Customer Reviews

The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer

5 star:		(207)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Originally published in 1998, this book has been around awhile and stood the test of time. Who's it for? NORMAL people who have the desire to run and complete a marathon BUT also have other commitments that take up their time such as a family, job, etc. Don't have tons of time to train? This is your book. Need to get together a plan of attack? Keep reading.

The promise of the book is to that you'll be able to run 26.2 miles training just 4 days a week with no runs over 18 miles. It is based on a marathon class offered over the years at the University of Northern Iowa that touts a high success rate for 1st time marathoners. The book accomplishes this goal in sixteen chapters, one for every week of training.

Each chapter is cleanly divided up into 3 parts. Part one deals with the mental aspects of marathon training (which in my opinion is just as important as physical preparation when it comes to marathons), part two lays out the actual training program for the week, and the third part of each chapter contains advice and suggestions from people who have done the course and the program.

The book has a final 17th chapter which gives advice such as what to do after the marathon to make sure you recover well. Finally, the book ends with three appendices- one is a list of marathons to help you pick from, another on research that has been done on the program, and the last one a list of references and resources (always good to have those at hand).

All-in-all its a very COMPLETE book covering everything you can imagine about training for a marathon such as stretches, weight training exercises, nutritional advice, how to dress, and what shoes to wear.

Some practical bits: the 16 week training program does start you out running three miles, so in reality, you can tack on about another month or so of training to the 16 weeks in order to build up to the 3-mile starting point of the program. Along the same lines, pick a marathon that will be held no less than five months from the time you expect to start getting ready. And finally, runners suffering from plantar fasciitis might also want to check out The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution. Good luck :)

As a non runner and very limited and inconsistant excerciser, I found this book as I grandiosely thought about running the NYC 99 Marathon. The holistic approach was inspirational beyond belief. The primary theme of the book which was continually addressed in every chapter drove home the fact that "perception can become realty". The main goal was to focus every aspect of your training on your number one goal ie, to finish the marathon. When I mentioned to those who knew me that I was training for the marathon using this book, they really thought I was experiencing delusions of grandeur thinking "right you can read this book and run a marathon in 16 weeks; don't believe everything you read" After following everything in the book with only one slip up when I tried to do too much I was fully ready to run 26.2 miles. After a brief feeling of anxiety while on the bus to Staten Island, once I started running I had no doubt that I could finish. The personal statements from the students in training and the overwhelming statistics of how many of the students or "followers" finished gave the book total validity. If you follow the book in its basic beliefs, you can run and finish a marathon. These include: not over training, not setting unrealistic expectations or other agendas, not listening to others telling you you're a dreamer not a marathoner, not going on any crazy diets, and not thinking negative. Simply doing what the book says is enough. The major issue will be that you must be able and willing to make the commitment and except in extraordinary situations never put other priorities ahead of the training. You must run 4 days a week, take a day off before and after the long run, dring plenty of water, buy the right shoes and clothes, trying eating good foods (I always remembered what I ate after I started my run; fried foods make your run a real drag). THIS BOOK WORKS. When they say believe us that you will finish if you do the training our way they are CORRECT..I finished the NYC 1999 Marathon On Nov 7th (5hr, 23min but whose counting) having gone from taking a month to run 3 miles without stopping 20 weeks earlier. The book is a major self esteem builder. When you realize that less than 1% of the population have finished a marathon and you are one of them you will know the feeling of personal success. NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE AWAY THE FEELING OF FINISHING. WHAT A FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. This book goes beyond running to developing a positive attitude toward life in general. I have given it to several others three of whom are now training for their first marathon. Beware though, positive can be addictive.

This is the first review I've ever written on Amazon. This book made such a difference in my life, I had to comment on it. Six months ago I decided I needed to do something to get in better shape. I was in decent shape, I played raquet ball a few times a week, but I couldn't run more than a mile and really didn't have any interest in doing so. I came across the book title on Amazon and decided to check it out. I read the book while on vacation and decided I was going to run a marathon. I did the pre-training for a week and then began the program. Then the most important part, I started telling friends and family I was going to run a marathon.

I finished my first marathon yesterday( 10/28/01) in Mystic, Connecticut, in four hours and 51 minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I learned that the marathon was the reward and the training was the goal. During my training I read a number of marathon books, they all had helpful advice, but none were as important as this book. It was a guide, a reference and logbook. Its no longer just a book, its a memoir of the journey to my first marathon!

