Everyone's Guide to Distance Running [Paperback]

Norrie Williamson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2004

An invaluable guide on how to avoid the usual training traps and get the absolute most from your running.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...comprehensive, all-encompassing, and authoritative reference manual for runners of all stripes."--Pennsylvania Sports & Fitness

From the Back Cover

“If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run, yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it.”
These immortal words of Rudyard Kipling encapsulate the passion and joy in the art of running that noted runner and coach Norrie Williamson wants to instill in every runner and potential runner. Whether you’re an experienced runner in a bit of a rut, or a novice in need of encouragement and advice, Williamson is the expert to hold your hand every step of the way.
Available for the first time in the United States, Everyone’s Guide to Distance Running is a comprehensive, all-encompassing, and authoritative reference manual for runners of all stripes. Norrie Williamson guides the runner with practical proven advice not only on training and techniques, but also on the all-important aspect of keeping motivated. Because he is passionate that distance runners should not fall into traditional traps, making age-old, yet persistent mistakes, he supplies helpful tips and information on every aspect of the sport, including:
Training • Planning • Racing • Nutrition
Injuries • Clothing and Equipment
Norrie Williamson, a well-known long-distance athlete, is a former Scottish first division rugby player who transformed his passion for athletics into a career as a runner and coach in his adopted South Africa. He has finished the grueling
56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa and has completed more than 100 ultra events, including 30 to 100 miles or longer. He set a record for the longest distance run on a treadmill in 24 hours (more than 161 kilometers). Recently he has moved to track and cross-country races in an attempt to improve his speed. He has been coaching and writing about running since 1985.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592284388
• ISBN-13: 978-1592284382
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,523,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sore Legs?, March 3, 2005

By 

S. Duffy "Idaho Clinber" (Mountain of Idaho, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Everyone's Guide to Distance Running (Paperback)

This book really opened my eyes to the damage that over training can produce on the body. Also learned lots about rest, recovery, and using speed work. I, like a lot of other runners, always heard that long slow runs are great for burning fat and getting in great shape- WRONG! The only thing the long slow run did for me was make my legs sore and I actually started gaining fat. Read this book to find out more about this. The book is written from a South African Point of view, however the concepts and principles are universal and apply to all runners across the world. I learned so much from this book. I'm a climber of some of the world's biggest mountains and I've always used running as a base training method. This is why I never took running seriously, but as soon as I started competing in some of the tougher mountain runs, I realized that I was not too far from being an elite runner. I was on the path to injury as I upped the mileage and elevation gain with little rest. I also had no idea about how to eat for distance running. This book has a great section on sports nutrition. The information in this book may have saved me from getting injured from over-training and eating the wrong proportions of Carbos to Protein to Fat. A also ate at the wrong times. This book covers everything about distance running that you'll need to know- very complete.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for anyone who would like to run an ultra-marathon, October 10, 2010

By 

Mr. V "long run" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everyone's Guide to Distance Running (Paperback)

Before reading this book, I had run over a dozen marathons and was training for my first 50 miler. This book helped me tremendously in moving up beyond a 26.2 mile marathon. I've now run almost thirty ultra-marathons including six 100-miles, thanks in part to Norrie's advice in this book.

So many running books are written towards people who have the time and mental energy to run 6 - 7 days a week. Norrie's book is written for the rest of us who have to balance running, work and a family. Some of the many things I've learned from this book include:

1. What are the early warning signs of overtraining.
2. Your nutritional requirements during an ultra vary depending upon the time you'll be on your feet, not the distance you'll be covering.

I find it so frustrating when my running friends get overuse injuries because these injuries could have been avoided if only these friends had read and followed Norrie's advice from this book. He tells you how to identify these early warning signs and adjust to them before they set you back.


I've read many running books. There are two books that should be required reading for every marathoner and ultra-marathoner: this book and Jeff Galloway's (original 1999) book titled "Marathon". (Not Jeff's book "Marathon - You Can Do It". His original book from 1999 just titled "Marathon" which appears to be out of print but can be found in many public libraries.)