In Slow Burn, endurance master Stu Mittleman delivers a program for creating energy and increasing endurance so you can go the distance and feel great doing it every day, week, and year.
Change your workout, change your
Stu shares his proven formula for breaking down seemingly insurmountable goals into a series of manageable Learn to understand your body's signals and refocus your training so that the movement -- not the outcome -- is the Stu teaches you how to make nutritional choices that leave you energized -- not exhausted -- all day long.You really can accomplish more -- with less effort -- than you ever imagined. All you have to do is change your focus and you'll change your life. Let Slow Burn show you how to enjoy the journey and achieve the results.
STU MITTLEMAN is a world record-setting endurance athlete, sought-after fitness coach, corporate spokesperson, and motivational speaker. With degrees in Sociology, Sports Psychology, and Exercise Physiology, Stu initially settled in to a career in higher education, teaching college in and about the New York Metropolitan area (Queens College, Baruch College, and William Paterson College). In 1982, after a successful 5-Year carrier as a college Instructor Stu and winning the US National 100-Mile Run Championship for the third consecutive time (setting an American record in each successive victory) Stu became the first National Spokesman for Gatorade Thirst quencher. With support from Gatorade and eventually NIKE Sports – Stu entered the most successful phase of his running and media career. From 1982 1986, Stu set five additional National records, most notably American records for the 100-Mile Run (12 hours 56 min), and the Six-Day Race (578 miles). In 1983, Stu successfully competed in the IronMan (Hawaii) World Triathlon Championships (73rd out of 1000) and the UltraMan (Double IronMan) World Triathlon Championships (2nd Place) in 1983. Stu’s carrier reached a peak in 1986 when he shattered Siegfried Bauers (New Zealand) record World Record in the 1,000 Mile-Run during the World-Championships in Queens, NY. Stu 11 Days 20 Hours performance broke Siegfrieds record by over 16 hours! Thanks to the backing of Gatorade and Nike and bolstered by his own competitive success, Stu’s media portfolio grew exponentially: He has appeared on ABC News’ Nightline, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, CBS Sports Saturday, the CBS Evening News, Good Day New York, ESPN, and CNN. Soon after the completion of his 1,000 Mile World Record Run, Stu put a hold on his competitive running career and started his fitness training business. By 1988, Stu had a huge following as a health and fitness coach, and opened up the Fitness Evaluation Center in downtown Manhattan. Soon, Stu’s evaluation and training methodologies became the talk of the town in New York City and eventually Stu’s operation moved into the first Equinox Sports Club, where he became Physiology Lab Director. At Equinox, Stu had the honor and pleasure of working with such notable celebrities as: actor Billy Baldwin, model Elle Macpherson, and the late great sports journalist Dick Schaap. During this period of time, Stu met the incredible Anthony Robbins.Stu and Tony instantly became friends and within months were working together at the newly designed Life Mastery University. As a faculty member and part of an elite coaching team at Anthony Robbins’ Mastery University beginning for 11 years (1991 2001), Stu was responsible for the physical testing and education of the tens of thousands of Life Mastery Participants over the next 11 years. Stu finally completed his book, Slow Burn (Harper Collins) in 2000. Slow Burn details specific training, food choice, and mind set strategies that maximize energy, performance, and the ability to remain alert, focused, and productive for extended periods of time. Stu’s book, in its second printing, extols the virtues of training ones body to burn fat, reducing acidity and toxicity within the body, and developing an empowering mind set for success. Stu did return to competitive running in 1994 and became the first and only American ever to win the prestigious 6-day race in La Rochelle, France. Six years later, in the summer of 2000, Stu decided to put his principles of endurance to the test, embarking on a 3,000-mile journey from San Diego to New York City. He finished in a remarkable 56 days! That’s more than two marathons a day for 56 consecutive days! His “Journey Across America” (See: www.journeyacrossamerica.com) raised hundreds of thousands of dollars on behalf of causes that promote fitness and health for America’s children.
It's a basic running books that tells you to run faster. I didn't make it through the rest of it. I am currently walking/running 3 miles 3x a week and was looking for something of use since it mentioned "slow burn" The title should be changed.
