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RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel
Most serious runners don't realize their potential. They simply stop getting faster and don't understand why. The reason is most runners are unable to run by feel. The best elite runners have learned that the key to faster running is to hear what their bodies are telling them. Drawing on new research on endurance sports, best-selling author Matt Fitzgerald explores the practices of elite runners to explain why their techniques can be effective for all runners. The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel will help runners reach their full potential by teaching them how to train in the most personalized and adaptable way. Fitzgerald's mind-body method will revolutionize how runners think about training, their personal limits, and their potential. RUN explains how to interpret emotional and physical messages like confidence, enjoyment, fatigue, suffering, and aches and pains. RUN guides readers toward the optimal balance of intensity and enjoyment, volume and recovery, repetition and variation. As the miles add up, runners will become increasingly confident that they are doing the right training on the right day, from one season to the next. RUN marks the start of a better way to train. The culmination of science and personal experience, the mind-body method of running by feel will lead runners to faster, more enjoyable training and racing.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 6, 2012
It's rare that a running guide does not contain any training schedules for the 5k, 10k, marathon, etc. Rarer still is a running guide that makes reference along the way to Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Spinoza. But both of these are characteristics of this book by Matt Fitzgerald, who also wrote BRAIN TRAINING FOR RUNNERS among other books.
RUN is in some ways a continuation of BRAIN TRAINING, though to some extent it's a repudiation of the earlier book. BRAIN TRAINING, whose premise is "running starts and ends in the brain," contains a chapter early on about brain anatomy and related concepts--cognition, motor output, attentional focus, metabolic regulation (drowsy yet?)--but the bulk of its 550+ pages are taken up by multi-week training plans for the standard race distances for different levels of runners. It also contains pages of cross-training exercises and suggestions for technique drills. I can't say I got much of anything in regard to running out of the discussion about neurons, synapses, and other remnants of high-school biology, but I felt the collection of plans, exercises, and drills was a great resource.
RUN, on the other hand, while still maintaining that "the brain is the seat of all our possibilities and limitations as runners," doesn't bother much with anatomy. Recent brain research, Fitzgerald says, "suggests that the best possible way to improve over the long term is to run almost completely by feel because our perceptions, intuitions, and feelings...tell us everything we need to know about how to run faster and farther...." In other words, mindfulness in training--keeping plans flexible, based on the mental/physical state at the time the workout starts (or even as the workout unfolds)--is stressed over adherence to plans like the ones detailed in BRAIN TRAINING. Ultimately, Fitzgerald asserts, "the more you enjoy your running, the better you will run."
However one may feel about all that, there are some other aspects of the book that are definitely intriguing. There's a chapter about the role of fear in running--fear of failure or humiliation or the pain that attends all-out effort--that is unlike anything I've read before (it's in this chapter that the abovementioned philosophers make cameo appearances). And for the overwhelming majority of runners who have suffered injury of some kind there's a chapter called "The Gift of Injury"--this in contrast to how running injuries are typically addressed (RICE, the 10% rule, the standard stretches, etc). A bonus is a discussion about linear (Lydiard-like) vs non-linear (multipace) training systems that is sure to please the ultimate running geek.
There's quite a lot to like here, actually, whether or not one believes (or cares) that the brain is pulling the strings or vice versa.
RUN is in some ways a continuation of BRAIN TRAINING, though to some extent it's a repudiation of the earlier book. BRAIN TRAINING, whose premise is "running starts and ends in the brain," contains a chapter early on about brain anatomy and related concepts--cognition, motor output, attentional focus, metabolic regulation (drowsy yet?)--but the bulk of its 550+ pages are taken up by multi-week training plans for the standard race distances for different levels of runners. It also contains pages of cross-training exercises and suggestions for technique drills. I can't say I got much of anything in regard to running out of the discussion about neurons, synapses, and other remnants of high-school biology, but I felt the collection of plans, exercises, and drills was a great resource.
RUN, on the other hand, while still maintaining that "the brain is the seat of all our possibilities and limitations as runners," doesn't bother much with anatomy. Recent brain research, Fitzgerald says, "suggests that the best possible way to improve over the long term is to run almost completely by feel because our perceptions, intuitions, and feelings...tell us everything we need to know about how to run faster and farther...." In other words, mindfulness in training--keeping plans flexible, based on the mental/physical state at the time the workout starts (or even as the workout unfolds)--is stressed over adherence to plans like the ones detailed in BRAIN TRAINING. Ultimately, Fitzgerald asserts, "the more you enjoy your running, the better you will run."
