The Runner's World Big Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training: Winning Strategies, Inpiring Stories, and the Ultimate Training Tools

When I first saw this book at the book store, I overlooked it because of it's silly name. However, last year the author, Jen Van Allen came and spoke for my running club, and I was sold. There is a lot of information in here that a seasoned runner may already know, but a lot that was also new to me. I loved the "recovery" training plans, for those coming off an injury, as I was earlier this year. I also like the variety of training plans. I just used the Half Marathon training plan and PR'd by over 6 minutes. I am now getting ready to follow one of the Marathon plans. I also like that the training plans offer some variety in training runs. This is a great book for any endurance runner's library.

As many Runner's World books, this one is chock full of information.The information covers a lot of ground. This one, as the title suggests, covers both the Marathon and the Half Marathon. Not everyone needs to run a marathon. Those who want to run half-marathons don't have many places to go for information.This book covers it well. It is meant for beginners, and early intermediate runners.For advanced programs for both the half and the marathon, you may have to look elsewhere, but then why are you reading instead of running? A book that begins with a chapter called "Training Basics" , "Integrating Training Into Your Life", and reviews weight management, proper pre and post run nutrition is not geared to the advanced runner. But the chapters on Injury prevention, (and probably those nutrition one's we just mentioned), staying healthy, and injury recovery are fine for all.

First off, I enjoyed the book. Good solid information about training in general. For example, the book clearly articulated hard/easy principles, defining what type of training may be classified as "hard" (speed, tempo, long run, etc.), vs. easy (easy 6 - 12 mile runs where you can hold a conversation while running). The book also delves into many details regarding shoes, running gear, etc. Intermixed are runner's stories (which are "boxed off" so you can easily skip over them if you wish to "cut through the chase") derived primarily from these author's encounters of runners who have enrolled in the "Runners World Challenge" in prior years. Many of these are inspiring and helpful, even for an advanced runner, insofar that they remind us that everyone who runs is a winner, and that there are other ways of defining success besides scoring a trophy or PR.With that said, this book will probably disappoint competitive runners looking for advanced plans that strike a balance between the hard-core running literature for elite athletes and literature written for those with primarily recreational pursuits. In other words, it may be a little conservative for those who recognize that they will probably never score a placing trophy in their age category but nonetheless wish to push themselves to limit of their ability to find out just what they are made of. A particular disappointment in this regard were the training plans, which were few (as noted by a prior reviewer), and generally pretty conservative, save the long run mileage.In the next edition I would like to see more training plans with more specific guidance on hill training, and making use of the treadmill when hills are lacking (an area in the literature that is lacking, incidentally). I would also like to see more examples...twenty something week plans. Eight week plans (there was one designed to perform consecutive races). Plans with more speed, tempo, and hills (with use of several specific versions of each). In other words, one or two additional levels multiplied by one or two additional longer term and shorter term training plans. Also, more structured guidance on custom designing your own plan and integrating strength training. Add these in, you have a great book on marathon training. To put it another way, the Big Book of Marathon and Half Marathon Training needs to be bigger.

I've only been running for little over a year, and I wish I had had this book from the start! I wouldn't have learned most of my stuff the hard way. That said, this book gives a lot of documented information from reliable sources, excellent tips, and it's all easy to understand. The hardest part, I think, especially for someone new, is believing it--especially the parts about the importance of recovery days--when everything else in the world says "practice makes perfect," advocating doing more, not less. But this book explains exactly what takes place in the muscles: microtears, and the soreness one feels in the rebuilding process. Lots of good stuff here!

Having run now for over a year I'm starting to train for my first marathon. I've had a Runners World magazine subscription since I started running, and felt that this book would be perfect for helping me focus on training for a marathon. It is called the Big book of marathon and half-marathon training, after all.But in truth, I found this book to be more about running in general. What I was hoping for were specific training methods, maybe comparisons between them. What worked well, what didn't. Instead it all felt somewhat generalized to me. It's a good book and it explains a lot of running terms. But specific training programs? Appendix D has beginner, intermediate, and expert training plans for the marathon and half marathon. The marathon plans do not include any cross training, which I find odd. The half marathon plans include cross training or running.There's a lot of personal stories in this book as well, but I don't personally find those to be that useful. For an introduction to running, yes, it can be motivational. But how about telling me what you actually did to train for that marathon, rather than "I worked out in the mornings so that work wouldn't get in the way"?I'm giving the book three stars. It's a good, thorough book on running, and if it had been labelled as a running handbook I'd give it a higher rating. But I bought this for a specific purpose and I don't feel it focuses enough to warrant a higher rating.

Useful book to dip in and out of. Bought as a present and it was well received

Good book on training plans, diet, injury, weight management. There are lots of practical tips and views from real life runners.

Buenas historias

Muito bom e muito completo, com imensas dicas e treinos completos. Um essencial para quem gosta de correr e de saber.

There are other good books .this is a okish book