The training course (which includes only four runs a week) is very reasonable for us non-runner types, but what really make this book work are the mental exercises. Due to injury I actually missed the two longest long runs and started two weeks of physical therapy a month before my marathon. But because this book keeps reinforcing keeping a positive attitude it never occured to me that I wouldn't finish. Well, this Sunday (Oct 22) with a heavily bandaged knee and my longest previous run being only 16 miles, I finished the Marine Corps Marathon in 5:39:39. I found out after the fact that even my doctor didn't think I'd make it.

For the record, before I started training six months ago I had never been a runner. My first run of 1.6 miles made me dizzy, exhausted and very sore afterwards. Six months later I can run 26.2 on a bad knee. If anyone out there is at all interested in running a marathon I say go for it. The feeling of running across that finish line while the crowd is cheering you on is more than worth it.

If you do decide to do it, buy this book.

For years I had watched people run marathons, and was filled with a mixture of awe and the feeling that "they are nuts!" Deep down I knew that I wanted to tackle a marathon someday, but I was scared that I didn't have it in me. This book changed that perception.

In the spring of 1999 I suddenly decided to sign up for the Twin Cities Marathon. In searching for advice on how to prepare, I checked out every book I could find at our local library. Most of them were just not for me. They assumed that I had been running for years (in truth, I hadn't laced up my shoes in almost 10 years). The minute I picked up this book, that all changed. It might as well have been titled "Ben's Marathon Trainer."

The tone/mantra of this book is simple and consistent -- "If you WANT to run a marathon you CAN run a marathon." You set your goal (to finish the race regardless of time) and visualize that goal early and consistently.

Each chapter focuses on one week in a 16 week training schedule. They provide a well paced physical schedule like all the other books. However, what this book provides that the others are lacking is a week by week EMOTIONAL training schedule. I don't know how many times I would come back from a training run feeling a little down, pick up the the book, and find that the next section talked SPECIFICALLY about the emotions I had felt on the run.

Count me as one of this book's success statistics! Just as I visualized, I finished the TC Marathon with flying colors (if not a flying time ;) ). Better yet, I loved every minute of it.

I bought this book because I was not a runner and wondered how anyone could possibly run a marathon. I started up Jan 4 2000 in the dead of winter. I used the book exclusively to prepare for the Pittsburgh Marathon May 7, 2000. The mental preparation and the training schedule were perfect. The schedule has you running only 4 days a week. Running more than 4 days a week would not have been possible with my work and family. The personal stories in the book are very helpful to motivate you to continue your quest. I went from no miles to finishing the marathon in only four months of training. If I can do it following the book, anyone can. You do not need a running partner although it could be helpful. I kept good notes and compared back to each chapter. Great course to follow for the first marathon. The biggest lesson of the book is to have your only expectation is to finish the marathon. Not how fast!

If you read this review then you've probably thought that hey, you too could run a marathon. Let me congratulate you, this is the best idea you've ever had!
I ran my first marathon in May 2002 and it has literally made me a different person. I know now that whenever I set my mind to something, I can do it, and marathon training has provided me with the self-discipline and self-confidence that I didn't have before. Want to lose 20 pounds or grow big biceps? No problem, just do it! This is the lesson I've learned from marathoning, nothing else really comes close to this experience.

Now when I've hopefully reinforced your idea, you need a training manual. I had several books at my disposal when I was training, all with slightly different marathon training programs, here's the list (in the order of increasing difficulty of the program)
"The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" by David Whitsett
"4 Months to a 4 Hour Marathon" by Dave Kuehls
"Galloway's Book on Running" by Jeff Galloway
"Competitive Runner's Handbook" by Shelly-Lynn Florence Glover

I believe the first two in this list to be good for first-time marathoners. "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" has the easiest program mileage-wise, if you have never run before then this is probably most suitable for you. However, I ended up using the "4 Months" book as the primary source myself for the following reasons.
1) Information was easier to find in "4 Months". It was very convenient to carry around with me and I could QUICKLY find all relevant information while the other books had too much "fluff" in them.
2) "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" emphasizes on every step how their primary goal is not competitiveness but safety and the author discourages you from setting a time goal. If you don't feel competitive at all and just want to finish a marathon, it's perfectly fine and "Non-Runner's" is a great book for you. However, I have always been a competitive person in my life, so "4 Months" suited me better.
3) The weekly long runs in "Non-Runner's" go up to 18 miles. Now this lets you finish the marathon but I feel that a longer run would be better for two reasons.
First, the harder you train, the easier the marathon itself is. My personal training program was relatively hard and it required great effort to complete it. However, running the marathon itself was really surprisingly easy and I could handily beat the four hour mark. There's nothing wrong with an easier training program but I promise you that the more you've trained, the more you will enjoy the race.
Second, many scientists believe that human body is capable of doing whatever it has done before plus about 10%. "4 Months" follows this idea and the longest run there is 24 miles. At the same time "Non-Runner's" has 18 miles as the longest run and then focuses on "beating the wall" i.e. a point of exhaustion that you're supposed to hit at around 20 miles (notice how this is approximately 10% more than 18). My longest run was 24 miles and there was no wall when I raced! Your own experience may vary but longer runs do help you greatly.

