Customer Reviews

Fast Track: Training and Nutrition Secrets from America's Top Female Runner

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is not just a great book on Training and Nutrition but also a great source of lessons learned by a athlete for athletes, especially female athletes. From a technical perspective, the books guidance is up to date and in sync with the latest insights and research into sport's nutrition and training. The book is very readable and should be just as enjoyable and accessible to adult as well as teen athletes.

The book especially shines due to the fact that Suzy Favor-Hamilton, a very successful track athlete, chooses to share how her lack of understanding about training and lifestyle (clean eating, planning, recovery days, etc.) negatively effected her health and athletic development. This allows the book to avoid reading like a text book or technical introduction.

Ms. Favor-Hamilton is very open in the book about the lessons she learned and the cost, in terms of injuries and performance, that she paid to learn them. But this is not a autobiography or self-promotion piece. The book may be of special value to coaches and parents of young female athletes as Ms. Favor-Hamilton discusses quite candidly the pressures she felt to be very light.

As a teaser, here are a few of the "lessons learned" discussed in chapter one:
* A proper diet helps prevent injuries
* Fast food doesn't create fast runners
* Cross-training will keep you healthy
* Take time off to erase mistakes

This is fantastic. Suzy Favor has been a woman to be emulated since she first showed up as a world class middle distance runner. She touches some of the very important parts of the physical and psychological needs of an aspiring young female through her own experiences.

In using her own life as a template, many of the young ladies who read this will make better choices when confronted with decisions that could have an adverse impact. As a coach I've seen too many who want to use these young people for their own benefit without regard to their well being or safety.

Nice going Suzy. You were a great runner and are still a great role model.

I wanted to do more than just read another book. This book takes sample nutrition, racing, and workout plans from Suzie herself. As a recreational runner I was nervous whether or not this book was really something that I needed to read as it is geared toward racing preparation. But, my friend who recommended this book insisted that I read it. I don't want to outline the book for you, but if you are looking for some direction to a combination of nutrition, rest, and performance, this is the book for you. This book also focuses on performance rather than just moving along, and I think that is a key element that has enabled me to re-evaluate my lifestyle. I would strongly recommend this book to a runner (or any other athlete, regardless of their sport) whether beginner or intermediate (I cannot say advanced b/c I'm only intermediate). It has helped me so much. Well worth the money and time.

This book was so informative on every aspect for a female runner. Suzy made the nutrition aspect so easy to understand. Really takes the guesswork out of what to eat and when.

I randomly picked this book up in a book store and was pleasantly surprised as I thumbed through it. It was exactly what I was looking for - something that could advise me thoroughly on necessary changes to my training, nutrition and much more in order to start getting in real shape for running competitively. I was amazed at the level of detail in this book - and it's the kind of detail you need. In no other book about running would you expect a thorough description of the exact differences in protein powders and what time of day you should take each kind, etc...and then a chart of the brands and their ingredients. It's perfect and practical. Not at all repetitive or boring. A very easy, useful read. I started taking notes as I read and had a comprehensive shopping list for the grocery store the next day. Don't miss this one!

I liked this book because of it's context and because it was easy to implement. It is targeted for female runners but I have reccommended the book to a varietay of athletes from young, older, male,female, swimmers,runners, bikers. This has been the best infromation I have recieved on nutrition for athletes.

While I agree that female distance runners need to eat enough healthy calories to fuel their training, I do not agree with the constant ingestion of protein powders and the elimination of such a large sum of carbohydrates. I would be an extremely unhappy runner if I had to eat a hamburger patty without the bun. Rice cakes, give me a break! That's like eating paper. I wouldn't last one day on this diet. I work almost full-time and run under 3 hours for the marathon (female). I like a little comfort food in the form of carbohydrates in order to keep me sane. I also prefer to get my nutrients from food and not supplements.

Very good source of information for cross country runners. Should be on every runner's bookshelf.

This is the first time I have ordered from Amazon.com and also the first time I've ever bought a used book.

So I didn't know quite what to expect.

The book was in pristine condition (despite being used) and Woody's Books sent it to me in a timely manner.

All told, a great experience for me, and I'm enjoying the book immensely.

I found this book to be very repetitive, and not very helpful. A few of the chapters I find interesting, like the one where she explains that for runners, the USDA food guide pyramid should really be flipped upside down. But she used her backup evidence from this chapter over and over again throughout the book. I really only need to hear "Fish is an essential food" once or twice to get it into my head. Also, towards the end, when Suzy gives sample training plans, I was very upset. Pretty much all of them are only suitable for runners who have way too much time on their hands, and are at a college level of training. I was looking for a way to spice up my training, but all I got were endless lists of two-a-days (who has time for that?) and hour long runs (the average high school girl doesn't have that much endurance). She doesn't seem to understand that we all can't be like her and perfect our diets, allowing only 5 treats per week, and running to what, for most of us, would be almost complete exhaustion. Suzy probably isn't the best person to write a book like this for female runners, because ever since she was in high school, she's been a star, and has never really experienced the long, hard transition from nothing at all to strenuous workouts.

I gave it 3 stars, because she had good intentions, but didn't pull them out the best way possible. I did however get some good nutrition tips, and learned some new strength exercises to add to my normal routine.