Timeless Running Wisdom

by Richard Benyo

You run because you like the way it makes you feel in its best moments. You run with a goal of success and satisfaction. Wouldn’t you like to tap into those feelings more often? In Timeless Running Wisdom, longtime runner and author Rich Benyo takes you on a journey spanning the trends of the sport and the approaches, concepts, and methods that have bred success and satisfaction across generations of runners. Discover how to embrace simplicity; change up routes, distances, and terrains; keep your running in proportion to the rest of your life; and create your own adventure runs. It’s all here—practical, compelling, and fantastic. On this quest of rediscovery, you’ll be joined by an all-star array of world- and national-class runners with literally millions of miles of experience and wisdom, • Kathrine Switzer • Roger Robinson • Joe Henderson • Bill Rodgers • Dean Karnazes • Amby Burfoot • Joan Benoit-Samuelson Through their personal stories, insights, and advice, they illustrate the essence of running success and satisfaction and guide you to achieving your every running goal. With this unique perspective you’ll find the tools and the maps to run longer, safer, and better. The ultimate runner’s toolbox, Timeless Running Wisdom is also your GPS to the world’s oldest sport. Read this book and you will remember why you fell in love with running in the first place.

Genres: Sports

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 23, 2010

About the author

Richard Stephen Benyo is an American journalist and veteran distance runner. He is the editor of Marathon & Beyond Magazine, a magazine devoted to marathon and ultramarathon running. He is also the former executive editor of Runner's World Magazine, and Anderson World Books, Inc. Benyo is the author of 17 books and has written extensively about running, health and fitness.

Reviews

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book with a lot of good information. I classify this as a book for beginning runners. Yes, timeless wisdom. The book has short chapters that are very easy to read. Many chapters come in pairs: Run Alone, Run with a Group. Race a lot, don't race very often. For experienced runners who have read a lot of books and articles much of this might be things you're read elsewhere.

They have a list of 25 Running Books You Should Read. Many of these are from the past. https://humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/S...

[Ashley Connolly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very few new insights more just random musings from the author

[Noah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good nuggets in there from the contributors, but god, the author is just such a miserable old fart and drags down the mood and the tone like crazy.

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more or less a small textbook, with key points at the end of each chapter. I recommend skipping through and reading the key points before reading the book, and deciding if you want more information from there.

There is some great advice in there about training, finding balance, and training properly... The advice is mixed in with some commentary that I think is meant to be tongue in cheek, but falls short...so it comes across like the author is being snarky and critical of some "types" of runner. Perhaps that's not his intent. Perhaps an editor should have said: "Richard, this is a bit crusty."

So, for example, if the goal is to get people out there and running and doing it 'right,' should we start out a book mocking a guy who is "slogging" down the street and having a rough day? So what if he's "over-geared" and miserable? Maybe he doesn't know there is a better place out there to get to...yet. Maybe that is what gets him through the run right now, and at a later point (like me) he'll start experimenting with less. Maybe he truly hates it and his doctor told him to...or maybe he is indeed a pitiful gadget-o-phile... either way, he's moving. The author gripes in later chapters about people ...let's see, how did that go? Oh, yes! Something about rapidly expanding in size and excelling at being sedentary.

Buddy, if you have a critical attitude about a guy out there getting through his run in a way you don't approve of, you're part of the problem.


The chapters are set up as counterpoints: train hard, but get rest, run distances, but don't run too many, etc. This is deliberate, just fyi - though it doesn't get clarified until about halfway through.


Overall it was ok. Not a keeper, but not a bad overnight library read.

[Mark Fallon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed review here. Some good advice from Benyo - like running your easy runs at an easy pace, allow proper recovery time, etc. However, the cover states, "With Insights from: Dean Karnazes, Joe Henderson,... Joan Benoit-Samuelson, etc." Well, sure some insights - like a paragraph apiece! I was expecting more from these folks and less from Benyo.

Worth reading, but check it out of the library or borrow from a friend. Save your money for more running shoes.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave good advice for whatever level of running you are. Gave suggestions on how to get involve and talked about the history of running. A "goodread"!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cliff's Notes to different opinions on running. Interesting but not as thorough as I'd have liked.