Stu Mittleman is a maniac. He’s an amazing guy. he is an ultramarathon runner, He also does crazy races where he will run for 6 days without stopping. Just running and running.
he ran across the United States from San Diego, California to New York City. Just to celebrate his birthday, he ran two marathons every day until he reached New York City.
So this book, Slow Burn, that Stu wrote is about energy and it’s about his system of training your body, of getting your body healthier, stronger and more energetic. And what’s interesting is that Stu has a very different approach than a lot of other fitness coaches.
“Life is a marathon, not a sprint. And you must prepare accordingly. Unlike sprinters who focus on how fast they can get to the finish line, endurance athletes have no finish line. There is only the present moment in which they must remain connected to their body, in tune with their every move. In a place that feels comfortable and productive and that they are able to maintain indefinitely. People today have challenges that are comparable to an endurance event that seemingly never ends. We have to get up earlier, work longer hours, and attempt to carve out high-quality family or personal time. Then we have to wake up the next day and do it again and again and again and again. To be productive in the long run of life, you have to pace yourself in order to feel strong, alert and energetic. With the right pace, with the right mindset, with the right diet, anything is possible, constant energy, feeling as strong at the end of the day as when you started and maintaining a consistently positive attitude. For most of my life I’ve been a professional endurance athlete. And now, like you, I am participating in the marathon of life. I still run every day. I manage a business. I raise a family with my wife. Running gives me the energy to do this. No matter what’s going on in my life, I run a couple of hours a day. Not because I think I have to, but because I am certain that when I am moving I feel great. I also know that after I run I will have even more energy for the rest of the day. I’ll be able to think more clearly. I’ll be able to concentrate better. I’ll feel more relaxed and at ease. When I’m in this state anything and everything is possible. The experience is magical. I consider it a gift, one that ignites my life’s mission, which is to get people to transform the movement into an act that is absolutely satisfying. I recognize that in order to receive the gift that running offers me, I have to commit some of my time. Yet in this instance, the relinquishing of my time actually creates more time. An hour set aside for generating reliable and everlasting energy frees up two to three or more hours in a day that might have otherwise had been allocated to sleep or rest. Suppose you could sleep less yet feel even more rested and alive. What would you do with the extra hours that suddenly appeared in your day?”
Stu Mittleman knows what he is talking about. As an endurance athlete and fitness coach he shares what he thinks is important and the result is a holistic view that includes mind and body. This makes it harder to simply read the book. You rather have to chew on the various pieces, digest them properly and finally let your own body decide what works for you. This is the main reason why I only give 3 stars because there are some gold nuggets here that are more than worth the price of the book.
The biggest finding for me were the cues that allow you to recognize how intense your running currently is. Everybody who has trained with a heartrate monitor knows that at times the heart rate goes up although your training feels easy, which brings a lot of doubts about things like "heart rate zones", lactate threshold and so on. If you listen to your body then there will be no doubts and it's pretty amazing how well the sensory cues are working.
Stu has also other cues like "the globe is moving under your feet" or "holding butterflies in your hands" and he brings awareness to your point of center. I like this much more than rigid instructions what to do and what not.
Nutrition is another big part of the book. I don't argue about it anymore, it's a complex topic and things that work for one group have the opposite or no effect on another. I have never heard of Peter J. D'Adamo and his GenoType Diet and will look at it next.
What I didn't like were all these client stories - there were too many. With a focus on mind and body you have to make your own experiences and learn to read your own body signs.
Read the book if you want new impulses to stimulate your mind, or if you need a boost in motivation. If you are more interested in the technical details then I recommend Build Your Running Body and Runner's World Your Best Stride instead.
The part about running mindset. How to tackle a long run, pace, and how to use metaphors to check all your systems (so to speak) was useful enough to get my moneys worth.
The rest unfortunately was very new age, going into blood type based diets, muscle testing and left me with a bit of a bitter aftertaste.
Quickly re-read. Great book focussing on improving health by running and cutting out sugar, using low heart rate training. Based on another of my favourites Phil Maffetone. Remember my sports chiropractor using muscle testing some years ago as used in the book. Recommend to anyone wanting to improve their health and get their mojo back.
