Customer Reviews

Running Past 50 (Ageless Athlete Series)

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

 

 

As an over 50 multi-marathoner I found this text lacking in some areas. It seemed to address a target market but missed because it assumed that all runners are speed motivated and were fast runners in early years. Most of today's distance runners are neither.

This book is not helpful for people taking up the sport of running for the first time in their 50's. It's aimed at lifelong runners who need to reassess their approach. It doesn't fit will with other books in this series, such as Strength Training Past 50, which is perfect for beginners.

This book explained complex concepts about running in a very easy to understand way. When talking about hydration, soft-drinks, caffeine ingestion, it explained pros and cons in a very lucid way. Best feature of the book is the anecdotal stories of many inspiring 50+ runners. It's a great read and hard to put down. I am a fitness runner, not a competitive runner but this book talking about old competitive runners doesn't bother me at all. Even though I wasn't good at distance running when I was young I admired those who excelled. Understanding the mindset of elite master runners helps me plan my running career after 50. Some day I will race even though it's not my current goal.

I've run a lot of years. Not fast (e.g., never had any hope of qualifying for Boston), but steady (e.g., I've run every Bridge to Bridge Run in San Francisco since its inception over 33 years ago). Changes in life circumstances, aging...forces beyond our control have a gradual but profound effect on our running. Published in 1998, some aspects of Benyo's book are a bit dated, most evident in the photos and in some of the biographical sketches. However, overall, the information and advice in the book are still valuable, and they have helped me to re-evaluate how I approach this avocation that has for so long been a part of my life. Who knows, maybe there's still a marathon left in me after all.