Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz

Run Healthy is a book dedicated to injuries. The authors tell runners about the different tissues in the body and how they respond to stress and healing, areas of the body to pay attention to so that you can prevent injury, common injuries that runners get and what the issues commonly are, and components of healthy training. The book is divided into 4 parts: Some common injuries mentioned in the “common conditions” section are: Here is a little bit about each author: Emmi Aguillard (PT) is a full time physical therapist with a doctorate degree in physical therapy (as well as several other certifications) who manages her own private practice that specializes in treating runners. She has advanced training in pelvic health and works with women during and after pregnancy to maintain their fitness and then return to running post-partum. Outside of her PT practice, Emmi also coaches runners from the Dashing Whippets running team which has an impressive 900 members! Jonathan Cane (coach) is also known as “Coach Cane” has been coaching endurance athletes for over 30 years. He has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and has coached for Nike, JackRabbit and Under Armour. Cane is also an author. He coauthored Triathlon Anatomy and The Complete Idiots Guide to Strength Training. He also writes for Triathlon magazine, Metro Sports Magazine, New York Runner, and more. Cane has been a speaker for Nike, New York Road Runners, Chelsea Piers Triathlon Club, Hospital for Special Surgery and others. Allison Goldstein (writer/editor) is a writer and editor who works with business leaders, award-winning academics and professionals to bring their literary ideas to the world. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, Women’s Running, Bicycling, Popular Mechanics and other publications. She is also a fast runner herself and competed in the 2020 US marathon trials. If you’re interested in getting a copy of the book to get started on your own injury prevention journey, you can get it on the Human Kinetics website: https://us.humankinetics.com/products/run-healthy#:~:text=Run%20Healthy%3A%20The%20Runner%27s%20Guide,%2C%20road%2C%20and%20trail%20running. Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

On The Run is a hard cover coffee table style book featuring a collection of runs and stories about running from around the world. Each run is its own story so you don’t need to read the book cover to cover and each run features large photos of spectacular scenery. The book has an introduction to running in the first section, and the remainder is divided into 6 sections: Distances and Terrains City runs Mountain Runs Quirky Runs Heritage Runs Wild Runs This book was conceived, edited, and designed by the publisher Gestalten with many contributors helping to fill the pages. The text in the book was written by Christian Nathler and Nick Butter (previously a guest and author of Running the World). Captions by Anna Southgate. If you would like to get a copy of the book for yourself, you can get it here: https://gestalten.com/products/on-the-run-nick-butter In case you are wondering about the bookmarks we were talking about, here they are online: https://myadviceforlife.com/collections/all-bookmarks Liz recommends "Advice from a Rattlesnake" and Alan has "Advice from a Wolf". Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

Get to the Line in the Best Shape Possible is a collection of articles written by the author and assembled into a book under one of 4 categories: The book is available in both PDF and audiobook format. Eoin Everard is a sub 4-minute miler, Sub 14 minute 5K and sub 30 minute 10K Runner. He is the current European over-35 3000m indoor champion and has represented Ireland from 800m to 10K. He is a chartered physiotherapist and Pilates instructor with a PhD in Human Movement. He specializes in low back, hip and knee pain. He used his background in physio, Pilates and his own struggles with injury to develop the Sports Pilates programme. He is the inventor of the BackAware Belt (www.backawarebelt.com). If you’re interested in getting the book for yourself in either audiobook or PDF, you can get it here: https://everardpilates.com You can also get access to a free sports pilates trial on this website. Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

