Four Months to a Four-hour Marathon (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Running is the easiest exercise to master..." (more)
Key Phrases: marathon race pace, key workout, running bra, Monday Jog, Friday Jog, Thursday Jog (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A solid training program for beginners in a breezy, reader-friendly format. His [the author's] philosophy: If talk show queen Oprah Winfrey can run a marathon, anybody can." -- Cincinnati Inquirer

"Makes running a marathon sound like a wonderful idea." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

New York Newsday: "Bright and witty, it's based on a solid, sensible program, and chock-full of interesting tidbits -- including details on how to prepare for (and survive) your long runs, a dress code based on temperature and humidity, plus a list of the 36 fastest marathon courses in North America." -- New York Newsday

Product Description

The marathon is the crown jewel of distance running. Entering is one thing. Finishing is something else. And finishing with a respectable time...? For competitive veterans or recreational beginners, 4 Months to a 4-Hour Marathon tells exactly what to eat, what to wear, what to expect, and how to train. When race day arrives, author Dave Kuehls, senior writer at Runner's World and a marathoner himself, will have any competitor in the best shape physically and mentally. 4 Months to a 4-Hour Marathon includes: * Day-by-day training schedule for 4-5 hour marathon * Detailed diet plans * The marathoner's mind-set * Right and wrong things to wear * How to pick the right shoes * Pain vs. performance--how far to go * Common pitfalls to avoid--in training and during the race

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; 1st edition (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399524150
• ISBN-13: 978-0399524158
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #436,643 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

174 of 176 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lace up those shoes!, February 21, 2004

By	Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

I've run many sub-four hour marathons and only discovered this book after the fact. I wish I'd had it while training for all those races, it might have helped. There's nothing fancy in here, and nothing you wouldn't find in various back issues of Runners World magazine. The standard, unvarying formular for running a marathon in under four hours is simple: run 20 miles a week for several months, then gradually increase your mileage to 40-50 miles a week. Start throwing in longer and longer runs one day of the week until you can run 20 miles at a stretch. Do this for 1 month, then taper off and run your marathon. I'm a firm believer in running 20 miles at least 3 times before marathon day.

I know... many have done marathons on less training, but I've run enough of them to know that many people suffer (and I mean *really suffer.*) The whole point of running a marathon is not to just survive it, but to hae fun doing it and finish tired, but not completely done in. If you train adequately, you can, and will, finish a marathon and it probably won't be your last. Few things in life offer such satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.

One final word: the chapter on treadmill running was inadequate. Don't be put off by treadmill running, it replicates road running well enough if you put the treadmill at an incline of 3-4 percent. Good luck and happy running!

113 of 115 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It Can Work for Anyone, January 17, 2000

By	Richard J. Willard (Broomfield, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I used this book as my "how to guide" for achieving my goal of a reasonable 4-hour marathon the first time out. It worked. I had no idea how to train for a marathon until I read through this simple book. I ran San Diego/Carlsbad 2000 in 3:54. By the way, it also includes training schedules for goal times of 4:15, 4:30, and 4:45, so even slightly slower goal times can be trained for accordingly. This book was a key reason that the whole experience was such a success. I'd recommend it to anyone.

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dated information?, July 13, 2004

By A Customer

This book is good but not great, and appears to have lots of dated information. For example, the author cites Nike, Reebok, and Adidas as the brands to look for when buying technical running shoes, but the fact is that these three companies make a lot of "casual" and "retro" shoes, many of which are mixed into their line and sold as "technical" shoes to the unknowing. He also seems to suggest that cotton t-shirts and sweatshirts are fine to run in; if you are seriously training for a marathon, whether it's your first or your fifth, you would be better off with advice that encourages you to wear technical running tops made of technical fabrics (coolmax, dri-fit, etc.). They are much more comfortable, breathable, and moisture-wicking, therefore leaving your body to focus on running efficiently rather than struggling to cool you off.

It just seems like there's some not-so-great advice in here, which then made me wonder about the rest of the information he was presenting...