Though there are some good points in the book, Mittleman comes off as a zealot and a braggart. I especially like when he says, "You don't have to move very fast, I relax by doing 7-minute miles." Shut up!
Great book! It helped me break through some walls I kept hitting with my running. Plus, the nutritional advice was spot on with regards to the results.
I picked up this book awhile ago, probably from a big library sale. I have been looking to improve my jogging and I saw the book peaking out of my overflowing On Deck circle. The book is 25 years old and it still has some good tidbits. Some parts I do not agree with, some I used to adjust my jogging technique with very positive results. I see the book as one to find tips, but to think through everything in there with regards to yourself.
The stories the author has of his extreme endurance running are interesting and a bit nuts. I've met those who do 100 miles in 24 hours in the mountains and other races of such distances. But this guy, 1000 miles in 11 days, or more than 500 miles in 6 days. Wow! Just don't do what he did & run the Boston Marathon on a sprained ankle using ice in his socks. That is a serious way to ruin your ankle.
The sections about his clients and their awakenings, not that interesting and felt like a bit of filler. Or the part where he's whining internally about wanting to go running, but has to watch his kids. That shouldn't be a debate, but we get to see that internal struggle.
The parts I used: Arms in a bit more and hands a bit higher. This tweak made a big difference, as I had my hands down a bit more. Running increases energy, not reduces. To me, this is partly a mental game, where instead of looking at jogging as a drain, it is a generator. Taking that thought & reevaluating my heart rate zone for fat, I've greatly improved my treadmill jogging. I used to do 30 minutes & felt a bit drained. With the tweaks, 50 minutes and feel great.
The parts I highly disagreed with: Foot strike location & shoes. 11 years ago I took a barefoot walking class from someone who has a kinesiology degree and was certified to take us heal strikers and make us better. With heal striking, walking or jogging, I always had an issue with my hip. I did the training and switched to zero drop shoes, now I strike with the ball of my foot, walking or jogging. My jogging shoes are the same as my everyday walking shoes (Soft Star is the best!). No cushion, no support. Super wide toe box (which is something the author seemed to struggle fining in 2000). My knees don't hurt & my hip is smooth. Plus my back is much better. These days I see heal strikers and wonder what is that doing to your knees and hips.
The food portion I mostly knew, though he talks more about base & acid, with an avoidance of acidic foods. Some of the nutritional advice would be contested these days, as the science has advanced more in 25 years.
I think the book can help people improve their running technique and make it easier on themselves overall while feeling great. Just don't try to do everything the author says without relating it to yourself, as everyone is different. Do check out zero drop shoes and barefoot walking, as it'll improve your health & coordination.
while the basic premise of this book - the fat burning vs sugar burning exercise in this book is awesome. the diet and nutrition part is not. the whole alkalinity thing is very controversial in nature and even though Tony Robbins is a big promoter of alkalinity diet, there is no scientific or any methodical proof of certain foods having your body be more alkaline or less alkaline. Body's internal system is so good at regulating it, that many "experts" all over claim that foods really don't affect your alkalinity. there are people who eat a lot of meat and some people eat no meat or "other acidic" foods and still maintain cancer free environment and high energy levels at all time. what also made me "disqualify" this author of credibility is that on page 255 of book where he lists alkaline foods he says brazil nuts are alkaline, and then on page 269 it reads brazil nuts are most Acid producing nuts- so which one is it??? (I dont have book in front of me, i might be wrong on actual pages, but there were these gray tables with foods listed) anyway - even though information here on exercise and fat burning is valuable. It was a one time thing this author has produced and has not elaborated on anything further. if you want an extension of this strategy and WAY more information on diet that goes along with this kind of fat burning training and lifestyle - check out primal blue print by mark sisson- his book is based on stu's principles, but goes way more in depth at creating a life style of burning fat and having great diet to support it on daily basis with recipes and all
Stu Mittleman is an amazing athlete, if I had the chance to hire him as my coach I would. I like his approach to running. He has good formulas to determine your correct heart rate zones. Most of his nutrition advice is sound. I’m not sure I got much new information from this book, I think I’m going to read more about the Maffeton method next. I trying to find a book that goes a step further after you determine your training zone.