However one may feel about all that, there are some other aspects of the book that are definitely intriguing. There's a chapter about the role of fear in running--fear of failure or humiliation or the pain that attends all-out effort--that is unlike anything I've read before (it's in this chapter that the abovementioned philosophers make cameo appearances). And for the overwhelming majority of runners who have suffered injury of some kind there's a chapter called "The Gift of Injury"--this in contrast to how running injuries are typically addressed (RICE, the 10% rule, the standard stretches, etc). A bonus is a discussion about linear (Lydiard-like) vs non-linear (multipace) training systems that is sure to please the ultimate running geek.
There's quite a lot to like here, actually, whether or not one believes (or cares) that the brain is pulling the strings or vice versa.
June 21, 2013
One of the best books on running I have ever read.
First of all let me start by getting something out of the way. If you are looking for a book that tells you to just go out and run at whatever pace you feel like without pushing yourself and that you will be a superstar doing that, this is not it. Actually, any book that would claim that to be the recipe for success would be worthless.
What this book does do is give you insights as to how to listen to your body and use that when determining adjustments needed to your training plan. Of course, the more experienced you are, the more you will understand about your state and the more you will be able to adjust. Before reading this book, I used to do this sometimes. For example, I would start my warm-up and feel so good that instead of doing an easy run that day I would go for a tempo run. Or I would have a speed workout scheduled but felt sore and switched it for an easy run. I used to feel guilty about some of these changes, but this book showed me that I was following the right strategy.
There is a section that deals with the power of the mind and how to overcome situations that are tough, which I found particularly enlightening. As a matter of fact, a few days after reading that section I was racing a print triathlon, I went out hard in the swim and hammered the bike. When I went on the run, the first mile and a half of the 5k was on loose sand. My legs felt like bricks and I was doubting if I was able to finish the run without walking. Then I remembered what I read and I switched my mindset. I accepted it was going to be uncomfortable, but I was just going to keep repeating the motion until the race was over and I kind of turned my mind off. This worked wonders, I kept a nice even pace and then when I reached the second half of the run on asphalt I sped up and finished strong.
Many topics are covered in this book:
-Listening to your body and using that information to find your optimal training formula
-How much repetition to include in your training (cycles vs. intra-week)
-How to build your capacity to suffer
-Accepting injury and learning from it
-Using fear as motivation
There is also a section on strength training, which is the only one I really did not pay much attention to. However, he recommends yoga, which I had already incorporated as part of my training.
Overall, this is a gem of a book that can help runners of all levels with many different aspects of their running. You will not regret reading this.
First of all let me start by getting something out of the way. If you are looking for a book that tells you to just go out and run at whatever pace you feel like without pushing yourself and that you will be a superstar doing that, this is not it. Actually, any book that would claim that to be the recipe for success would be worthless.
What this book does do is give you insights as to how to listen to your body and use that when determining adjustments needed to your training plan. Of course, the more experienced you are, the more you will understand about your state and the more you will be able to adjust. Before reading this book, I used to do this sometimes. For example, I would start my warm-up and feel so good that instead of doing an easy run that day I would go for a tempo run. Or I would have a speed workout scheduled but felt sore and switched it for an easy run. I used to feel guilty about some of these changes, but this book showed me that I was following the right strategy.
There is a section that deals with the power of the mind and how to overcome situations that are tough, which I found particularly enlightening. As a matter of fact, a few days after reading that section I was racing a print triathlon, I went out hard in the swim and hammered the bike. When I went on the run, the first mile and a half of the 5k was on loose sand. My legs felt like bricks and I was doubting if I was able to finish the run without walking. Then I remembered what I read and I switched my mindset. I accepted it was going to be uncomfortable, but I was just going to keep repeating the motion until the race was over and I kind of turned my mind off. This worked wonders, I kept a nice even pace and then when I reached the second half of the run on asphalt I sped up and finished strong.
Many topics are covered in this book:
-Listening to your body and using that information to find your optimal training formula
-How much repetition to include in your training (cycles vs. intra-week)
-How to build your capacity to suffer
-Accepting injury and learning from it
-Using fear as motivation
There is also a section on strength training, which is the only one I really did not pay much attention to. However, he recommends yoga, which I had already incorporated as part of my training.
