The Competitive Runner's Handbook: The Bestselling Guide to Running 5Ks through Marathons

I ran cross country in high school. While I was basically an average JV runner, I did manage to break 19:00 for the 5k once, which is pretty decent. I have kept running off and on since high school, and about 9 months ago I decided to train for my first race since I was 18 (I just turned 30). I remembered quite a bit from cross country, and have occasionally browsed through magazines like Runner's World over the past decade, so I was not a total beginner and still had some knowledge fresh in my mind. Still, I wanted an all-in-one reference, as opposed to constantly trying to find good info on the internet.Following the recommendations of some runners I know, I bought this book. In my view, it's just about perfect, and it could be the only resource most runners would ever need. It strikes a great balance between being casual and fun to read, while still containing a healthy dose of the denser scientific stuff which is necessary for effective training and racing (lactate threshold, carbo-loading, etc.). There is very thorough coverage of the major kinds of speed training, hill training, long runs, and so on; great chapters on injury prevention/recovery, diet, mental training, and footwear; and specific chapters and training plans devoted to the major race distances from 5k to marathon (as the title states), and much more. You get the idea - this book covers pretty much every topic of running with good detail. I don't believe it says much about the latest fad, barefoot running, but training principals are significantly altered for that method compared to normal shoe running, so you'd probably want an entire book specifically devoted to it.While I say that this might be all a typical runner would ever need (and that is true) I use it as my 'bible,' the resource I go to first and always return to, while still consulting other sources like magazines or other classic training guides such as those by Daniels and Galloway. As Bob Glover points out in an early chapter of this book, other training guides are neither right nor wrong, just a different application of the same training principals used by everyone.In my review title, I suggest getting this book over the more beginner-oriented 'Runner's Handbook' by the same authors. I don't own that one, but I recently spent a good 15 minutes paging through it at the bookstore; this book contains basically all the same information, PLUS the more in-depth and advanced material. It's beneficial to read that stuff, and view the training plans that an elite athlete would use, just for the perspective, even if you're still a novice. With any luck this book will help you catch the running bug, and within several months or a year you'll need some more advanced advice - so just get this book and get it over with.This is one of those books that is rare in any field - a well-written, extremely credible, thorough guide that basically has no drawbacks. Get it, you won't be sorry.

This book is loaded with very useful information, and it's written clearly and concisely without too much quasi-inspirational nonsense. I had completed my first marathon using the training plans from other books, and was terribly disappointed with my time. I used The Competetive Runner's Handbook to prepare for my most recent marathon and felt much more prepared. I took 48 minutes off of my first marathon time, and felt fine throughout the race.Many marathon training books properly emphasize cross-training and rest, rest, rest, but my experience is that there is too much emphasis on rest. The Glovers' plans (which can be tweaked and customized pretty easily based on your goals and fitness level) called for much more running, much more hard running and more mileage. The plans still emphasize rest, but the cold, hard truth seems to be that the best way to train for a marathon is to log a lot of miles.I also appreciated the tone of the book. It was upbeat, but did not include too much "cheerleader-ese." Too many of these books try to be inspirational and egg the reader on, and if that's what a reader needs maybe he or she shouldn't be running a hard race to begin with.I read this book exclusively for marathon training so I can't speak to the shorter, faster race plans, but as a marathon training book I found this to be the best (by far) after having read several others.

I'm giving this book two stars mostly because of its dangerously outdated advice about dehydration and fluid replacement.As Dr. Tim Noakes argues so persuasively in this classic work The Lore Of Running, drinking according to one's thirst is both effective and prudent as a hydration strategy. Unfortunately, the authors of The Competitive Runner's Handbook adhere to the ACSM's now-discredited, far more aggressive, approach to hydration.Basically, the ACSM still insists that runners can't trust their sense of thirst to guide them -- they must drink, and drink more, in order to attempt to replace all lost body fluids. Yet as Noakes and others point out, the result of this approach has been a growing number of cases of hyponatremia. In fact, while documented cases of runners being seriously injured due to dehydration are all but impossible to find, hyponatremia has killed a number of runners in recent years.The fact that this book is silent on hyponatremia, and still parrots the old ACSM guidelines, strikes me as dangerous. Runners who aren't aware of the latest research on this issue will buy into the "drink, drink, drink" mantra, and some of them may end up in a medical tent dealing with the consequences.It doesn't help that the sports-drink industry has a major economic interest in telling runners NOT to "heed their thirst." (Oh the irony.)If this is a case of the book needing an update, then it's time the authors prepared a fourth edition. If it's a case of ignoring the research on hyponatremia and over-hydration, then it's time somebody called the authors to task for their sloppy and potentially dangerous ignorance. In any case, I can't and won't recommend this book to other runners -- especially novices -- until the hydration guidelines are reworked to reflect the current state of research on this topic.

This book goes into lots of detail on all aspects of running, but always remains readable and interesting. I've recently qualified as a Personal Trainer and find a lot of running books are too basic, but I'm learning lots from this, particularly on what actually works at a practical level. At the same time, jargon is minimal, things are explained clearly and the many questions I've had about my own running potential are answered. This is so useful to be able to set myself realistic challenges when I've really had no idea before what I'm capable of. There's just so much covered and so much useful information that I've struggled to find anywhere else.

Buy this if you are training for a specific goal, for example a marathon or a 10K race and want clear and easy to follow training plans and advice. The bits where the authors talk about how runners feel both emotionally and physically when training for an event, during it and after are invaluable and the visualisation techniques really work and make you realise you are not the only one feeling these things.Just buy it!

Comprehensive. teens, adults, masters.All distances track, road, xc.Covers everything you need as well as training progs, race prep, nutrition, injuries.

Excellent book and advice! Used for all my training plans for marathons

I have read many books on running and this one has got to be one of the most detailed, best I have read to date. IT's jam packed with a wealth of quality information for whatever your running ambitions. You have to buy this book.