Personal Best Running is a two-part training manual outlining Coach Coogan’s coaching practice and training plans. Part 1 includes 5 chapters about the theory: 1. Coach Coogan’s training principles 2. Building a good training environment 3. Staying strong and healthy 4. Using your mind to run faster 5. Being a student of the sport Part 2 includes 9 chapters starting with a chapter about mastering the skill of racing, and a chapter that describes how to follow the programs. The rest of the chapters in part 2 include plans for training for races from 1 mile to the marathon. And the last 2 chapters are for racing many events in a short period and training for a quick transition from one race distance to another (for example the marathon to the 5k). Mark Coogan is currently the coach of Team New Balance Boston which is an elite distance running team that sent 3 athletes to the Olympics in 2021. He previously coached distance running at Dartmouth College, Tufts University, MIT and Phillips Exeter Academy. He has coached Olympians including Elle St. Pierre, Heather MacLean and Abbey D’Agostino Cooper; and was himself a professional runner from 1988 to 2004. During his athletic career Marc was on the 1996 US Olympic Team for the marathon, won the silver medal at the 1995 Pan American Games, represented the US in the 5000m in the 1995 World Track and Field Championships and ran in 7 world cross country championships. Mark had range during his running career and ranked top 10 in the mile, steeplechase, 5k, 10k and marathon. He was the first Massachusetts native to break the 4-minute mile, and still lives in Massachusetts today. Scott Douglas is a contributing writer for Runner’s World and author or coauthor for several well known running books including Advanced Marathoning, Running Is My Therapy, Meb for Mortals and 26 Marathons. Scott’s writing has also appeared in The Atlantic, Washington Post, Slate, and Outside. This is also Scott's second time on the podcast and we were happy to have him back! Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

With a name like Born to Run 2 you might be expecting that this is part 2 of Chris McDougall’s story from 2009; there's a little of that, but also so much more. This is the training manual to accompany Born to Run and also features returns of some of the athletes who ran Caballo Blanco’s race organized with the Tarahumara in the Copper Canyons. The book is divided into 3 parts: Part I - Born to Run – Where the authors reminds us that we are born to run, explain why we might be struggling with injury and introduce us to “movement snacks” Part II - The Free Seven – Where the book talks about food, fitness, form, focus, footware, fun and family. Part III - The 90-day Program – Which has everything learned in the book assembled into an easy to use 90 day plan. You can even download it in Training Peaks and add it to your calendar. As with all of Christopher McDougall’s books, there are inspiring stories of individuals taking on personal challenges and doing great things with their running. Christopher McDougall is one of America’s most popular adventure-sport writers, with more than 2 million books in print. He began his career as a foreign correspondent for The Associated Press, covering wars in Rwanda, Angola, and Congo. His first book, Born to Run, remains the No. 1 running title of all time, spending four years on the New York Times bestseller list and earning selection as one of Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime. McDougall’s work revolutionized footwear and sports nutrition, sparking the “Barefoot Revolution” of minimalist shoes and popularizing chia seeds and pinole, two superfoods of Mexico’s legendary Rarámuri ultrarunners. Chris has also previously appeared on Running Book Reviews podcast to talk about his last book, Running With Sherman, the story of adopting a rehabbing a severely neglected donkey. Eric Orton has spent a lifetime exploring human potential and the limitless possibilities of the body and mind. As a performance wizard and world-renowned running coach, Eric performs online coaching and consulting for both age group and elite runners. And he travels the World speaking and performing clinics on running. Eric was part of a handful of coaches who pioneered the online coaching industry and has operated his run coaching business for the last 24 years helping Olympians, professional, and age group athletes. His study of ancestral cultures, like Mexico’s legendary Rarámuri ultrarunners, has made him one of the foremost authorities on running, evolutionary biomechanics, and human performance; and the go-to coach for athletes everywhere. Eric earned international notoriety as the coach of Christopher McDougall, a relationship that served as the foundation for McDougall's previous books, Born To Run and Running With Sherman. If you're interested in a copy of this fantastic book, consider getting it from your local independent book store. Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

In this episode Alan and Liz chat about Steve Magness' book, Do Hard Things. This book talks about toughness and how we all probably think of toughness wrong. Toughness has long been defined as an absence of weakness, but this book challenges that with research to back up the authors claims. In addition, the author proposes 4 pillars for all of us to become more resilient: Pillar 1 - Ditch the Facade, Embrace Reality Pillar 2 - Listen to Your Body Pillar 3 - Respond, Instead of React Pillar 4 - Transcend Discomfort Steve Magness, the author, is a world-renowned expert on performance. In addition to the book we are talking about today, he is the coauthor of Peak Performance. The Passion Paradox, and the author of The Science of Running. Magness has served as an executive coach to individuals in a variety of sectors, and as consultant on mental skills development for professional sports teams. His writing has appeared in Outside, Runner’s World, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Men's Health, and a variety of other outlets. In addition, Steve's expertise on elite sport and performance has been featured in The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Guardian, Business Insider, and ESPN The Magazine. Steve received his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston and a graduate degree from George Mason University. He currently lives in Houston, Tx with his wife Hillary. Once upon a time, he ran a mile in 4:01 in high school, at the time the sixth fastest high school mile in US history. If you're interested in getting a copy of the book, you may find it on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/73SAhct Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