Overall, this is a gem of a book that can help runners of all levels with many different aspects of their running. You will not regret reading this.
October 8, 2010
My favorite tips from Matt Fitzgerald's book Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running By Feel:
Focus on the good, like your great pace and how this is where you want to be, when running is hard.
The capacity to tolerate suffering is trainable.
After each key workout and race, ask yourself whether you held back at any point to spare yourself from suffering. If you did, vow to do better next time.
Consciously try to beat your recent times throughout the training process, and include plenty of repetition within your key workout progression to facilitate this self-competive approach to training.
Stride rate increases naturally and unconsciously as fitness increases.
Run on a soft surface.
Run quietly for lower impact running.
Run in the lowest and lightest heel that you find comfortable.
Injured? Time is the best healer, but try anything and everything, maybe even a short run. It worked for Matt.
With some injuries, you might try walking on the treadmill at 12-15% incline at 4mph to maintain fitness.
Focus on the good, like your great pace and how this is where you want to be, when running is hard.
The capacity to tolerate suffering is trainable.
After each key workout and race, ask yourself whether you held back at any point to spare yourself from suffering. If you did, vow to do better next time.
Consciously try to beat your recent times throughout the training process, and include plenty of repetition within your key workout progression to facilitate this self-competive approach to training.
Stride rate increases naturally and unconsciously as fitness increases.
Run on a soft surface.
Run quietly for lower impact running.
Run in the lowest and lightest heel that you find comfortable.
Injured? Time is the best healer, but try anything and everything, maybe even a short run. It worked for Matt.
With some injuries, you might try walking on the treadmill at 12-15% incline at 4mph to maintain fitness.
September 6, 2011
I am loving this book. Fitzgerald writes about running with so much humility and grace. I read a chapter and feel an urge to run. It's wonderful!
EXCELLENT!
Attention, Crossfit, devotees, there is a section in here for you!
EXCELLENT!
Attention, Crossfit, devotees, there is a section in here for you!
February 26, 2011
This was a great book with good information as to how to go about running by feel. The subject is covered in a very thoughtful and persuasive way. The book feels grounded and not to 'touchy feely'. Not only are the authors personal experiences used to illustrate his points but he also uses scientific data to back them up. I would highly recommend this to all runners of all experience levels.
For a more detailed review check out my blog Running and Other Things
For a more detailed review check out my blog Running and Other Things
August 8, 2018
Really practical training advice, whether you’re a novice or advanced runner. I’ve been running competitively for over a decade and still found so many really helpful pointers for tuning into your body to hone in on your training and get faster. I’m a solid proponent that every body and mind is different, so we should approach training differently and through listening to our bodies. This book helps guide a runner through that calibration process while emphasizing maximum enjoyment all the while.
October 13, 2021
A possible disclaimer about this book is it is kind of oriented towards runners who are training, however it is still a very good read for entertainment IF you are interested in exercise science/phenomenon of the human body type stuff. Case in point, I got pretty into running over the quarantine when I had to find alternate ways to exercise outside and began to enjoy the hobby, since then I have balanced out to nothing more than the casual 2-mile distance jogger every once in awhile, yet this book was still pretty interesting because of the stories that were put into it. It also provides reference for times at which I would need tips for better running (and also yoga I learned at the end) in the future. The philosophy of the author of being realistic about the difficult routines runners have to do to achieve their goals, versus sugar coating the material to say that any easy process will get you to where you want to be while still being positive about it, was something that resonated with me.
February 15, 2021
This book explains how a mind-body method of running should work. Packed with examples and simple rules to follow, the author explains that (if you have running experience) it is better to follow your body and mind while training instead of following a running schema to the letter. The mind-boy method is all about building confidence and belief in your ability and training system. The book does not explain what to do specifically but explains how to find out how to structure a training plan.
I like reading books like this because it provides more context on how to train but primarily motivates me to run. The combination of stories, simple tips, and scientific explanations makes this book a fun read.
I like reading books like this because it provides more context on how to train but primarily motivates me to run. The combination of stories, simple tips, and scientific explanations makes this book a fun read.
December 8, 2019
This book has been my companion for weeks. I found it challenging to read large stretches at a time, but always worthwhile. After getting it from the library and unable to finish before my renewals ran out, I purchased my own copy. I am so glad that I did.
