Customer Reviews

Food Guide for Marathoners

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nancy Clark hits another home run with her latest sports nutrition book. She covers everything a marathoner needs for optimum nutrition during training, the night before the big day, pre-race guidelines, hydration and fuel during the marathon, and even recovery from training or the event itself. If your goal is to complete your first marathon, set a PR, or end the race feeling great, Clark's book gives you the tips and guidelines you need. It's written in a friendly style, like sitting down and talking with a good friend; of course it's a friend who is one of the most well-known sports nutitionists in the country!

Even if it didn't have spectacular content, which it does, this book is beautifully put together with colorful pictures, and backdrops. It is fun just to look at and even better to read. It is very practical, and although I have picked up most of this information from my personal research and coach, it is a great concise book on the athlete's sports diet. Not a penny wasted and the presentation is well worth the few extra bucks to get the new edition. It also has many helpful tables, charts, and important/highlight tips and info in the margins. Well written, well designed, and well published.

The book is very practical for somebody that is only beginning to dabble in running. For everybody else, a lot of the information is way too general and can easily be found elsewhere. I also would have liked to see more recipes in the book and less advice along the lines of "do not try food before a Marathon you haven't tried before", that is way to obvious for me.

I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Nancy Clark recently and got a copy of her latest book (to go along with several of her books already on my bookshelf). As usual, I was not disappointed. Though I have never (and will never) run a marathon, Nancy's practical tips and super-simple recipe ideas are applicable to recreational athletes like me as well. From basic information on how to steam a vegetable and choose a good breakfast cereal to deciding on sports drinks and pre-exercise and recovery meals, there is something for everyone. Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners is a must read for any athlete who wants to fuel their body for better performance.

Finally a nutritional guide for marathoners! And one that is written to the reader and not in scientific lingo most of the public cannot understand. This book is definitely easy to read, not full of text, and filled with colorful, appllicable pictures. I love how Nancy highlites certain information and puts it into charts and paragraphs away from the main text so it catches our eyes. Nancy tells us all we need to know about vitamins and supplements, dispells myths about carbohydrates and tells us exactly what to do the week of the marathon. I would reommend it to any of my clients!
Bobbi Hitchcock, RD, LD of Rebecca Bitzer, MS, RD and Associates

You don't have be be a Marathoner to benefit from this book. Once again, Nancy Clark shows that it's easy to be fit, eat well -- and go beyond. For those who are - or aspire to be - marathoners put this on the top of your list. The book is full of easy-to-understand information. The photos are beautiful, and the layout makes it a joy to use. I think this is a great book for anyone who wants to eat better, and who likes to cook easy, wholesome recipes. Go for it!

I purchased this book as a guide for determining how to organize my nutritional needs for running my first marathon. The book develops an explanation of how to eat properly in general and does not answer many of the questions that should concern marathon runners. Rather than addressing specific areas of interest to marathoners - the book speaks in less than helpful generalities. For instance, in the Pre-exersize Meal section : where the author describes the Day Before Meal of an Evening Event (including a marathon) as "Minimal exersize, Eat carbo-based meals." And the Race day meal is "Eat a hearty carbo-based breakfast and lunch with a light snack 1-3 hours prior to the event. This is a poor description of the details required for carbo-loading before a race - which is a multi-day affair for marathon runners. Check out Mayo Clinic's Carbo-loading article (google it)

Another instance, the section titled Creating Fueling Plan is two pages long. The majority of those two pages discuss proper hydration - which is critical. But, one paragraph, three sentences, discusses having enough carbohydrates, gels, snacks and some sports drinks, during the race. There is no discussion as to how much, how often, the need to develop the plan during your long run days. The two pages allocated to Sports Drinks and Gels, is a list of the many types available, not the merits of the various types and what to shop for when developing a proper fueling plan.

Much more useful information is on the internet - the best I have found is "State of the Art Marathon Training - for both marathon and half-marathon.

Wonderful book! The book was in great detail and she covered everything that you would need to know to cross the finish line strong and healthy. If your confused about anything during your training, I would highly recommend this book.

This is a very basic nutrition guide for runners. It seemed like I was going to learn a lot and get ideas about specific meals I should be eating for my marathon training. I gave it two stars because it did very little of this. Instead, you go through each food type/group, with a basic account of why it's good or bad. In other words, complex carbs and veggies are good, simple sugars and fats are generally bad, proteins are ok; everything in moderation. Too bad, as I was really hoping for more based on the positive reviews and the book description.

I just received "Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners", and I can't recommend it highly enough. Her previous book, "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook", has been a staple in my home for several years ( along with Dan Benardot's "Nutrition for Serious Athletes") and a go-to reference for my nutritional and training questions. Now that I am considering my first Half Marathon in October, this publication came to my attention at the most opportune time. It provides solid, scientifically backed information, with practical applications that accommodate a variety of lifestyles and training schedules.

Nancy once again dismisses the hype of many unconventional diets and focuses on the nutritional elements that produce true fitness success.

I also recommend you take advantage of her new App, available through Itunes.