You (Only Faster) puts a new spin on the training book. In this book you get some good training principles but Greg uses them to guide you through a 6 step process to modifying a training plan, that you may have gotten online or from a book, to better suite you as a runner. So if the plan follows good training principles, why would you need to modify it, right? Well, you’re an individual who responds and recovers differently to different types of workouts. Although everyone should be doing all types of workouts, the mix of how they are put together can be changed to better suit your individuality and give you better results come race day. Greg’s 6 steps create the framework for the book, and he describes each step in several chapters. Greg McMillan has been around for decades and probably doesn't need an introduction, but just in case you've never heard of him or his website we're including a short version of his accomplishments. Greg has a masters degree in Exercise Physiology where his research focused on the determining factors of distance running performance. A student of the sport since he began running in high school, he continues to apply advances in sports science to his training programs. As with his study of sports science, Greg continues to learn from the athletes and coaches of yesterday and today. He vigorously studies the great books on running and is eager to be around successful coaches and athletes to learn from their experiences. His mentors include the late, great Arthur Lydiard (who he toured with on Lydiard’s last US tour), Olympic Coach Dr. Joe Vigil, Peak Running Performance founder Guy Avery and USA Track & Field physiologist Dr. David Martin. Renowned by runners and coaches across the globe, Greg has one of the most diverse coaching resumes, with equal success coaching new runners, age groupers, Boston Qualifiers, and Olympians. He is also the founder of McMillan Running which includes his website with the famous running calculator that many runners have likely already used. If you would like to check out the McMillan Running website, you can find it here: https://www.mcmillanrunning.com If you're looking to get the book for yourself, and prefer ordering from Amazon instead of Greg's website, you can find it here: https://a.co/d/52XKtat Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

The Humiliation Tour is a running themed fiction novel that could’ve probably been 2 novels. There are 2 separate stories, one starting in 1933 during the great depression and the other starting in 1993, that are related in an unexpected way towards the end of the book. Both stories feature a young man that discovers running and this changes his life in some way. Both stories are centered around running and both involve some humiliation. Since the book is a novel and we didn’t want to give away the story, we chat with author Jeffrey Recker about the writing and publishing process and how he got ideas for his characters; some of the stories and characters are based on real life, but of course he didn’t tell us how much was real. As a young kid, Jeff suffered acute asthma attacks, and on a doctor’s advice, his family moved from Pittsburgh to Phoenix for a dryer climate. The asthma persisted for many years, and his early memories were that of his friends playing outside, while he stayed inside, fostering creativity by writing short stories. The arid climate of Arizona worked to help cure his asthma, and he went on to be a very active young adult, obsessed with lifting weights, and playing varsity baseball at Moon Valley High School. Labeled a jock, little academic expectation was placed on him until his creative writing teacher took notice of his assignments and encouraged him to explore that passion. Though, he went on to study business at the University of Arizona, in Tucson. At 27, he became a runner, with the only goal of losing weight. But his self-admitted OCD kicked in. To date, he’s run over thirty marathons, including the Boston Marathon on five occasions, and has competed in eight Ironman Triathlons – all this from the kid with asthma whom the doctor said would never do anything athletic. Writing continues to be Jeff’s creative outlet in adulthood. He’s authored articles for Colorado Runner Magazine, and other publications. The idea of writing The Humiliation Tour came to him after hearing about a very humiliating event that a friend experienced while running in the Las Vegas Marathon. Many years later, when COVID hit and the country shut down, he found himself laid off with a lot of time on his hands and began that journey. Jeff lives and plays in Grand Junction, Colorado, with his wife, two children, and three rescue dogs. You can get a copy of the book (and follow the author) on Amazon: https://a.co/d/izEDVhV Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