Quite simply the most compelling guidebook and thoughtful resource that I have across as a new runner. After reading numerous Runner's World and Men's Health and other introductory books, not to mention biographies of coaches, and memoirs, this little book has given me more to think about as a runner and as an adult than anything else I have found.
Highest recommendation for runners looking for wisdom to become their most successful.
Quite simply the most compelling guidebook and thoughtful resource that I have across as a new runner. After reading numerous Runner's World and Men's Health and other introductory books, not to mention biographies of coaches, and memoirs, this little book has given me more to think about as a runner and as an adult than anything else I have found.
Highest recommendation for runners looking for wisdom to become their most successful.
April 29, 2025
This was a reread. I first read about 10 years ago, at a much different time of my running life. The first read definitely gave me insight into the power of the mind-body connection with running (and movement in general). This time around, I gained a lot more appreciation for the application of these principles for training, both daily and race-specific. Some of the names referenced may make this feel a little outdated to some, but overall, I would say the ethos of the book holds up.
October 1, 2019
Between 3 and 4 (3 I liked, 4 I'd recommend). I just got weighed down by the endless examples and explanations. Overall it was helpful to change some ideas I had (ie beliefs I was glued to) and challenge me to continue to learn about this sport.
October 15, 2019
This book is challenging and motivating. Fitzgerald writes in a clear and engaging manner, and the way he thinks about running is far more sensible and nuanced than most fitness "experts" out there. This one's going to be a go-to training reference.
July 21, 2020
Se requiere bastante experiencia y haber pasado por muchos entrenamientos para aplicar el método expuesto en el libro: entrenamiento por sensaciones o basado en la improvisación, el arte de escuchar al cuerpo, en contraposición a la ciencia o datos que arrojan los 'smartwatch' y apps de fitness.
August 17, 2017
Very inspiring and motivating. Lots of practical techniques, both mental and physical, to work on!
March 30, 2018
Interesting, but the book is clearly aimed at only the fastest among us. All the examples given involve speeds of high-level male runners. Oh well.
January 29, 2019
Generally, interesting ideas presented here. Bogged down a bit in a couple sections. But, overall, I'm glad to read it.
March 15, 2020
Really enjoyed this, definitely inspired me to be more intuitive and less rigid with my training in future!
Read
February 18, 2025Interesante probar a correr por sensaciones en esta época de garmins y exceso de datos
August 10, 2025
Solo corre y siente el dolor.
November 21, 2019
Great book.
If you are tun or do some other sport then this is a book for you.
I learn a lots from this book.
It make me understand the mind and the body process in a training for a marathon and the connection between them.
It is written in a very simple and understanding language.
If you are tun or do some other sport then this is a book for you.
I learn a lots from this book.
It make me understand the mind and the body process in a training for a marathon and the connection between them.
It is written in a very simple and understanding language.
December 13, 2012
The book, "Run: The Mind Body Method of Running by Feel" provides experienced athletes with a thoughtful, unique approach to training for endurance events with a method that combines recent scientific studies on athletic performance, proven training principles and `gut feel'. Though the book focuses on running, the concepts are applicable to endurance events in general. Author Matt Fitzgerald is not new to coaching; he is a professional coach, experienced endurance athlete and author of several sports training book including, "Triathlete Magazine's Complete Triathlon Book". For this reason alone I classify this book as groundbreaking. Why? Fitzgerald challenges the status-quo, the timeless and traditional methods of training by suggesting that athletes might perform far better by manipulating their training and relying upon their experience and `hunches' rather than on a set or rigid training program from a book, website or coach. Fitzgerald says, "Develop your own optimal training formula. Each runner is genetically unique, and the only way to find optimal training is through mindful, ongoing experimentation" (p 71).
The strength of this book is the meticulous way Fitzgerald explores how the mind-body method works, the `why' behind it with practical strategies that athletes can use. The science behind this approach includes studies which link athlete thought patterns during athletic performance to results, for example Matt says, "Constantly monitor pace and time in pursuit of workout goals. Doing so will enable your brain to tolerate a greater affective load" (p 112).
Make no mistake the mind-body method does not mean training with `no plan', but quite the opposite. Fitzgerald gives several specific details on types of workouts to incorporate with suggestions for customization based on an athlete's individuality, resulting in a sophisticated training regime. Fitzgerald classifies runners into 4 types, which appear to categorize virtually all runners, for example Type 1 is: Responds to high-intensity training slowly but burns out quickly (one which I fall into unfortunately). The Gift of Injury chapter is another high point in the book. Fitzgerald discusses how to use an injury to examine training practices step-by-step and turn the injury into an opportunity to take running to a new level (p 204).
