Book Review (and Running Book Library Update)

I just updated my long-neglected Running Book Library here on the blog. I'm currently sitting at 37 running-themed books, broken into two categories: training books and biography/autobiographies/novels.

I recently vacationed in Florida, and I always try to bring a new book with me to read on the plane (and while waiting at the airport, possibly on the beach, etc.) I searched on Amazon and decided to pick up Frank Shorter's book, My Marathon — Reflections on a Gold Medal Life, published by Rodale Books in 2016. As of this post, it's listed at just under $15 US on Amazon. Heck of a deal, IMO.

Any serious and/or long-time runner (especially if you're old, like me) is no stranger to Frank Shorter. He won the Olympic Marathon in Munich, Germany in 1972. He also won the Silver Medal in the 1976 Montreal Olympics (read the account in the book to find out why he should have won the Gold), and he was a four-time winner of the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan. He's known as the Father of the Running Boom. His training mileage and intensity are legendary. He was a close friend & training partner to Steve Prefontaine, and was the last person to see him alive the night he tragically died.  

All of these topics, and more, are covered in good detail in the book. All very interesting and compelling stories. What was revelatory for me (even though it was already public knowledge) was the abusive childhood he endured. His father—a well-respected doctor in a small New York town—was a secret monster, who frequently beat his children (and worse). Frank goes into some depth (while not being explicit) about the fear that haunted him for decades, even up to his father's death in 2008. He claims that the pain he endured from his father's beatings made him a tougher runner. As sad as that is, I believe it.

Not only was Shorter the Father of the Running Boom, he also spearheaded the effort to bring about fair compensation to U.S. athletes, much like athletes from European & other nations were compensated. Prior to his efforts (and those of other fellow athletes, Steve Prefontaine included), American athletes could NOT be paid or compensated if they desired to remain amateur status, which was required to compete in the Olympic Games.

He was also instrumental in bringing doping issues to the forefront. From 2000 to 2003, Shorter was the chairman of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, a body that he helped to establish.

But, apart from all this, he really hasn't done much with his life ;-)

Kidding aside, this was a compelling book, and I highly recommend it. I started reading it during my lunch breaks prior to our vacation, and I nearly couldn't stop to save enough for the trip!

My next read will be Bill Rodgers book, Marathon Man, published in 2013. I'll review it as soon as I finish it.

BOOK REVIEW: Dean Karnazes 50/50

I just finished reading Dean Karnazes' latest book, 50/50 (subtitled "Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days - and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!"). My review can be summed up in three words: 'eh, not bad'. It wasn't as compelling as I had hoped. There are little sidebars with "helpful tips" - some of which are actually interesting and helpful, some of which made me laugh out loud. In the book, Karnazes accounts in varying detail each of the 50 marathons he ran in 50 states in 50 days. Some of the stories were interesting, but after awhile, my interest began to decline a little. Due to scheduling demands, only 8 of the marathons were "real" scheduled events. The rest were run mostly over the courses of actual marathons (usually with 10-50 locals who signed up to run with Dean). I don't really fall into either the "Dean Lover" or "Dean Hater" camp. I respect his abilities and the attention he's brought to ultra running, but sometimes he's too over-the-top (i.e. a "stunt runner") to be taken seriously . The kicker [SPOILER ALERT] was after his last marathon in New York, when he decided to pull a Forrest Gump and run back across America...because NOBODY BOOKED HIM A FLIGHT OUT OF NYC! Huh? At first, I though it was a joke. Nope. Well, he abandoned the run somewhere in Missouri and flew home. A bit over the top? Yeah, probably. But to be fair, he seems to be a sincere and friendly guy (although I've never met him) that intensely loves to run, and who am I to question his motivation. And as a small business owner myself, I salute him for finding a way to make a living doing what he loves to do. I think one of the main reasons he's controversial among the hard-core ultrarunning community is that he appears to be seeking out celebrity status...which seemingly isn't the modus opperandi among that usually low-key, laid-back, happy-go-lucky group.
In my Running Book Library, I gave it 3/5 stars. Worth reading, but not a "must read", IMHO.

I'm currently reading Kenny Moore's book "Best Efforts - The Long Blue Line, Volume 1". I'm about halfway through it, and it's fascinating! Might be the best running-related book I've read in years! I'll post a review after I finish it.

Barefoot Ted and Born To Run

As I Tweeted earlier today, there's an interesting audio interview with Barefoot Ted (who I've never met, but lives down the road from me in Seattle) posted on his website. I'm not sure I'm ready to slip off the shoes yet and go for a run, but this whole movement is very intriguing to me. I've run around barefoot in my yard and enjoyed it, so who knows...I may get brave enough to venture beyond.

