekly basis, and at what point they should be done in the training cycle. This is a great book, easy to read, and full of tips that can help you improve your time at any distance.
I used to do my daily runs at the same pace, and train without a plan. Last year I started training using the concepts explained in this book (speedwork, hills, long run distances), and I have been able to cut 13 minutes off of my half marathon time in less than 8 months. These training concepts are well known, but Glover customizes them to the reader's level, gives many different examples of each type of workout, and expains which workouts are best for the distance you are training for (For example, he says 1 mile intervals are better when training for the 10k up to the marathon, while power intervals and repeats will be more helpful when training for a 5k or shorter distance). This is a great book, and I wish I had read it sooner.

This book is a great resource for all aspiring competitive runners. However, don't confuse this book with Glover's other book - which is more for beginning and non-competitive runners. There is a lot of overlap between the two books, so there is not much point in buying both. However, I can see a beginner outgrowing the beginner book and wanting the extra info that the "Competitive" handbook can provide. Both are great.

Let's forget that this book is a huge bestseller in the running market. Lots of running books are more hype than content, or only regurgatate what last month's "Runner's World" has said, and sell just as well. However, "The Competitive Runner's Handbook" is informative, thorough and engaging.

Returning to racing after some fifteen years of basic jogging, I needed a book that took my knowledge seriously. Glover and camp give hard-core, nuts and bolts info. They've provided for the various levels of fitness. I'm not going to run my high schools times first time out, but what happens when I get my speed down? It is in here. Solid how-to, without the fluff of running psychobabble.

Run a 10K? Wanna know how byou might do in a 20K? In a half-marathon? Charts galore. How 'bout intervals and tempo workouts. Marathon training tips? 5K tips? Got 'em!

The beauty of this book.. and the fundmental reason I recommend it, is because the base of info and guidance here is fantastic.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

This book covers everything with regards to training,
equipment, nutrition, and crosstraining for everything
from running the 5K race to the marathon. The language
is very simple to understand, and provides useful
charts with regards to times in age-class groups, and
how they would rank in a field of runners, from your
back of the pack runners to your elite runner. It also
accounts for clothing, warming up, cooling down,
and everything imaginable related to running. If you
don't have a coach, or can't afford one, this is
probably your best alternative in terms of learning
how to train effectively and properly. Bob and
Shelley-Lynn really know what they are talking about,
and even the seasoned veterans might find it useful.
I have been running off and on since 1983, but I
didn't have any real ideas of how to train and eat
right until I read this book with regards to
competitive running. This book is highly recommended
if you intend to race competively in the 5K, 10K,
1/2 marathon and/or marathon. This should be your
Running Bible. If you haven't ran in a while, I
suggest consult your family physician before you
begin training, especially if you're really out
of shape, overweight, and a smoker or drinker.
It's probably best to use it as a reference guide
if you don't have the time to read through all
the book at once.

This book is
broken down into sections and chapters as follows:

Introduction: Challenge of Competitive Running
PART I: Basic Training
1. Categories of Basic Runners
2. Key Ingredients to Succesful Racing
3. Basic Training Principles
4. The Warm-Up and Cool-Down
5. Training Pace
6. Training Mileage
7. The Runner's Training Diary

PART II: Speed Training
8. Introduction to Speed Training
9. A Simplified 12-Week Speed Training Program
10. Interval Training
11. Hill Training
12. Fartlek Training
13. Tempo Training

PART III: Planning Your Training
14. The Training Schedule
15. How To Write Your Own Training Schedule

PART IV: Specific Training for Racing
16. The Novice Competitor
17. 5K Training and Racing
18. 10K Training and Racing
19. Half-Marathon Training and Racing

Part V: Marathon Training and Racing
20. The First-Time Marathoner
21. Marathon Build-Up Training
22. Marathon Countdown
23. Marathon Strategy
24. The Aftermarathon

Part VI: Mental Aspects of Competitive Running
25. Goal Setting and Race Time Prediction
26. Motivation
27. Mental Training
28. Prerace Logistics and Day-of-Race Routine
29. Race Strategy
30. Race Tactics

Part VII: Running Form and Shoes
31. Running Form and Economy
32. Running Shoes

Part VIII: Food and Drink for Health and Performance
33. Fuel and Nutrition for Running
34. Hydration and Running
35. Performance Weight

Part IX: The Running Environment
36. Hot Weather Running
37. Cold Weather Running

Part X: Specific Competitors
38. The Masters Competitor
39. The Female Competitor

40. The Young Competitor

Part XI: Illness and Injury
41. Illness
42. Injury

Part XII: Special Training
43. Strength Training
44. Stretching
45. Cross-Training
46. Treadmill Training
47. Heart-Rate Monitor Training

Part XIII:
48. Balancing Running With Life

Appendix
Index

As a 5k runner (25:00), I ordered this book to give me a little more info to train more efficiently. I had run a half marathon, and had no interest in doing a full marathon. I read the entire book, and began following Glover's recommendations. I saw almost immediate results. I then figured out (with Glover's help) that I, too, could do a marathon. I have dropped my 5k time to a new PR of 20:48 and will be running my first marathon in 2 weeks. I have followed his schedule very closely and have had no injuries and have improved dramatically. I even keep this book in my bathroom and reread a segment each morning!!! Every time I go back to it I learn a little more. When I did decide to do a whole marathon, I bought several books. This one far surpasses any other book out there. It is definitely worth the money!!!!

