Customer Reviews

Runner's World Complete Book of Running: Everything You Need to Know to Run for Fun, Fitness and Competition

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Despite what the title and subtitle suggests, this doesn't
provide everything you need to run for fun, fitness and
competition. While it probably a 3 1/2 *** to 4**** book,
in terms of content, there are more comprehensive books
on the subject of running. This is a good book for getting
a base understanding of running, and it only offers
training programs for one type of road race, namely the
marathon. If you want something that covers training for
shorter races, forget it. That doesn't mean the book is a
total loss for those who purchase it. If you are looking
for a tome on the sport, look no further than Dr. Timothy
Noakes' Lore of Running, which is nearly 1000 pages of
information from a physician who is also a runner. It
doesn't discuss specific training exercises with regards
to weights like other running books, or it doesn't even
mention which exercises to do in terms of stretching/flexibility, nor is there any mention of
pylometrics, which is used by some competitive runners.
The book is fairly narrow in scope, geared more for
road racers of the marathon persuasion mostly. If you
want to run some track race or cross country race, this
book is probably of somewhat limited value to you. Another
problem is the book is fairly expensive consider the amount
of information is provided in the pages, considering this
is basically a rehash of topics already discussed in
Runners' World, along with other running magazines and
books.
The book is organized as follows:

CONTENTS

Introduction.................................................xi

Part 1. Beginning Running
_______________________________________________________________

1. The First of Many Miles ..............................3
2. On The Road With Oprah ..............................12
3. Step into Good Shoes ................................16
4. Unexpected Pleasures ................................23

Part 2. Nutrition
________________________________________________________________

5. Fueling Up For a Peak Performance.....................31
6. The Lowdown On Fats...................................36
7. For Men Only: 10 Truths...............................42
8. Tomorrow's Beverages Today............................47
9. Say Good-Bye To Meat..................................51
10. Buried Treasures......................................56

Part 3. Injury Prevention
________________________________________________________________

11. The Big Five..........................................63
12. The No-Injuries Running Program.......................75
13. 10 Laws of Healthy Running............................82
14. Self-Treat Your Ailments..............................88

Part 4. Women's Running
________________________________________________________________

15. Advice That Could Save Your Life.....................103
16. A Woman's Encyclopaedia of Running...................111
17. Ask Runner's World...................................120
18. To Care, to Create, to Dream.........................129

Part 5. Building Strength, Endurance and Speed
________________________________________________________________

19. Time-Tested Advice...................................135
20. Ideal Paces..........................................142
21. Stretch Your Limits..................................150
22. The Experts' Training Secrets........................156
23. The Need For Speed...................................163

Part 6. The Mental Side of Running
________________________________________________________________

24. Seven Strategies To Be Your Best.....................173
25. Digging Deep.........................................182
26. Smooth Sailing.......................................191
27. The Mysterious Breakthrough..........................198

Part 7. Cross-Training
________________________________________________________________

28. The Many Doors to Fitness............................209
29. The Great Indoors....................................216
30. Running in Place.....................................222
31. Masters of Efficiency................................229
32. Training the Whole Body..............................234

Part 8. The Marathon
________________________________________________________________

33. Guideposts for a Marathoner..........................245
34. Guaranteed Results...................................261
35. Ease on Down the Road................................264
36. Countdown to the Big Race............................271
37. A Tip for Every Mile.................................280

Credits..................................................289
Index....................................................291

As other reviewers have stated, this is a good book for beginning runners. The tone is positive--in the introduction, the author states that she wants to be your cheerleader--and presents a "you can do it!" attitude throughout. One of the book's strengths is its emphasis on starting out gradually if you're a beginning runner. The author is well aware of the pitfalls of beginning runners, one of which is getting discouraged and ultimately abandoning running because of unrealistic expectations. She presents a clear running program that just about anyone should be able to start with. Inspirational stories--including a now-dated piece about Oprah's first marathon--support the idea that pretty much anyone can train to run competitively (or just for fun). Well, at least if they're millionaires who can train for a total of four hours a day.

Also included are the obligatory diet recommendations, including a curious plug for vegetarianism. This is where I think the book starts to lose its focus. I realize that many people reading about running are likely looking to lose weight and incorporate vigorous exercise into a healthier lifestyle, but how many times--and in how many publications--must we read about carbs and fats? We get a brief intro to healthy eating, and then the book jumps into diet choices of runners. The organization of the book suggests that you'll go from novice runner to carbo-loading marathoner in a matter of pages.

I think that the injury section, perhaps incorporated into a larger chapter about running and its effects on various body systems and health generally, could be expanded. How to best deal with shin splints, which affect nearly all beginning runners at some point and to some degree, is barely touched on. Compartment syndrome (which is uncommon, grated) isn't mentioned at all. I think that more could be said about strength training as a complement to running, as well as detailed information about effective stretching and cool-down techniques.

Major content gripe: An entire section in the Women's Running chapter (which constitutes about a quarter of the book, so male readers may want to keep this in mind!) is devoted to avoiding the various ways that you can become a crime victim if you're not careful. It's a tired rehashing of all the "safety and security" stuff that women are exposed to on a regular basis, usually in women's magazines or on freak-out local news reports. A cop's contribution to this section details how to avoid getting pulled into a car and ultimately murdered (his solution: don't get near the car). I'm not advocating a head-in-the-sand approach; any solo runner should be alert, particularly when running in an isolated area. But jeez, do we really need a whole section to remind us to run in well-lit, populated areas? The number of pages given to this subject suggests that you're more likely than not to be the victim of a bad-intentioned male at some point during your runs.