Already 10 books since the last recap episode and also another marathon under our belts. This marathon didn’t go well for either of us but we’ll have another chance in October. Here are the books we chat about in this episode: The Mock Olympian, by Michael Long You can get a copy here: https://a.co/d/3Fu37FX Fast 5k, by Pete Magill You can get a copy here: https://a.co/d/cqjh7cg Out And Back, by Hillary Allen You can get a copy here: https://a.co/d/1kIdHa3 A Runner’s High, by Dean Karnazes You can get a copy here: https://a.co/d/7k7hfo3 Taking Life in Stride, by Harvey Mitro The proceeds from the book are donated to Athletics Ontario and you can get a copy here: https://takinglifeinstride.ca The Villanova Track Story, by Jerry Bouma Proceeds from the sales of the book will be donated to Villanova University and will go towards student mental health resources. You can get a copy here: https://a.co/d/cDNB79v Run Your Best Marathon, by Sam Murphy You can get a copy here: https://a.co/d/0BYbeVM Run Faster Marathons, by Chris Knighton If you are interested in signing up for Chris’ newsletter, want to inquire about his coaching service, or are interested in getting a copy of the book for yourself, you can go to his website: https://knightonruns.com A Beautiful Work In Progress, by Mirna Valerio Here is a link to the REI video that we mention: https://youtu.be/c5-CSQcYeXk You can learn more about Mirna, buy a copy of the book, or follow her on social media, you can find all of the links on her website: https://themirnavator.com The Longest Race, by Kara Goucher and Mary Pilon You can get a copy here: https://a.co/d/2CLkecH Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

In this episode, Alan and Liz chat about Kara Goucher’s recently released book, The Longest Race. They’ll tell you what they learned, what they thought, and why they wanted to read the book in the first place. Kara Goucher grew up with Olympic dreams. She excelled at running from a young age and was offered a Nike sponsorship deal when she graduated from college. Then in 2004, she was invited to join a secretive, lavishly funded new team, dubbed the Nike Oregon Project. Coached by distance running legend Alberto Salazar, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime. Although Alberto initially let her train with the team because he was more interested in her husband Adam, his focus shifted once she won a World Championship medal. She later went to the Olympics, and stood on the podium at the New York and Boston marathons, just like her coach. Those podiums are what the world saw, but behind the scenes, Salazar pushed the limits of anti-doping rules, and created what Kara experienced as a culture of abuse, the extent of which she reveals in her book for the first time. Meanwhile, Nike stood by Alberto for years and proved itself capable of shockingly misogynistic corporate practices. Kara Goucher is a three-time NCAA champion, two-time Olympian, winner of the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in the 10,000 meters, and a podium finisher at the Boston and New York Marathons. She is a running analyst for NBC Sports. She cohosts the hit running commentary podcast Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara, as well as the Clean Sport Collective podcast, promoting fair play in sports. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her Olympic-runner husband, Adam, and their son, Colt. Her website is KaraGoucher.com. Mary Pilon is a journalist focused primarily on the worlds of sports and business. She is the author of the bestselling books "The Monopolists" and "The Kevin Show," the co-editor of “Losers: Dispatches From the Other Side of the Scoreboard,” and co-host and co-author of the audio series “Twisted: The Story of Larry Nassar and the Women Who Brought Him Down.” Her work regularly appears in the New Yorker, Esquire, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Vice, New York, and The New York Times, among other publications. She has worked as a producer with NBC at the 2016 Rio Olympics and on HBO’s forthcoming documentary “BS High.” She is currently co-directing a documentary about pickleball for Peter Berg’s Film 45. Pilon previously was a staff reporter with The Times on the sports desk and at The Wall Street Journal, where she covered various aspects of business and finance. A native of Eugene, Ore., Mary started reporting for her hometown paper, the Register-Guard, as a teenager. If you’re interested in getting a copy of this book, you can find it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.ca/Longest-Race-Inside-Deception-Running/dp/1982179147 Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