This book leaves nothing to the imagination! What I also really liked is that it doesn't assume anything about you - if it's advice that is more directed to one type of athlete vs. another, it lets you know which, so you're not being led astray by advice better suited for someone else. It's perfectly organized, so that it's easy to quickly find information that you want now, has a chart that ranks your present performance so you know how you fare against other runners in your age, and gives advice based on where YOU are at specifically, not anyone else! This will be my first race ever (I've been a runner for a while now, but have never competed) and in reading this book, I feel that I have all of the knowledge I need (except experience) to do my best!

Bob Glover and his wife, Shelly, have a style that I find particularly endearing, they write in a manner that makes you feel they are addressing you personally rather than a general readership. Glover seems to know exactly what you would ask if he were your personal coach. He provides training schedules, information on running shoes, nutrition, pre-race nerves, race strategy etc. If you are less competitive and race just to improve your times but not to win races or age groups, there is plenty that speaks to you in this book. Similarly, this book is great if you are highly competitive and have the potential to be national class. If you wonder, down to the exact second, what pace you're running if you finish a 5k (or any other standard race distance) in a given time, there is a detailed chart that gives the answer. The writing style is low key and conversational. The book can either be read cover to cover or you can just as effectively go right to the chapter that's most relevant to you. I recommend this book without qualification.

I read the good reviews, checked out the contents and thought this book would help me improve my running ability and race times. I have a couple of other books, mainly for beginners, but now that I was advancing, I thought I needed some 'advanced' advice. The information in this book is comprehensive and practical, with lots of explanations (both scientific and experience-wise) if you want to get to the nitty gritty of running and racing. It was really good to see plausible reasons why I had been told to do certain things or warned against others or some rationale for issues,injuries or insights I had had in my running experience. What disappoints me about the book is its style. I can understand the writer trying to give of his experience, but after a while it gets tiring to see all the 'I statements' every couple of sentences. The information seems good, but it doesn't help much if you don't want to read it or get irritated reading it. Plus, there are ALOT of repetitions, sometimes word for word, which is probably a reason why the book is so big. It gets montonous from the lack of a new point being made or the lack of diagrams to illustrate information. If you don't run at least a 9 min/mile pace as yet, you will feel left out reading this book. Some may say it wasn't meant for slow runners in the first place, but it will encourage you to run stronger. What you won't get is your current statistics (like Vox max, mileage, pacing, etc.)and few references. If it's only content you want with little regard for 'packaging', this book is a good one-stop shop.

So the book is a little long, and at times a little wordy. But it's jam packed with excellent, up-to-date, useful information. I have a library of 20 running books and I've read them all. But this is the one I keep coming back to. I've dog-eared key pages, underlined key passages, and colored edges of key pages that I keep coming back to.

This book gives me the how, where, and why for training for the various road races I run, especially marathons. I've completely read and thoroughly studied marathon books by Daniels, by Bakoulis Bloch, by Pfitzinger and Douglas, by Hidgon, as well as older marathoning books by Henderson, by Bloom, and by others. I enjoyed every last one of them. I recommend them all (especially Hidgon's "Marathon:The Ultimate Training Guide."

But I keep coming back to Glover for specifics of tempo runs, interval training, hill work, and easy-to-adapt marathon training schedules.

I keep coming back to Glover to set goals for 5K, 10K, and marathon as I progress in my running and as I get older. (I've been running since 1978.)

If you just want a fun, informative book about running and low-key racing, buy "Better Runs" by Joe Henderson or some similar book. But if you're serious about training and racing, Glover's book is a must.

This is the best and most complete book on running since Jim Fixx's mammothly successful book 25 years ago. What I like best about the Glover's book is that it has something in it for every runner, from the casual jogger to an elite marathoner. Each chapter focuses on a special area of the sport: injuries, mileage, women's running, seniors, masters runners, even children developing into competitive athletes.

The title is instructive: there is an emphasis on competitive running, with the focus primarily in 10K road races to the marathon. Several of the elite and most popular marathons are discussed at length, incuding Boston, L.A., New York and Chicago. There are some useful tips on how to increase your weekly mileage, avoid injury, carbo loading before the race and recovery afterwards. Having completed marathons, I can tell you that it's easy to do than you think and once you start completing the 26.2 mile courses, you'll be hooked for as long as your body will hold out.

Running is a joyous activity and one which brings many individual rewards. If you're a serious, addicted runner, you'll love this book, but the beginners will also reap great rewards. It's well-written, fun to read and instructive. Highly recommended.