I enjoyed this alternate perspective on endurance running. I appreciated the approach that running should be enjoyable, and not something that has to be difficult and that you have to convince yourself to make it through. Your goals don’t have to be to run a certain distance and, “now what?” You should enjoy the process.
There was a lot of alternative medicine in this book, though, that I will not be implementing. I’m running 5Ks right now. Maybe if I make ultramarathons a goal, I’ll consider coming back to his training methods? Also probably not 😂
Interesting to a point. Then too repetitive uninspiring
I found out some new things. However the book stalls seriously and what really matters may be crammed in one page. Too much nutrition facts, controversial theories detailed at length. Almost zero adventure and too little fun.
The parts about running and the philosophy of running are good and fascinating. But the writing style in the nutrition chapters quickly rings the crackpot alarm. Non-mainstream theories espoused by a single doctor somewhere? Not for me, thanks.
Great read for every endurance athlete. I value his information on training at HR zones, mindset, and making running fun. His fat burning advice is good as well but the nutrition aspect was not for me as he pushes a Mediterranean style diet and disses meat way too much.
5 stars for being so inspiring and ahead of his time. Mittleman uses his decades of elite experience and research to provide a phenomenal book on endurance, health, and diet.
I got a lot out of this book. It details the Low Heart Rate training program make popular by Dr Phillip Maffetone in "The Maffetone Method", but Mittleman takes this program a step further and gives practical ideas how to incorporate this program into your life. He dedicates sections to training your mind, your body, and your diet to have as much energy as you need.
The nutrition recommendations are pretty severe (no sugar at all!!) but I have little doubt that they would be effective. I'm not ready to adopt all of the proscribed maxims in my diet, but I will cut and paste various ideas to improve my diet. I got the most out of the section detailing training your body for long-distance events. I have adopted his low HR training method into my training regime and have enjoyed results so far.
I would recommend this to anyone who is frustrated with their current exercise program, injured, burned out, or wants to start losing weight.
This is the most comprehensive book on running I've ever read. It walks you through all aspects of a running regimen, from posture to the mental game to nutrition, with particular emphasis on paying attention to your heart rate, and training in the key zone which will train your body to burn fat for energy (as opposed to sugar). Turns out that in many cases you will burn more fat by running slower than faster. The author has set Ultra records at some incredible distances, like 100 and 1000 miles, so it would seem he knows a thing or two about running. I like his holistic mind-body approach to running, and he includes some very practical nutrition advice in the later chapters. Some topics might be a bit advanced for the casual weekend jogger, but if you are looking to take your running game to the next level, I highly recommend this book.
This book offers something beyond just cut and dry training advice; it dives deep into the mental state of running and gives the reader a path to enjoy and love exercise. Two thirds of this book are fantastic, while the final third, related to diet, misses the mark. For the best in diet advice read The Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall and adopt a high carb low fat plant based lifestyle!
Although I am not using Stu's info for competing in 1/2 marathons or more, it has helped me begin running intervals again, which was a no-no for me after injuring my back in a cycling accident last year. This is a huge accomplishment as I was feeling down about my recent weight gain. I feel in-control again. Thank you Stu !
I found the concept of staying in a fat-burning zone versus a sugar-burning zone very enlightening and have incorporated Stu's methods in my running. I am still fine-tuning it, but I am noticing that I enjoy my runs more than I used to.
The biggest thing I got out of this book was a better understanding of how to use a heart rate monitor to run slower. Other than that, it backed up some other things I have been reading about cutting things out of my diet like sugar and an overabundance of carbs.
This book helped shape my training around 2008z very helpful and although not a Christian book, it helped shape my Biblical view on running and training.
This book transformed the way I view running. It has made a profound difference in the way I mentally approach the movement. I appreciate the principled approach that parallels life in general.
The author willingly shared his poor training habits. I think that helped tremendously in illustrating how working harder is not neccessarily the best way to acheive your running goal.