And if you're a runner, I don't know how you COULDN'T have heard of the recent book by Christopher McDougall, Born To Run. If you haven't read it yet, I IMPLORE you to go buy a copy and read it. It's excellent!

Last run in the Pacific NW for awhile

Did my usual 5:50am run this morning on my neighborhood course. Ran 5.5 miles in 43:54 (7:59 pace) with a 1-mile surge of 7:01. It was sunny, but still a cool 46 when I went out. Tomorrow we're headed to St. Petersburg, FL for a vacation. The running down there won't be quite so enjoyable. Even with getting up to run early, it'll still be quite humid. I'll just reduce the mileage and/or pace & grind away. Incidentally, my new vacation book (and new addition to my running book library) is Bart Yasso's My Life On The Run. I'm looking forward to reading it.
My bike is going into the shop today to get prepped for the race in early August, so I'll pick it up when we get home and get in a few more hilly training rides.
I ended June with 66 miles of running, which is pretty modest, but it's the most in a month this year so far. I'll likely total fewer next month, since I'll be doing more cycling.
Have a great Monday!

Running Book Library

Below are all running (and endurance training) related books I currently own. I'm separating them into two categories: training manuals and novels/biographies/stories. I'm also going to post a rating (scale of 1-5), based on my recollection of how much I enjoyed the book...although I admit that some of these are very vague to me. I have 37 books total (updated 8/14/17). Without further adieu...here they are, in random order:


TRAINING MANUALS

The Long Run Solution
by Joe Henderson
World Publications, 1976, 182 pgs.
[***1/2]

Run Farther, Run Faster
by Joe Henderson
Anderson World Books, 1984, 243 pgs
[***]

The Competitive Runner's Handbook
by Bob Glover and Pete Schuder
Penguin Books, 1983, 544 pgs
[***]

The New Competitive Runner's Handbook
by Bob Glover and Pete Schuder
Penguin Books, 1988, 628 pgs
[***]

Scott Tinley's Winning Guide to Sports Endurance
(How To Maximize Speed, Strength and Stamina)
by Scott Tinley and Ken McAlpine
Rodale, 1994, 258 pgs
[****]

The New York Road Runners Club Complete Book of Running
by Fred LeBow, Gloria Averbuch & friends
Random House, 1994, 634 pgs
[***1/2]

How to Train For and Run Your Best Marathon
by Gordon Bakoulis Bloch
Simon & Shuster, 1993, 270 pgs
[**1/2]

Runner's Training Guide
by Runner's World Magazine
World Publications, 1975 (2nd printing), 94 pgs
[**]

Run With The Champions
(Training Programs and Secrets of America's 50 Greatest Runners)
by Marc Bloom
Rodale, 2001, 246 pgs
[***1/2]

Improving Your Running
by Bill Squires, with Raymond Krise
The Stephen Greene Press, 1982, 206 pgs
[**]

Van Aaken Method
(Finding the Endurance to Run Faster and Live Healthier)
by Ernst van Aaken, M.D.
World Publications, 1976, 134 pgs
[***]

Masters Running and Racing for Runners Over 40
by Bill Rogers & Priscilla Welch, with Joe Henderson
Rodale, 1991, 178 pgs
[****]

Daniels' Running Formula
(Programs and Strategies: 1500 to Marathon)
by Jack Daniels, PhD / Foreword by Alberto Salazar
Human Kinetics, 1998, 287 pgs
[***]

Mark Allen's Total Triathlete
by Mark Allen, with Bob Babbitt
Contemporary Books, 1988, 173 pgs
[***]

Serious Training for Endurance Athletes
by Rob Sleamaker, Ray Browning
Human Kinetics, 1996 (2nd Edit), 304 pgs
[***]

The Lore of Running
by Tim Noakes, MD
Human Kinetics, 2001 (4th Edit), 930 pgs
[*****]

NOVELS/BIOGRAPHIES/STORIES

50 50
(Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days...)
by Dean Karnazes, with Matt Fitzgerald
Wellness Central, 2008, 286 pgs
[***]

My Life On The Run
by Bart Yasso
Rodale Publishing, 2008, 270 pgs
[***1/2]

To The Edge
(A Man, Death Valley, and the Mystery of Endurance)
by Kirk Johnson
Warner Books, 2001, 287 pgs
[****]

The Miler
(America's Legendary Runner Talks About His Triumphs and Trials)
by Steve Scott, with Marc Bloom
Macmillan USA, 1997, 258 pgs
[***]