The one criticism I have of the book is the relentless manner in which Fitzgerald approaches training and workouts that leaves little room for the sheer enjoyment of training. Though he does allude to the need for fun, " Don't ever train so hard that running is no longer fun....balance out the very hard ones, increasing your capacity for both work and suffering" (p 116). Fitzgerald hits home hard the need to maximize every workout, seek constant improvement (even if small) and measure the `suffer' factor, "...ask yourself whether you held back at any point to spare yourself from suffering, If you did vow to do better next time" (p 113).
All in all this book is an excellent resource for experienced endurance athletes, `experienced' meaning athletes who have followed a training plan for at least one endurance event. There is enough `meat' in the book to call it a training guide, and enough depth to provide guidance for runners and triathletes alike. The caveat is that recreational athletes, even experienced ones, need to take Matt's advice with a grain of salt. Personally I don't find suffering fun, and training to suffer on a consistent basis is not my goal, but I do believe that the mind-body method is the optimal method for performing to your potential and reaching your goals whatever those might be.
The strength of this book is the meticulous way Fitzgerald explores how the mind-body method works, the `why' behind it with practical strategies that athletes can use. The science behind this approach includes studies which link athlete thought patterns during athletic performance to results, for example Matt says, "Constantly monitor pace and time in pursuit of workout goals. Doing so will enable your brain to tolerate a greater affective load" (p 112).
Make no mistake the mind-body method does not mean training with `no plan', but quite the opposite. Fitzgerald gives several specific details on types of workouts to incorporate with suggestions for customization based on an athlete's individuality, resulting in a sophisticated training regime. Fitzgerald classifies runners into 4 types, which appear to categorize virtually all runners, for example Type 1 is: Responds to high-intensity training slowly but burns out quickly (one which I fall into unfortunately). The Gift of Injury chapter is another high point in the book. Fitzgerald discusses how to use an injury to examine training practices step-by-step and turn the injury into an opportunity to take running to a new level (p 204).
The one criticism I have of the book is the relentless manner in which Fitzgerald approaches training and workouts that leaves little room for the sheer enjoyment of training. Though he does allude to the need for fun, " Don't ever train so hard that running is no longer fun....balance out the very hard ones, increasing your capacity for both work and suffering" (p 116). Fitzgerald hits home hard the need to maximize every workout, seek constant improvement (even if small) and measure the `suffer' factor, "...ask yourself whether you held back at any point to spare yourself from suffering, If you did vow to do better next time" (p 113).
All in all this book is an excellent resource for experienced endurance athletes, `experienced' meaning athletes who have followed a training plan for at least one endurance event. There is enough `meat' in the book to call it a training guide, and enough depth to provide guidance for runners and triathletes alike. The caveat is that recreational athletes, even experienced ones, need to take Matt's advice with a grain of salt. Personally I don't find suffering fun, and training to suffer on a consistent basis is not my goal, but I do believe that the mind-body method is the optimal method for performing to your potential and reaching your goals whatever those might be.
August 9, 2012
interesting treatise on his advocacy of more intuitive approach to training, as opposed to following pre-scheduled workout plans. Applies this concept to a number of areas - what workouts to do on what days, trying to perfect your stride by focusing on "running beautifully" rather than doing form drills, working with and learning from your anxiety or anger rather than trying to use techniques to quell them, etc. etc.
He never uses the term "central governor" for some reason, but point of departure seems to be this model implicating your brain's anticipatory regulation of fatigue as rate-limiting step in running performance, rather than any objective physio indicator such as oxygen transport, lactate buildup, etc. Confirmed in studies showing things like max power output increases if you are told to cycle your hardest for a short, known length of time (e.g., 5 seconds) after you have exercised to failure, and confirmed intuitively by anyone's observation of the finish of any race -- check the competitive guy who busts into a sprint when someone tries to pass him near the end, after he'd been shuffling along in a death-warmed-over state moments before.
Fortunately for those of us who hate change, most of what he recommends doing in order to up-regulate your anticipation of fatigue is the same stuff you'd do to get fitter -- plan a training cycle to peak in time for your goal race; gradual, nonlinear progression of workouts; multipace training within a week or other microcycle period; stress and recovery format; as much volume as you can managed uninjured.......