These are the reasons why I'm giving "Non-Runner's" just 4 stars. Now don't get me wrong, it's a great book and it does help you run a marathon (which is the greatest thing you'll ever do!) but I feel that for some people other books would be more suitable.

Anyway, whichever book you get, good luck with your first marathon!!

Yesterday 10/15/00, I ran and finished my first marathon! I purchased this book back in May/June, read through it that month, chose my marathon, and started the program. I did exactly what the authors said and as an extra helper--I even signed up for a marathon class (but I did not use the class' 6-day weekly training schedule). It turned out, I really didn't need the marathon class, the book alone was enough! I used the 4-day weekly schedule and the mental imagery exercises and it worked! I even missed a few days of training, which I thought might have hindered my efforts during the marathon but my longest run was 18 miles and as they write in the book, "if you can run 18 miles, you can run 26!" Being a first-timer, I set no time goals, my only goal was to finish--(one tip I did take from the class was to do the marathon 5 miles at a time), and I finished my marathon in 5:18. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE! I recommend this book to anyone who has an inkling of a thought that they might want to run a marathon--get this book and get started! YOU CAN DO IT! "LESS THAN 1% OF THE POPULATION EVER ATTEMPTS A MARATHON." JOIN OUR 1% MARATHON FAMILY!

I have run for over 20 years and never contemplated a marathon. My wife trained with 3 friends and ran one in 2001; I was the support person and ran the last 7 miles. I did a couple of half marathons and did not do well and wanted to train, formally, for a half marathon. I decided to start from scratch and I bought this book thinking that if I did some or most of their training protocol, I would be in good shape for a half marathon. The book sucked me right in from the start. It has spoken to me as few other books have (Body Building 101 did, too). I did the training and enjoyed it where before distance running could be a chore. My wife and I completed the Cape Cod Marathon on 10/26/03 and I know in my heart that I would never have even started this journey without the inspiration, information and motivation of the folks that wrote this book. I am positive that the physical and mental tools it taught me will continue to make a huge difference in every aspect of my personal and professional life. A truly wonderful book and experience. Its not about the 26.2 miles, its about learning how to overcome self-imposed limitations in every aspect of life be they physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.

I NEVER would have picked myself as a marathon runner, but thanks to this book, I AM!!! When I first saw the book in the bookstore, I was intrigued by the title - The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. I thought, "Why would a non-runner want to run a marathon?" I opened it up, and there was the 16-week schedule right in front of me. It seemed too easy to be real, so I put the book down, made my other purchases, and went home. However, I kept thinking back to the premise of the book - that anyone can run a marathon....ANYONE. My curiosity got the best of me, and the next day, there I was in the bookstore reading more. Before this purchase, I had never run more than 1 mile at a time, ever.

Mind you, this is about finishing a marathon, not winning one. Elite athletes take years of hard training to compete at that level, and no book is going to help anyone get there in just a few weeks. However, with slow steady progress and the right mental attitude, you can train your body to keep moving for the amount of time it takes to finish the marathon (for me, it was 4 hours, 46 minutes).

The keys are very simple:
1. Get the right shoes. Lots of running injuries are related to shoes that don't fit the runner (pronating, motion control, etc.). You can't train for a marathon in a pair of Keds.

2. Stretch. Before and after the run, stretch. The book could have put the stretches earlier in the book for those who read as they train; still, almost an entire chapter is related to stretching.

3. Drink. Another major mistake beginning runners (like myself) have is not drinking enough water during and after your training runs. Water is the body's lubricant, without it, things can grind to a halt.

4. Mental Attitude. 26.2 miles is a long way, having a bad attitude makes it even longer. A positive attitude can give you the energy you need to have productive training runs, and a successful marathon.

5. Slow, steady progress. No week's training is more than 10% more than the week before (with the sole exception of week 6). This will allow your body to adjust to the higher mileage with less risk of injury. However, due to the condensed timeframe of the schedule, the generally used two-weeks up, one-week back mileage method isn't used. Whether that helps or hurts is a matter for discussion.

On another note, you really have to want to run a marathon, because despite the simplicity of the training program, you still have to run about 500 miles to complete the marathon training schedule, so don't be fooled by the relative ease of the training schedule.

Overall, if you are a non-runner, or are new to running, and want to run a marathon, this is a great book to have, and a very valuable resource. It worked for me, now I'm a marathoner, and no one can take that away from me!