A Cold Clear Day
(The Athletic Biography of Buddy Edelen)
by Frank Murphy / postcript by Hal Higdon
Windsprint Press, 1992, 197 pgs
[***]

UltraMarathon Man
(Confessions of an All-Night Runner)
by Dean Karnazes
Tarcher / Penguin, 2005, 280 pgs
[****]

Finding The Wheel's Hub
(Tales and Thoughts from the Endurance Athlete Lifestyle)
by Scott Tinley
The Trimarket Company, 1995, 189 pgs
[***]

The Perfect Mile
(Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It)
by Neal Bascomb
Houghton Mifflin, 2004, 322 pgs
[*****]

Running Through The Wall
(Personal Encounters With The Ultramarathon)
by Neal Jamison
Breakaway Books, 2003, 304 pgs
[***1/2]

Why We Run - A Natural History
by Bernd Heinrich
Ecco (Harper Collins imprint), 2001, 292 pgs
[***]

PRE
(The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine)
by Tom Jordan
Rodale, 1997 (2nd Edit), 168 pgs
[*****]

Once A Runner
(A Novel)
by John L. Parker, Jr.
Cedarwinds Publishing Co., 1990 (4th Edit), 248 pgs
[***]

Born To Run
(A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen)
by Christopher McDougall
Knopf, 2009, 289 pgs
[*****]

I Run, Therefore I Am-Nuts!
(Why We Carbo Load, Fartlek Train, Hit the Wall...And Love Every Minute Of It)
by Bob Schwartz
Human Kinetics, 2001, 245 pgs
[**1/2]

The Four-Minute Mile
by Roger Bannister
Lyons & Burford, 1981/1994, 253 pgs
[***1/2]

And Then The Vulture Eats You
(True Tales About Ultramarathons and Those Who Run Them)
by John L. Parker, Jr.
Cedarwinds Publishing Co., 1991/1999, 166 pgs
[***]

Sub 4:00
(Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile)
by Chris Lear / foreword by Jim Ryun
Rodale, 2002, 224 pgs
[***]

Duel in the Sun
(Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon)
by John Brant
Rodale, 2006, 203 pgs
[*****]

Running on Empty
(An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America)
by Marshall Ulrich / forward by Christopher McDougall
Avery, 2011, 304 pgs
[***1/2)

Eat & Run
(My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness)
by Scott Jurek (with Steve Friedman)
HMH, 2012, 260 pgs
[****]

My Marathon — Reflections on a Gold Medal Life
by Frank Shorter (with John Brant)
Rodale, 2016, 244 pgs
[****]

Marathon Man — My 26.2 Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World
by Bill Rodgers and Matthew Shepatin
Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, 2013, 322 pgs
[***1/2]

Whew! I'm sure many of these are currently out of print. I've had a few of them for 25 years or so!
Okay, I know I made some ratings that would be considered total heresy within the running community, such as giving Once A Runner and Daniels' Running Formula three stars each. Honestly, I REALLY wanted to like Once A Runner more than I did. It just kind of fell flat for me. I'll re-read it just to make sure. And to be fair to Jack Daniels, his book just makes my head swim. The man is a genius, no doubt...but I just don't want my training to be so complex. For an ultra-competitive racer, his book is a gold mine. For me, overkill. I gave up less than half way through it. Also, there are a couple of dinosaurs on this list that are interesting reads if for nothing more than nostalgia purposes, and learning a bit of the mindset regarding distance running 30+ years ago (Van Aaken Method and Runner's Training Guide).

Okay, that's it. I'll round up my much smaller running movie collection and throw them on here someday.
If you have any comments on these books and/or recommendations, please post a comment! Thanks!

Bike Ride

Did a 35-mile bike ride today in 2 hrs & 8 minutes. Kept the effort & intensity pretty low, which was the plan. Didn't have much in my legs anyway. I'm planning on doing a 3.5 mile Fartlek run tomorrow to see if I can acquire just a little speed before my 5k next month.

Last night, I gathered my running book "library" and started documenting them. I'll try to post them in an entry (with all pertinent info, such as title, author, publisher, year, # of pages) along with some sort of rating system, based on my always questionable memory of how much I enjoyed them or got out of them when I read them. There are several I had forgotten I even had that I plan on re-reading soon.

Born To Run

I just finished reading Born To Run, by Christopher McDougall. It's a very informative and inspirational book, and I'm happy to add it to my "running book library"...which I'll list on this blog someday. If you haven't picked up a copy yet, I'd highly recommend it. I first heard about it on the Brandon's Marathon podcast. Grab a copy - you won't be sorry. I inhaled it in a couple of days and will probably re-read it again this year.