My main problem with the book is its format. It is heavy (literally), with a glossy format consisting of giant margins, big text, and dozens of pointless photos. I understand that the book is attempting to be true to its roots: it is published by Runner's World, after all, and its page design is similar to a magazine. But it's a book and should look like a book. Even though it's paperback, it's printed on heavy stock paper and isn't the type of book you'd toss into a beach or vacation bag. And the vast majority of pictures are completely unnecessary. Page after page of very fit people in 1990s running garb (it appears that the images weren't updated for the 2004 edition) are meant to be inspiring but get really old after the first chapter: three young chicks running on a track, a fit middle-aged guy energetically moving along in front of a sunset backdrop, a forty-something gal lacing up in a park. Most of us know what fit runners look like. Do we need to see full-color photos of them on every other page? In the nutrition section, literally half a page is taken up with the image of a banana and something that looks like oats. In the footwear section, we see generic pictures of white leather running shoes with the laces undone. Zzzz....

I realize that this review is a big negative, so you may be wondering why I've given the book three stars. There is a lot of good information for people new to running, and indeed fitness and nutrition. But I'm glad that I got this book out of the library--I'd be annoyed if I paid good money for this. The Complete Book of Running for Women by Claire Kowalchik, and the old standy, Jim Fixx's The Complete Book of Running, are better choices in my estimation.

This is a decent book. I nearly gave it four stars (see following), but it does many things well. Some may knock the book because it has few bells and whistles (i.e., gear and gizmos). However, anyone that has run for a long time will tell you most of the same things that this book does.

I was slightly disappointed that all the photos were "eye pleasing". Looks more like a magazine of female models for TV spots than the typical healthy runner. In some ways, I prefer the old style of James Fixx in the original "Complete Book of Running" (not Runner's World).

There are almost no shoes shown, which is the most important of equipment. This is good. What is shown is the proper way to size your shoes and reinforcing that a runner should stick with what works for that runner and not chase after fads.

The nutritional and healthy lifestyle information is excellent. There are things that a more advanced runner may want to see, but this is an excellent start.

Runner's World has been such a rich source of good reading forrunners that I was somewhat surprised by how ordinary this book is.That the book is a collection of articles from past issues of the Runner's World monthly magazine shows: the book "feels" disjointed. To the editor's credit, it is evident that he has tried, with his comments, to thread all the chapters (read "articles") together, but there still seems to be something missing. If you are a newcomer to running and needs a good first book on running, "The Runner's Handbook" will be a better choice. If you are already a serious runner, you are better off subscribing (or re-subscribing) to the Runner's World monthly magazine.

I wanted a book that provides detailed information about things like running training programs, information about injuries, and information about nutrition. While the Runner's World Complete Book of Running mentions these topics, the information is so watered down that it is barely useful. If you want some serious information I suggest getting Tim Noakes "The Lore of Running" instead. If you simply want to read some warm fuzzy articles that don't really say anything, then buy this book.

`Runner's World Complete Book of Running' is a compilation of different articles from Runners World magazine. It has 37 articles written by about 25 different authors. While the book has a lot of breath, it lacks a certain commonality between the chapters. Amby Burfoot. The editor, attempts to rectify this by writing introductions and postscripts after each chapter.

With that, the book has a lot of valuable information and is an excellent overview for those that want an summary of the various aspects of running.

On the other side, the book, notwithstanding its title is not `Everything you need to know to run....'. There is a lot of information and details that are left out.

But if you are looking for a good introductory text into running, this is it.

I often found myself turning back in the book to find places where it gave opposite advice. For a beginners willing to follow almost any tidbit at the promise of improvement, this can be frustrating.

To those new to running who are just looking for more tips: Try a Runner's World subscription first. You'll get 12 months advice, information and motivation--so much that you'll probably realize you didn't need this book after all. (At least Runner's World rarely offers two pieces of conficting advice in the same issue. Month-to-month is another story.)

That said, if you still feel the need to put a running book on the shelf, it'd be tough to top this one. As the title says, it is very complete, and for that reason, one of the best running books I own. Those looking for that one definitive book on general running and racing would probably be best served here.

Middle of the road, middle of the pack glimpse at what Runner's World magazine does best: steer the recreational and sometimes competitive runner with conflicting advice. That said, there are no surprises here. If you want to get started with running, subscribe to the magazine and keep this book around for general, uncomplicated reference.

This isn't a bad book, but it's essentially for the novice runner, with a heavy slant toward the female runner. Not a bad resource tool, but you could probably look up the same or more current/detailed information faster and easier online.

Essentially, this book is a collection of Runner's World magazine articles. You're better off in the long run (no pun intended) just picking up a copy of the latest issue at the newsstand.

Written by several different authors with Burfoot as a guide at the beginning and end of each chapter, this book is very enjoyable.

I am a new runner this past summer and I have found this book to be a very helpful guide to getting started. It provides a good basic overview of the important parts of running--avoiding injury, nutrition, shoes, etc.

Because of the format of using several different authors, there are places in which the book conflicts with itself. I did not find this troubling. In fact, I think it led me more to realize that running is not an exact science. Different training methods work for different people. Because of the variety in the book, readers will more likely be able to find what works best for them as they "listen to what their body tells them."