A Beautiful Work in Progress is Mirna’s memoir and the story of how she got into ultrarunning and subsequently finishing her first 100k race. Although the book starts with her running, she goes back to her childhood and talks about her family, how she grew up surrounded by cousins, and the time she spent outside with them. Mirna grew up in a body positive environment where all the women who surrounded her were curvy, and where she was never described as “fat” until much later in life. She also watched her mother lose both her best friend and her youngest brother to heart attacks, and she has made it her mission to stay active so that that she can stay healthy but without a focus on weight loss. By the end of the book, Mirna is successful in her first 100k race at the Javelina Jundred, but if you are already following her on social media, then you know that is not where her sporting journey ends. Mirna Valerio is a native of Brooklyn, NY, a former educator and cross-country coach, ultramarathoner, cyclist and newish skier, DEI practitioner, and author of the memoir, A Beautiful Work in Progress. She began running in high school, recommitted to the sport after a health scare in 2008 and started her blog Fatgirlrunning - about her experiences as a larger woman in a world of thinner endurance athletes - while training for her first marathon. Mirna's athletic story has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Runner’s World, on NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in the viral documentary short, REI Presents The Mirnavator. Her writing has been featured in Women’s Running, Self, Outside, and Runner's World. In 2018 she was chosen as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and in early 2020 appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show and Access Daily, and most recently was featured on the Today Show. Her partners include LLBean, Ford Bronco, Lululemon, Salsa Cycles, InsideTracker, Hydro Flask, and Garmin. She currently lives and trains in Vermont and is wholeheartedly enamored and obsessed with downhill skiing. If you would like to watch the REI video that we mention a few times during the podcast, it can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5-CSQcYeXk If you would like to learn more about Mirna, buy a copy of the book, or follow her on social media, you can find all of the links on her website: https://themirnavator.com You can also find the book on Bookshop.org which allows you to support a local book shop at the same time: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-beautiful-work-in-progress-mirna-valerio/11275343?ean=9781503943391 Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

Run Faster Marathons is dedicated to providing advice that you can incorporate onto your marathon training, to make you faster. The information is divided into 3 sections: This book is just the facts without all the stories about study results etc., and so you can read it quickly and get started with implementing some of the advice. Chris Knighton is a USATF Level 1 Coach. He is the head coach at Knighton Runs Marathon Coaching, and Track & Field and Cross Country Coach at St. Mary’s Academy in Riverside, Rhode Island. Knighton Runs Marathon Coaching was founded in the Summer of 2019, and their mission is to help passionate athletes run faster marathons and develop their confidence to take on any life challenge. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Chris didn't start running until his late twenties but grew up watching the Boston marathon which is what later inspired him to try and qualify. He has been a vegan athlete for his entire adult life and credits much of his success in sports to making healthy diet and lifestyle choices. In 2014, Chris left his job to pursue his dreams. He thru-hiked the 2180-mile Appalachian Trail that summer and realized if he had the courage and capacity to accomplish this journey, he should easily be able to take on any life challenge. Chris brings this mentally to his own running and coaching. He believes that the skills and confidence we develop to run faster marathons directly correlate to what’s needed to overcome any personal or professional challenge. Chris is also a husband, and a father to a 9-month old girl. If you are interested in signing up for Chris’ newsletter, want to inquire about his coaching service, or are interested in getting a copy of the book for yourself, you can go to his website https://knightonruns.com Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

Run Your Best Marathon is a guide to training and racing the marathon distance. The marathon has many challenges if you are trying to run at your full potential; you need to run at a hard effort while managing fuel stores and try to stay focussed for several hours. This book uses science as a base, for concrete tips and recommendations for approaching everything from training, to race day execution and many other topics in between. The book has 19 chapters which are divided into 6 sections: Section 1: On Training Section 2: The marathon programmes Section 3: The practicalities Section 4: Body maintenance Section 5: On your marks Section 6: Nutrition and hydration Sam Murphy has spent her career in journalism and took time off to complete a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science. She has been a lifelong advocate for spending time outside and has participated in a variety of endurance sports including running distances from 5k to ultramarathons, swimming, and triathlon. Sam is an England Athletics-qualified coach and has been writing the Murphy’s Lore column in Runner’s World (UK) magazine for several years. She is also not a first-time book author; Sam has written 4 other books including 3 more about running and one called The Official British Army Fitness Guide. If you are looking to get a copy of the book, Sam suggests getting it through bookshop.org, and you can choose your favourite local bookshop to give the sale profit to (...but it looks like this only works in the US, UK, and Spain). Here is the book on the website: https://bookshop.org/p/books/run-your-best-marathon-your-trusted-guide-to-training-and-racing-better-sam-murphy/17856726?ean=9781472989529 If you would like to know more about Sam, she can be found on Instagram and Twitter as @sammurphyruns, or you can head to her website where you can find this book and also her previous books: https://www.sam-murphy.co.uk Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