And the whole "by feel" thing is sort of undermined for me by his emphasis on repetition within variation and fatigue exposure. that is, if you're committing to do a long run every sunday, tempo on tuesday and vo2max intervals friday, with 1 to 2 easy runs other days, gradually progressing the mileage higher and higher, I'm not that blown away by the fact that you didn't script this coming tuesday's tempo run EXACTLY a month in advance.
Anecdotes are also quite unconvincing -- "Dathan Ritzenhein used intuition to solve the problem of his disappointing performances at the marathon distance" (p. 35)......except that he continues through 2012 olympic trials 4th place to show that his marathon performances are disappointing relative to his shorter race times (incl. making Olympic team in the 10,000 meters 2012).
"While you will not be so fortunate as to have Alberto Salazar as a coach, you can learn to trust yourself as much as Kara Goucher trusts him" [or at least I can trust myself as much as she used to trust him before leaving him to be coached by Jerry Schumacher].
--criticizes Brian Sell's seemingly joyless approach to training. Don't want to overdo the "blue collar" shtick that sometimes surrounds Sell, but come on.......Sell was marginally better than me through age 18 and became an Olympian. If he's burned out now and not looking forward to age group competition as a sub-master, so be it.
Anyway, I'm not convinced this is a completely different and better way to train, but he does have some insightful discussion and I enjoyed reading his thoughts.
He never uses the term "central governor" for some reason, but point of departure seems to be this model implicating your brain's anticipatory regulation of fatigue as rate-limiting step in running performance, rather than any objective physio indicator such as oxygen transport, lactate buildup, etc. Confirmed in studies showing things like max power output increases if you are told to cycle your hardest for a short, known length of time (e.g., 5 seconds) after you have exercised to failure, and confirmed intuitively by anyone's observation of the finish of any race -- check the competitive guy who busts into a sprint when someone tries to pass him near the end, after he'd been shuffling along in a death-warmed-over state moments before.
Fortunately for those of us who hate change, most of what he recommends doing in order to up-regulate your anticipation of fatigue is the same stuff you'd do to get fitter -- plan a training cycle to peak in time for your goal race; gradual, nonlinear progression of workouts; multipace training within a week or other microcycle period; stress and recovery format; as much volume as you can managed uninjured.......
And the whole "by feel" thing is sort of undermined for me by his emphasis on repetition within variation and fatigue exposure. that is, if you're committing to do a long run every sunday, tempo on tuesday and vo2max intervals friday, with 1 to 2 easy runs other days, gradually progressing the mileage higher and higher, I'm not that blown away by the fact that you didn't script this coming tuesday's tempo run EXACTLY a month in advance.
Anecdotes are also quite unconvincing -- "Dathan Ritzenhein used intuition to solve the problem of his disappointing performances at the marathon distance" (p. 35)......except that he continues through 2012 olympic trials 4th place to show that his marathon performances are disappointing relative to his shorter race times (incl. making Olympic team in the 10,000 meters 2012).
"While you will not be so fortunate as to have Alberto Salazar as a coach, you can learn to trust yourself as much as Kara Goucher trusts him" [or at least I can trust myself as much as she used to trust him before leaving him to be coached by Jerry Schumacher].
--criticizes Brian Sell's seemingly joyless approach to training. Don't want to overdo the "blue collar" shtick that sometimes surrounds Sell, but come on.......Sell was marginally better than me through age 18 and became an Olympian. If he's burned out now and not looking forward to age group competition as a sub-master, so be it.
Anyway, I'm not convinced this is a completely different and better way to train, but he does have some insightful discussion and I enjoyed reading his thoughts.
August 2, 2016
Currently reading through this book, and I've found myself questioning some elements before making my mind up on them. With hindsight this can only be a good thing and in fact the book has so far been a most useful one to read, giving me pages of notes to consider whilst I put my own training plan together for next year.
Run is not a simple book, it covers a large range of material and requires attention to its considerable range of topics. This is only for the best however, given the quantity of useful information contained herein.
Update to my previous review.
Having now read the book in full, and with my own personal coaching experience, I can say that Run is certainly a worthwhile addition to any runners arsenal of training books. It pushes into the mental side of training and also, importantly, covers something which runners might not always be: Flexible in how they approach their training.
I think this is especially useful where injury is concerned.
A great book, by an accomplished author.
