Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons Paperback – April 29, 2011

I thought there was something quirky and unique about “Relentless Forward Progress.” The entire book is split up into short, digestible sections on every conceivable topic related to ultrarunning. Some sections have guest writers who are established ultra runners. If you love reading about running and/or are intrigued by ultras, then you are going to devour this book. Before buying “Relentless” I checked out some of the reviews. Most were overwhelmingly positive, but there were a few negative ones, and the recurring theme seemed to be that readers found the book a bit basic. I admit there was nothing earth-shattering here. Critics mentioned that the book isn’t so different from marathon training guides. This is also true. A lot of the topics, on things ranging from training runs to hydration to foot care, were similar to what you’d find in a marathon guide. The very simple fact is that an ultra isn’t radically different from a marathon in terms of training. You should probably still do speed work, tempo runs, easy runs, and long runs. I think there are a couple important points to consider with “Relentless Forward Progress”: first, you can’t please all of the people all of the time, meaning that there are going to be a range of audiences for this book, all of whom have different expectations. There are those people who’ve never run anything longer than a marathon and are considering the ultra distances. There are those (like me) who’ve experimented with 50Ks and 50 milers and are toying with the idea of 100 milers. Then there are the 100 mile vets who continue to read every how-to guide they come across in hopes of gleaning new insights. This last group may be somewhat disappointed by the surface-level topics Bryon Powell covers. He’s trying to reach as many people as possible, so by necessity he can’t be overly detailed. You’re going to get a taste of the things you’ll likely encounter when you start running ultras; that’s Powell’s goal, and he achieves it here. And in Powell’s defense, I don’t think any ultra training guide is going to satisfy certain runners because what they’re searching for is the panacea to ultras. The secret is that there is no secret. Every potential problem that crops up in a marathon, from blisters to chafing to hydration issues, gets multiplied many times over in an ultra. Throw in nutrition, trail running, night running, and sleep issues, and you’ve created a huge challenge for any athlete. And there’s no one book that will help you overcome these challenges. You have to just run the distances and learn from experience. Powell says as much. He basically writes that he can help speed up the learning curve but there’s no substitute for experience, no magic pill that will prevent the lowest lows of mile 70. Take Powell’s advice and put it into practice. Ultras themselves are as idiosyncratic as the people who run them. One person may be struggling at the same time another is doing great, and that same person might crush one 100 miler and DNF the next. The real secret to the 100 mile seems to be the mental angle—how to stay positive and keep moving forward—and I think that part is individual to each person. You’ve got to figure that out for yourself. But if you want some great hints on how to dress for rainy weather, how to prevent blisters, how much to run in training, etc., then read this valuable book.

As the adage goes... "If I only knew then what I know now" my path into trail and ultra racing would have been so much easier.Granted running isn't that mysterious, but having a point of reference for training, rest, nutrition and race day management is not gained overnight.This book presents all this and more in a linear and useful way with the information backed up by author Bryon Powell's own experiences and those of other veteran runners.Adding to that, the book includes multiple views on some topics (For example on speed training), as well as anecdotal material to support the various topics.Having followed the I-RunFar blog for a couple of years I'd seen the book advertised, but never gotten around to buying it. So when I decided to try my first trail ultra I figured I needed all the help I could get and placed my order. Although I'd already been running shorter trails for five years, it really helped me to tweak many of things I'd learned (or thought I'd learned) through trial and error. And while I'd already laid the ground work of my ultra training I found the race day information indispensable in having things go smoothly. I continue to use the book as a reference for my own relentless forward progress and highly recommend to anyone interested in ultra distance running.

I am 39-years-old and until two years ago I never really liked running. Then I got into triathlons and since running was my weakest of the three sports I started focusing on it. Then I started liking it, then loving it, and now I run six days a week and a total of 45-50 miles. I am currently training for a marathon and when looking at what to do next I started to seriously look at ultrarunning. Some people think I am crazy, but I have been called that before, so I don't care.I usually like to read about new endeavors I am undertaking, so I did some research and came across this book. I am truly happy I did! There is a huge amount of useful information, from how to approach running on trails including what to keep in mind and what you need to have at hand, nutrition and fueling, gear, and of course training plans among many other tidbits of extremely useful information.After reading this I moved from the "I really would like to do this" column to the "I am doing this" column. I also appreciate how much information the author provides in the irunfar website. You can clearly see how much he loves the sport and his passion for sharing it with others. Last weekend I followed their coverage of the Leadville 100 and it was extraordinary and inspiring.If you are considering going long, you would be wise to get this book.