GET SMARTER! The 9 Books that make your Running Better!
8 October 2021|Physiology, Trail running
Trail running has seemingly gone ‘to the moon’ in the past few years. Easy to see why! It’s accessible, it’s quite cheap*, it has positive impacts on people’s health, and it’s the best way to see and become a part of the natural world.
Running has always been very competitive. Whereas milers and marathoners are the running legends of the past more heroes are being created right now These top runners are now fast becoming celebrities. Think Kilian Jornet! Think Cortney Dauwalter! Think pure epicness!
The amount of trail races all over the world has multiplied! Trail running requires resilience, mental toughness, strength, and focussed determination; all aspects that create energy for growth!
Most of us run to get fit and maximize our health. But as a beginner or someone looking to improve, it is important to learn more. Knowledge is after all a superpower. So, read more, as the knowledge gleaned will more likely help you improve your trail running, and enjoy running every day!
7 Favorite Running Books
It is very useful to learn from the legends of the running world and understand what they have to say from their experiences and expertise. One of the best ways to educate yourself is by reading the books either written by these legends or the ones that speak of them. The list of running books listed below provides a deeper understanding of the sport for beginners and the more experienced alike. Happy reading towards happier running!
1. Train Hard, Win Easy by Toby Tanser
Toby Tanser’s story of rocking into Kenya in the 1990s is downright-running romanticism and completely fascinating. The champion marathoner and founder of Shoe4Africa gives a great read on the story of success coming out of a little corner of Kenya!
2. Advanced Marathoning by Peter Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas
Peter Pfitzinger is a 1980s Olympic marathon stud who through his books produced countless Boston Qualifiers to impassioned runners. He teamed up with Scott Douglas to produce this physiological masterpiece. Road running centric but a great study on how to become a faster, stronger, and healthier runner.
3. The rise of the Ultrarunner by Adharanand Finn
Adharanand Finn is a beautiful writer who captures the nuances inside aspects of running like no one else. His account on the boom globally of ultra running is captivating.
Rich Roll is a phenomenal human who can spin and extract a yarn like no one else. His podcast is fantastic. And his first emergence into trail runners’ radars came in this riveting read about the connective tissues and mirror neurons portrayed in this read. Engage!
5. A Runners High by Dean Karnazes
Dean Karnazes is a running stud! He has done it all. I have devoured
all his books and this, his latest, is yet another win on his epic streak!
6. 80/20 running by Matt Fitzgerald
Want to race faster and stay healthy with a sensible build. Don’t sleep on the underlying message contained in this excellent missive from a great running writer!
7. Daniels Running Formula by Jack Daniels
A great book to get your ‘running geek’ into. Learn all about vo2 dot and the many intricacies and tweaks needed to become a faster runner!
Epstein unpacks science quite like no one else. This read is a brilliant and inspiring read about how a general approach to life can produce something amazing. I find this an interesting paradigm to examine in the context of trail running which by its varied conditions is a pure example of a cross-spectrum sport!
9. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
This is the quintessential must-read book to inspire new runners to completely enter the matrix! I have read it countless times and it’s just a super inspiring and frightfully fun read.
Final Thoughts
While looking for a book on running, be sure to know what you need to develop and select a book that suits your taste and preference. Also, whether you are an expert or a beginner, these books above, can take your running to a whole new level. Remember knowledge is power and a smart runner meets success!