Run is not a simple book, it covers a large range of material and requires attention to its considerable range of topics. This is only for the best however, given the quantity of useful information contained herein.
Update to my previous review.
Having now read the book in full, and with my own personal coaching experience, I can say that Run is certainly a worthwhile addition to any runners arsenal of training books. It pushes into the mental side of training and also, importantly, covers something which runners might not always be: Flexible in how they approach their training.
I think this is especially useful where injury is concerned.
A great book, by an accomplished author.
February 1, 2011
You always have to be cautious of "experts" who tell you that every book they've written prior to the one you're reading now is wrong and that they've changed their minds and believe now that "this"...THIS is the way to go about doing things now. That's how I first felt about Matt Fitzgerald's book, and I approached the material cautiously, keeping an open mind about the information provided.
It's a good book, there's a lot of stuff in there that's pretty inherent (like, if you're tired, don't run if you don't feel up to it); but there is also some useful information, too, about learning how to trust your instinct (and making sure that instinct isn't wrong); but just keep in mind that what's accurate today may not be accurate tomorrow. We'll see when the next book comes out!
It's a good book, there's a lot of stuff in there that's pretty inherent (like, if you're tired, don't run if you don't feel up to it); but there is also some useful information, too, about learning how to trust your instinct (and making sure that instinct isn't wrong); but just keep in mind that what's accurate today may not be accurate tomorrow. We'll see when the next book comes out!
March 5, 2016
Easily one of the best written books on running that I have read. The author explores the mental and emotional facets of running while still retaining the physiological elements. What Fitzgerald does is define a way to individualize training, for yourself or for an athlete you coach. A lot of other coaches will espouse this idea but not explain the parameters of individualized training. Fitzgerald does exactly that. He draws from both peer reviewed studies and anecdotes from elite runners to make his case. This is a book I will refer to again and again to keep my running on a path of continuous improvement. Although I would not recommend this for a beginner, this is a book that every experienced runner should read and have on their shelves.
March 28, 2014
I'd recommend this book to anyone who has completed at least two marathon (or half marathon) training cycles and who wants to improve. For me, this book was an extended exercise in validation as it basically supported how I train. As with most of his work Fitzgerald makes a lot of the science (and non-science) behind accepted (and criticized) training practices accessible to the reader. I'm not sure the last chapter which summarizes the book was needed, it's basically cliff's notes of the preceding 200pages.
October 4, 2014
I still had a few pages to go actually but the book was so good I had to give it to an athlete I coach because I kept thinking of her the whole way through. This book backs up what most good coaches and runners know: you have to listen to your body, but you also have to work hard. Knowing how to work hard but smart (not hammering on easy days for example) is a big challenge for runners. It is far to easy to fall prey to the numbers. I summarize this in my own little credo, with apologies to Michael Pollan: Run lots, mostly easy, rest up.
June 8, 2015
This book taught me to use my feelings to device my running schedule, also taught me not to be so hard on myself if I didn’t do what ever the training program says.
What I got from this book is that it’s ok to run less one day and run more another day even if it's not schedule to it.
I managed with the help with his book to recognise when I had enough and when I could give more.
A highly new concept that anyone that wants to get involve or is already a runner should read and also practise and experiment.
What I got from this book is that it’s ok to run less one day and run more another day even if it's not schedule to it.
I managed with the help with his book to recognise when I had enough and when I could give more.
A highly new concept that anyone that wants to get involve or is already a runner should read and also practise and experiment.
September 21, 2011
Nope, sorry, Mr Fitzgerald, but your book was not what I was looking for at this time. Maybe I'm currently overread on running books; maybe with all the reading I'm having to do at work, I just need something a little less dense and demanding (maybe it's that now that I'm researching an eBook, my non-fiction reading pile is filling up too quickly with other stuff I actually NEED to read)
Whatever the story, I'm afraid this one simply didn't draw me in. C'est la via, and on to the next
Whatever the story, I'm afraid this one simply didn't draw me in. C'est la via, and on to the next
June 11, 2015
A great book for seasoned runners. Matt is a serious and continual student of running. He works hard to keep up with all of the evolving science on the oldest sport. For that reason, I would recommend whatever his latest book is most to my fellow runners. However, this book might be most applicable to a runner whom finds himself stuck in a rut or losing enthusiasm for what they once loved. Based on Matt's belief, there is real hope for both simultaneously.
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