The Villanova Track Story is the story of Villanova University’s dominance in the DMR, distance medley relay, at the Penn Relays from 1966 to 1981. The book features this piece of running history, the athletes involved, and the circumstances that brought it all together. The author, Jerry Bouma, was himself a scholarship athlete from 1970 to 1974, but he tells the story by piecing together information gathered from many people who were present during a more than 16-year span. Jerry Bouma grew up on a family dairy farm in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, and was the first Canadian to receive a track scholarship to Villanova University. After graduating from Villanova with a bachelor of science of mathematics, he went on to earn a Masters degree in agricultural economics from the University of Guelph, has spent his professional career in the agriculture and food industry, and currently lives in the province of Alberta, Canada. Jerry started off his running career, before joining Villanova, as a self-coached athlete and was the holder of several under-18 Canadian records in the 800m, 1500m, and mile events. In 1976, after graduating from Villanova, Jerry continued running at a high level and was 6th in the Canadian Olympic trials 1500m in a time of 3:44.8. He has not only represented Canada internationally as a runner, but has contributed to the Track and Field community by helped organize large scale athletic events in Canada like: The 2001 Legends of Gold Gala The 2015 Pan-American Junior Championships The 2016 Canadian Athletics Olympic Trials As an author, this is not Jerry’s first writing venture. He has done technical writing, and previously published 3 poetry books. Proceeds from the sales of the book will be donated to Villanova University and will go towards student mental health resources. You can get a copy on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Villanova-Track-Story-1966-1981-Greatness/dp/0993670261 Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

Taking Life in Stride is Harvey’s memoire divided into short stories. The stories are divided into themes, and each theme section has an introduction story. There are 6 themes: Racing Moments Fun on the run Life’s Little Difficulties People Family The stories can be read independently but some characters are featured in multiple stories throughout the book, like Harvey’s first dog Chachka. Harvey Mitro is a husband and father who lives in Toronto. With a degree in Kinesiology, he has been working as a personal trainer and has guided exercise for people ranging from age 4 to 101. He has been a runner for over thirty years, has broken four-minutes for the mile, and has represented Canada internationally. His best performances were in the 80’s and 90’s when he has won some of the most competitive races in North America like the Cherry Blossom Mile. The proceeds from the book are donated to Athletics Ontario and you can get a copy from the book website: https://takinglifeinstride.ca If you would like to get an autographed copy, you can send an email to Harvey (his email address is also on the website). There is also an audiobook copy available if you want to listen on the run instead of reading it! Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

A Runner’s High; My Life in Motion is the story of Dean Karnazes’ return to Western States 100 in his 50’s, at a time when he is also wondering about the future of his running career. He is waitlisted, so doesn’t feel the motivation to train. As he gets to within only a few months of race day, Dean enters a 100k race to kick off his training. Throughout the book Dean reminisces about the past, talks about his family and how they have supported him throughout his life and his running career, and recounts anecdotes about people he meets during ultras. Who is Dean Karnazes? What do you mean you don’t know about Dean Karnazes?! Well we would need a whole podcast just to list all of his accomplishments so we’ve listed only a few things from his resume. Dean has run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, he has run across Death Valley in the middle of summer, he has run a marathon to the South Pole, and he has run a 200 mile relay race solo. He has also won the Badwater Ultramarathon, known as the toughest race on earth, and the 4 Deserts Challenge, which involves racing in the hottest, driest, windiest and coldest places on earth. As an author, has authored and co-authored several books. The most well know is probably Ultramarathon Man, but he also wrote a book with Matt Fitzgerald called 50/50; Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons In 50 Days. Dean is a graduate of the USF McLaren School of Business & Management, and an accomplished businessman with a notable professional career working for several Fortune 500 companies and startups. If you would like to get a copy of A Runner’s High, you can find it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062955500/ref=as_li_tl?camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062955500&ie=UTF8&linkCode=as2&linkId=252d4b253b1a1b91081199045e5cde61&tag=ultramarathon-20 If you would like to tour Greece while running, check our Dean’s website to find out more about his running tour of Greece at https://www.greekrunningtours.com You can also find out more about Dean and find links to all his social media by going to his website https://ultramarathonman.com Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

