Customer Reviews

Run with the Champions: Training Programs and Secrets of America's 50 Greatest Runners

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This book is destined to inspire controversy, because of the rankings, the athletes included and those left out. Marc Bloom does what few knowledgeable fans of distance running would ever attempt: to rank 30 of the greatest American male distance runners and twenty American female distance runners. It contains both biographical and and personal information about each runner, as well as a summary of titles won, and lists of personal records for a range of events. Road running enthusiasts may be disapointed by the focus on the track, and indoor acheivements are virtually ignored, but the author does a reasonably good job of trying to provide apples to apples comparisons. This book in invaluable for serious athletes because it documents incredible variation among the training regimes of the athletes profiled. It was a pleasure to read and can be consulted again and again. However, the book is not without flaws. For example, there are only four pages or so for each athlete when more would have been more desireable and easy to include, particularly for exceptional talents or world famous runners such as Jim Ryun, Steve Prefontaine, Sydney Maree, Joan Benoit Samuelson or Mary Decker Tabb. I'm sure that most buyers would have paid more for a thicker book. Second, the descriptions of workouts could have been a lot more precise, or consistent between athletes. Some chapters appear to describe the athlete's greatest workouts, and others are so general it seems like the athlete is keeping secrets. Third, the book includes too many chapters on athletes whose career ended before the 1960s, when the sport was noticeably immature, and American dominance was more a factor of limited competition than athletic prowess. And finally, there are no discussions about the disapointments of the athletes' careers, which any fan would find fascinating. The absence of this element at times reduces the book to a public relations piece.

This book surpassed my expecations because it not only masses the best all time U.S. distance runners of both sexes but Bloom does not just give you the workouts but includes compact and effective biographies on each runner that I found the most interesting of all. The fact that Frank Shorter was fair runner in his private HS years but later won the NCAA 10,000 meters is quite amazing and of course so are his marathon medals as well. Bill Rogers virtually borrow gear to get appropriately outfitted for a race (Pre sent him a pair of shoes he still has) and then runs his first 2:09 while stopping to tie his shoe (Bloom didn't mention that Rogers often stopped to drink water). Everyone remembers Jim Ryun but what about Billy Mills the great cinderella story gold medalist of the 64 Olymmpics and asthmatic Bob Schull who also wins in 64 in the 5000. Well both are covered extremely well and Schul wonders like Bloom where the top runners are of today (soccer suggests Bloom). Great personal nuggets of information plus a bit of where are they now in four pages on each athlete. The women are well represented with Doris Brown, the great miler and 800 runner Jan Merrill, Francie Laraeu, Pattie Catalano (2:27 marathon), Joan Bennoit and Mary Slaney. What's great about this book is that Bloom gives you a career look in the few pages he has on each athelete with their PR's and dates and locations along with their greatest acheivements, times, records and victories and touches of ther personal life (Schul's wife was his workout timer). For example both Slaney and Laraeu were well known milers and 1500 specialists but late in their careers both Francie Laraeu and Mary Decker Slaney ran excellent 10ks both qualifying for the Olympics late in their careers. Listed at the end of each chapter is a week out of one of their workouts during their peak period such as Frank Shorter doing intervals on the track with only 50 yards of rest just before the Olympics. Bill Rogers running almost 30 miles a day for over 200 miles a week. Mary Slaney and her impressive track workouts and Pre running 30 second 220s with a 40 second 220 (jog?) for two miles at an overall 9:20 pace. The book also includes recent stars like Bob Kennedy, Suzie Hamilton and Regina Jacobs (now shrouded in controversy).

The hardest part of the book is the rating system, outside the top 30, Bloom lists an honorable mention section but a few deserving folk seem to be missing. Bloom graciously invites you to submit anyone missed on email such as where is Rick Wolhoter the mid 70's dominate 800 meter specialist and later 1500 runner? He's the other guy that fell down in the heats at Munich. And can you believe that Rogers and Shorter still put in over 50 miles a week? If you follow U.S. distance running this is the book. Bloom also has an intro that sounds like "Where have all the U. S. distance runners gone?" He'll give you his best answer.

One of the best books on the training methods of runners I have ever read. The author gives the training methods of 50 great runners. This book is to the point and very informative. One of the best books (if not the best) book on training routines for runners that I have found. Buy it, you won't be disapointed.

I bought a used copy on Amazon Marketplace and it was the best three bucks I ever spent! Entertaining, informative and inspiring, it profiles fifty of the greatest runners in short but amazingly detailed and well structured chapters...complete with racing states, biographical info, training plan and memorable quotes. There is something for every runner in the book... I came away with many interesting ideas and memorable words of encouragement.

Light, easy to read. Great to throw in your gym bag or keep in the car for a quick-pick-me-up before a race or training session.

"Motivation has to come from within. I make up my mind to shoot for the moon. Even if I don't make it, I'll be among the stars." --Francie Larrieu Smith

This is a great book for those who care to know more about how the American greats have trained. Mark Bloom ranked the 30 best American men and 20 best American women, then proceeded to write a brief (2 page) bio for each one, followed by a page detailing their training habits. Some of the bios (Gerry Lindgren) are amazing and the training schedules are pretty useful for getting new ideas or getting some insight into what it takes to be a great runner. I don't agree with all of his rankings, but at the same time, I can't say that he was unreasonable either. Also, the book quite nicely refrains from preaching ("this is what you need to do") and just tells a nice little story for each runner. Definitely a worthwhile addition to a runner's library.

If you don't know much about the history of American distance running, this book will give you a good introduction. Each runner profiled gets only 3 pages, though. Of course the result is that the book is super-formulaic and gets boring after a while.

The info on how the elites trained is very interesting. However, at its root this book is written in the Runner's World style: it's stated purpose is to promote the advancement of American distance running, while the book itself is a work of mediocrity that promotes only mediocrity.

In addition to 50 profiles, Bloom also includes a long essay on how to make Americans competitive again on the international stage. The essay is more of a fanatical diatribe than a thought-out exposition; Bloom never really even explains why he believes distance running is so much more important than any other sport. He has all these plans to coerce kids into joining cross country teams and he chastises Americans for being lazy and always seeking the short-term payoff. I don't understand why Bloom has the right to cast the accusing finger at US runners - he stated himself in the book that he was never a very good runner in high school (and apparently never became good after that, either), and as far as I can tell the only coaching he has done is at the high school level. I just can't help but think of this guy as some failed jock who spends the rest of his life hanging on to the sport for lack of anything better to do with himself.

For an excellent book of sketches of famous runners, read Kenny Moore's "Best Efforts".

I've read many running books and this is quite possibly my favorite one. Reading all of the tidbits about these great runners of the past is still great fun months after I first bought the book. I urge you, don't read the book cover to cover when you first get it. Instead, just flip through it. That way, you can enjoy reading interesting tidbits months after you originally buy it. There are still runners whose bios I haven't read yet, which makes it much more fun to read.

If you are a serious runner or a serious track fan, you definitely want to get this book. It's truly excellent.

One thing stands out as you review each featured runner's favorite training program. No two are alike - something to keep in mind as you develop your own program. What works for one person is not necessarily going to work for someone else. You'll also find that a few of the training routines show a great deal of creativity. This is one book you'll refer back to often, if for nothing else the inspiration it provides.

I bought this book in high school and keep it around to pull it off the shelf when I know I should be running but am not really in the mood. The hard training regimens and brief-wikipedia style bios are reliably motivating. The book does include quite a few runners hardly anyone has heard of and a focus on athletes 1950-present may have been more valuable. Regardless, if you need some light reading and some extra impetus to run, this book will serve your purpose. If you are a hard core runner and want a more training-focused book, go for "Train Hard, Win Easy" by Toby Tanser.

Tips for runners are combined with a history of some of America's best runners. This book is also a great motivational tool right before a race.