Out and Back; A Runner’s Story of Survival Against All Odds is about Hillary Allen’s miraculous survival and recovery after she fell off a ridge in Tromso Norway during the 2017 Tromso Skyrace 57k. Hillary’s survival and recovery was not only due to her perseverance and desire to live, but also because she had the right help at exactly the right time. During the race there was another competitor, Manu, that was tracking Hillary less than 10 seconds behind her and he saw the fall. He immediately scrambled down to Hillary’s broken body and realized she was still alive. Manu has trained in mountain rescue, and he took immediate action to try and stop the bleeding while other people, who also witnessed the fall, called the race organization. Miraculously, Hillary survived, but it was a long road to recovery and she had to learn to accept help along the way; difficult for someone that has always been proud of her independence. Hillary Allen grew up in Fort Collins Colorado, to an outdoorsy and scientific family, who have supported her in all her pursuits. She earned a masters degree in neuroscience physiology and structural biology at the university of Colorado in Denver. Hillary started out very passionate about tennis, until it led to an eating disorder. Soon after recovering from her eating disorder, she discovered trail running and this solidified her recovery because she quickly realized that she needs to eat to perform. Hillary taught part time while running professionally and was also a North Face athlete until 2022 when she joined Brooks. If you would like to get a copy of the book then you can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Out-Back-Runners-Survival-Against/dp/194451595X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2HVD6YWI8UQYU&keywords=out+and+back&qid=1675209053&sprefix=out+and+back%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1 You can follow Hillary through her website: https://hillaryallen.com/about/ If you would like to watch the Ted Talk where Hillary talks about her accident and recovery, it can be found here: https://youtu.be/4wfY5A7YiMg Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

Fast 5k; 25 Crucial Keys and 4 Training Plans is about two-thirds reading and one-third training plans. The reading consists of 25 short chapters, each one about a key to running a fast 5k. There are 15 training keys, 5 lifestyle, diet and gear keys, 5 race day keys, and a bonus key for masters athletes with age-related adjustments and advice. There are various charts and tables throughout the book to demonstrate the principles visually. Pete Magill is a masters runner, coach, and writer. In addition to Fast 5k, he is the lead author of the book Build Your Running Body, and author of The Born Again Runner and Speedrunner. Pete is a former senior writer and columnist for Running Times magazine, former Editor for Double Runner magazine, and a frequent contributor to Runner's World and the Podium Runner website. In his 30’s, Pete Magill was a screenwriter, and wrote scripts for New Line Cinema and Disney. He has coached at the youth, high school, open, and masters levels. As a masters athlete, he’s led his Southern California clubs to 19 national championships in cross country and road racing. He’s also a five-time USA Masters Cross Country Runner of the Year, the fastest-ever American distance runner over age 50 in the 5K and 10K (15:01, 31:11, respectively), and holds multiple American and world age group records. If you are interested in getting a copy of Fast 5k then you can find it here: https://www.amazon.ca/Fast-5K-Crucial-Training-Plans/dp/1937715922 Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

The Mock Olympian is the story of author Michael Long’s journey to run in every Olympic city, 23 in total, between the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games. Although he tried to combine trips if he was in a particular corner of the world, this goal required a lot of travel and even a month off once it was time to run in North America, which luckily, Michael’s employer approved. The book is divided into 25 short chapters. The first 2 chapters are general background about how the idea came about and a little about Michael. The 23 remaining chapters are dedicated to each of the 23 Olympic cities that Michael ran in. Michael Long started running in his late 20’s, but this didn’t prevent him from running quite a few fast times in various distances… including a half marathon under 1:20! Michael was working in London during the 2012 summer Olympics, which is where the idea for his adventure was born, but he has lived in many other cities including Athens, Brussels, Perth, Newcastle, and Sydney. Michael loves to travel and has been to over 75 different countries. He loves travelling so much that he studied tourism in university and has been in the industry ever since! If you would like to order the book for yourself, you can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Mock-Olympian-Michael-Long/dp/1524662887 Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz

What do you mean we have read another 10 books? Already?! Well then we are due for another reflection on the things we remember, and how all this reading helped us. Here are the books we chat about in this episode: Breakthrough Women’s Running, by Neely Spence Gracey and Cindy Kuzma Running The Orient, by Gavin Boyter Running Throughout Time, by Roger Robinson Chase That Smile, by Harold Cabrera Depression Hates a Moving Target, by Nita Sweeney On Pace, by Matt Fitzgerald Endure, by Alex Hutchinson Catch Me If You Can, by Filbert Bayi Running With The Kenyans, by Adharanand Finn How She Did It, by Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery Support the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz