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Unbreakable Runner: Unleash the Power of Strength & Conditioning for a Lifetime of Running Strong
A New York Times Best Seller!
Men's Journal Health Book of the Year
In Unbreakable Runner, CrossFit Endurance founder Brian MacKenzie and journalist T.J. Murphy examine long-held beliefs about how to train, tearing down those traditions to reveal new principles for a lifetime of healthy, powerful running.
Unbreakable Runner challenges conventional training tenets such as high mileage and high-carb diets to show how reduced mileage and high-intensity training can make runners stronger, more durable athletes and prepare them for races of any distance.
Distance runners who want to invigorate their training, solve injuries, or break through a performance plateau can gain power and resilience from MacKenzie's effective blend of run training and whole-body strength and conditioning.
CrossFitters who want to conquer a marathon, half-marathon, or ultramarathon will find endurance training instruction with 8- to 12-week programs that combine CrossFitTM workouts with run-specific sessions.
Unbreakable Runner includes CrossFit-based training programs for race distances from 5K to ultramarathon for beginner, intermediate, and advanced runners. Build a better running body with this CrossFit Endurance-based approach to running training.
Men's Journal Health Book of the Year
In Unbreakable Runner, CrossFit Endurance founder Brian MacKenzie and journalist T.J. Murphy examine long-held beliefs about how to train, tearing down those traditions to reveal new principles for a lifetime of healthy, powerful running.
Unbreakable Runner challenges conventional training tenets such as high mileage and high-carb diets to show how reduced mileage and high-intensity training can make runners stronger, more durable athletes and prepare them for races of any distance.
Distance runners who want to invigorate their training, solve injuries, or break through a performance plateau can gain power and resilience from MacKenzie's effective blend of run training and whole-body strength and conditioning.
CrossFitters who want to conquer a marathon, half-marathon, or ultramarathon will find endurance training instruction with 8- to 12-week programs that combine CrossFitTM workouts with run-specific sessions.
Unbreakable Runner includes CrossFit-based training programs for race distances from 5K to ultramarathon for beginner, intermediate, and advanced runners. Build a better running body with this CrossFit Endurance-based approach to running training.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
127 people are currently reading
819 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 17, 2015
It's somewhat motivational, but if you're already a somewhat experienced runner, if you already do speed work, and particularly if you're already an experienced lifter or Crossfitter, don't waste your money. I personally don't think I learned anything from this book. There's certainly nothing in here that you couldn't learn for free on the internet. Additionally, while the claim is that this allows you to train for a marathon by running fewer "junk miles," the time commitment is at least the same, if not worse. The expectation is that you will progress to two-a-day training sessions which include CF workouts and speed work. Most people don't have that kind of time. Finally, the tips on form and the accompanying drills are vague. If form is a problem for you, this is not the book for you. You could probably find some better info for free on YouTube or spend a little cash on some sessions with a certified running coach. Then there's that Ultra Marathon plan that includes a 20 mile run as your longest training run. I would be reluctant to attempt a 50 miler with nothing longer than a 20 mile run in training.
March 11, 2020
A disappointing book. The part I liked most was about running form and goes hand in hand with the (superior) Runner's World Your Best Stride. Improved mobility and strength will support a more efficient running style, which will result in faster times.
It's a bit strange to think that you can drastically cut your weekly mileage and become a fast runner without running too much. The author gives Sebastian Coe as a prime example but forgets that Sebastian didn't count slow jogging when reporting his schedule. If you add all these slow miles then you will get a different picture. Everything has its place and my impression is that Murphy's approach is very imbalanced.
I give 2 stars for the drills. Borrow the book from your local library or read it in the bookshop.
It's a bit strange to think that you can drastically cut your weekly mileage and become a fast runner without running too much. The author gives Sebastian Coe as a prime example but forgets that Sebastian didn't count slow jogging when reporting his schedule. If you add all these slow miles then you will get a different picture. Everything has its place and my impression is that Murphy's approach is very imbalanced.
I give 2 stars for the drills. Borrow the book from your local library or read it in the bookshop.
April 17, 2015
The byline of Unbreakable Runner (T.J. Murphy and Brian MacKenzie) deceived me from the start. The book reads as though written entirely by Murphy, punctuated by references to what MacKenzie says and does for himself and the athletes he coaches. Given his experience as editor of Triathlon and Competitor magazines and author of Inside the Box, Murphy's writing abilities are up to the task, but an introductory text to Crossfit Endurance would seem more credible coming firsthand from its founder Mackenzie. Compared to MacKenzie's Power, Speed, Endurance, which offers a comprehensive guide to strength and conditioning for the endurance athlete, Unbreakable Runner deals mainly with the rationale for Mackenzie's innovative approach. Again, Murphy is not the best source to make these arguments, but the numerous studies cited in support of the book's claims lend them a great deal of credence . The training plans which comprise the second half of the book are fairly bare bones, which is understandable for a book which will be read by athletes with a variety of different goals and abilities. Far more illuminating is the highly detailed two week plan Mackenzie programmed for one of his own athletes, found in Appendix B. For those with experience in coaching and training, this plan can be adapted to fit an athlete's needs in a way that more closely parallels MacKenzie's philosophy. Read Unbreakable Runner for the source material and the training plan outlines; read Power, Speed, Endurance for a more complete picture of Crossfit Endurance and the technical aspects of this program.
February 7, 2015
Disappointing. So much of the book is spent in sales pitch mode, trying to scare the reader away from the horrors of long slow distance training. The authors should realize that, in purchasing the book, you've already bought into the idea of strength and conditioning on some level and don't really need to be convinced. 80 pages could've easily been stripped from the front of this book. More effort should have been spent providing training guidance and offering additional instruction. What little there is is already common knowledge for most long distance runners.
October 10, 2021
The book starts with describing three problems with the traditional way the long-distance runners workout: logging too many miles, improper running technique and poor eating habits. I really enjoyed that part and there is very little to disagree here. All those things are something that one has to address to be able to sustain ability to run for many years.
I have a lot of issues with the proposed solution though, as the solution to all three problems is apparently some vague notion of CrossFit. It seems that practicing CrossFit implies a good diet while all traditional runners are donut-eating idiots. Same goes for improving technique. Early chapters describe proper running technique in great detail only to be followed by a bag of random CrossFit exercises that done in any configuration will somehow lead to this perfect form.
Final chapter gives a set of workout programs in which all the running exercises are described in great detail (for example 4x200m sprints with 30 seconds of break in between) and the CrossFit days are labelled only with a single word: "CrossFit".
What is this with this lack of specificality? Does the author really believe that you can improve your running by doing a random selection of pushups, burpees and jumping jacks? Is it maybe trying to avoid responsibility if the detailed program would result in lack of progress or potential injury? Or maybe the author is incentivized by rounding as many people as possible to the CrossFit gyms?
I have a lot of issues with the proposed solution though, as the solution to all three problems is apparently some vague notion of CrossFit. It seems that practicing CrossFit implies a good diet while all traditional runners are donut-eating idiots. Same goes for improving technique. Early chapters describe proper running technique in great detail only to be followed by a bag of random CrossFit exercises that done in any configuration will somehow lead to this perfect form.
Final chapter gives a set of workout programs in which all the running exercises are described in great detail (for example 4x200m sprints with 30 seconds of break in between) and the CrossFit days are labelled only with a single word: "CrossFit".
What is this with this lack of specificality? Does the author really believe that you can improve your running by doing a random selection of pushups, burpees and jumping jacks? Is it maybe trying to avoid responsibility if the detailed program would result in lack of progress or potential injury? Or maybe the author is incentivized by rounding as many people as possible to the CrossFit gyms?
March 8, 2021
It is a very useful book for every perso, from newbie to experienced athlete. Depending on your knowledge you can move though the book according to your level when it comes to running or Crossfit. Do not consider this book as magical pill that make you to unbreakable runner overnight. THe information is given is somewhere basic, somewhere more complex - but still it is fine to remind oneself some facts. To more advanced athlets it may seem just like a starting guide, but I am sure anyone humble enough will find few interesting facts to learn about. Enjoy!
March 15, 2020
Good basic information. Half the book is informational, but it’s a little vague. The other half is training plans. I am just ending a training cycle right now, so I will come back to this book when I begin a new cycle.
January 20, 2020
Good intro to CFE, good workouts and sample plans. I have some work to do.
January 13, 2016
Decent insight for anyone who runs and is not familiar with CrossFit. The skills and drills integration was novel to me (at the levels MacKenzie prescribes) - his short-hand notation for workouts is still pretty frustrating (and not nearly as intuitive as other CF jargon). I'd give it a higher rating if that were more of a focus, but it seems almost purposefully obtuse (no master index, helpful reference sheet, just an almost throw-away "This will get easier as you get used to it.")
Other than that, decent read, worth it for anyone looking for a change in their racing or CF focus (and I believe it would make races like Ultras more safe).
Other than that, decent read, worth it for anyone looking for a change in their racing or CF focus (and I believe it would make races like Ultras more safe).
January 14, 2015
Good approach: Skills and strength-based running. Wrong elements: Pose (it may help some runners although you can still have bad tech and run perfect pose but it may also totally stuff your running up) and cross-fit (OK, I suppose, but I think drills and running strength exercises are better; after all, it's just circuit training).
Apart from that, a lot of hype in this book and not much substance. When reading it, I got quite carried away with the whole thing and nearly bought into it. In the end, though, I went looking elsewhere for more convincing answers.
Apart from that, a lot of hype in this book and not much substance. When reading it, I got quite carried away with the whole thing and nearly bought into it. In the end, though, I went looking elsewhere for more convincing answers.
August 12, 2015
Disappointing, basically the whole book seems to be an advertisement for CFE (CrossFit Endurance).
The premise being if I run less I'll get injured less. Well duh! Also, I run because I love to run, why would I run less?...
The premise being if I run less I'll get injured less. Well duh! Also, I run because I love to run, why would I run less?...
July 1, 2017
An infomercial grounded in pseudoscience- basically hell.
November 8, 2024
Oui je suis un grifter mais pas un grifter typical, je suis un grifter executif, un grifter d'action. Et le singe est sur la branche.
Notes
Cadence (metronome), lean forward at ankles (not at waist), make contact with ground when midfoot passes directly under center of gravity (no overstriding), brief contact time (no overpronation), pull with hamstring (rapid piston backlift, drill to slide ankle up the standing leg)
LSD (long slow distance) - improve vo2max, mitochondrial biogenesis, bone density, tendon and ligament density, capillary network, fat metabolism,
Fewer than 20% of motor units utilized by marathoner, so bonking at 30-mile can’t be failure of endurance base, instead maybe failure to engage neural connections through neural-governor, the region of brain that calibrates exercise intensity and neural output.
Normal model: 1 - base period 2 - strength/hill 3 - anaerobic and peaking. Race. CFE incorporates all in a week.
Though lypolysis releases more energy (9 cal/gm) compared to glycogenolysis, the body’s oxygen use goes up. Tank capacity for carbs (stored as glycogen in liver) is 2000cals. 40,000 cals worth of fat stored in body.
Notes
Cadence (metronome), lean forward at ankles (not at waist), make contact with ground when midfoot passes directly under center of gravity (no overstriding), brief contact time (no overpronation), pull with hamstring (rapid piston backlift, drill to slide ankle up the standing leg)
LSD (long slow distance) - improve vo2max, mitochondrial biogenesis, bone density, tendon and ligament density, capillary network, fat metabolism,
Fewer than 20% of motor units utilized by marathoner, so bonking at 30-mile can’t be failure of endurance base, instead maybe failure to engage neural connections through neural-governor, the region of brain that calibrates exercise intensity and neural output.
Normal model: 1 - base period 2 - strength/hill 3 - anaerobic and peaking. Race. CFE incorporates all in a week.
Though lypolysis releases more energy (9 cal/gm) compared to glycogenolysis, the body’s oxygen use goes up. Tank capacity for carbs (stored as glycogen in liver) is 2000cals. 40,000 cals worth of fat stored in body.
Read
February 19, 2020A bit of a mixed bag.
Murphy & Mackenzie explore the possibility of using CrossFit as a substitute for the bulk of running training, supplementing it with a small volume of high intensity running.
It's an interesting idea, and the focus on functional strength over junk miles makes some intuitive sense, particularly for older runners, but there's a lot of stuff in here which is just plain wrong.
Mackenzie pays no heed of the level of existing aerobic training when putting together his training plans - this is a huge oversight in my opinion. He also has some very odd but entrenched ideas which have been discounted by the wider running community - for example he overfocuses on target cadence without paying any attention to the height of the runner. In practice height and cadence are inversely related (basically why elite runners aren't the size of basketball players).
There are some interesting ideas in here, but taking the whole package as presented would likely be a recipe for disaster.
Murphy & Mackenzie explore the possibility of using CrossFit as a substitute for the bulk of running training, supplementing it with a small volume of high intensity running.
It's an interesting idea, and the focus on functional strength over junk miles makes some intuitive sense, particularly for older runners, but there's a lot of stuff in here which is just plain wrong.
Mackenzie pays no heed of the level of existing aerobic training when putting together his training plans - this is a huge oversight in my opinion. He also has some very odd but entrenched ideas which have been discounted by the wider running community - for example he overfocuses on target cadence without paying any attention to the height of the runner. In practice height and cadence are inversely related (basically why elite runners aren't the size of basketball players).
There are some interesting ideas in here, but taking the whole package as presented would likely be a recipe for disaster.
July 11, 2018
This book is an OK read. It's pretty repetitive and lacks much new information, but I appreciate the alternative ideas for distance training. I am a bit skeptical of how little running is actually involved in the CFE training plans, especially for longer races, and I'm also disappointed that the authors did not consider the mental and emotional reasons that many endurance athletes run or do their sport. We don't all do it just to win or do well in races, a lot of us do these sports because they make us feel good and it's enjoyable. I would be bummed if I only followed these training plans and did not include long runs or bike rides in my workouts--purely for the joy of them! Also, rather than just encourage HIIT and body weight strength training, this felt like just a huge sales pitch for CrossFit. so, meh.
May 28, 2019
Positives: the book is pretty well written and key reasoning is explained pretty well (not saying the reasoning is always that solid)
Negative: The running formula this book teaches is mostly marketing of CFE (Crossfit Endurance) methodology. Almost half of the book consists of training programs (tables and such) which are not useful if you just want to pick some new inspiration for your training without going fully into the direction the author teaches.
As an experienced runner I agree that it's good to combine gym and other muscle exercises with your running, but sadly this book didn't offer much to help to integrate any of those learnings into my weekly routines. There are many better books about streching, yoga and gym exercises well suited for runners.
Negative: The running formula this book teaches is mostly marketing of CFE (Crossfit Endurance) methodology. Almost half of the book consists of training programs (tables and such) which are not useful if you just want to pick some new inspiration for your training without going fully into the direction the author teaches.
As an experienced runner I agree that it's good to combine gym and other muscle exercises with your running, but sadly this book didn't offer much to help to integrate any of those learnings into my weekly routines. There are many better books about streching, yoga and gym exercises well suited for runners.
November 7, 2020
This book endorsed by (Dean Karnaze-- Marathon Man) presents some new running theories:
1- Throw out high-carbohydrates eating patterns. Move towards protein only.
2- High mileage is unnecessary. Intensity is more important.
3- Cross training (biking, swimming, rowing) is critical.
4- To become durable and injury free you need to do cross-fit.
3 stars. This book has some good information. I think I would be more durable if I did more box jumps, pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and squats. But at times this book feels like an informercial to get you signed up for a cross-fit membership at a gym. I also didn't like constant photos of the tattooed man with a six pack and arms like a football running back....come on..distance runners never look like that (remember the t-rex).
1- Throw out high-carbohydrates eating patterns. Move towards protein only.
2- High mileage is unnecessary. Intensity is more important.
3- Cross training (biking, swimming, rowing) is critical.
4- To become durable and injury free you need to do cross-fit.
3 stars. This book has some good information. I think I would be more durable if I did more box jumps, pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and squats. But at times this book feels like an informercial to get you signed up for a cross-fit membership at a gym. I also didn't like constant photos of the tattooed man with a six pack and arms like a football running back....come on..distance runners never look like that (remember the t-rex).
August 7, 2017
A seemingly controversial approach to running but under further inspection, the themes of addressing muscle imbalances to prevent injuries, improving cadence and running form with running drills, strengthening hips, quads, hamstrings and the most overlooked muscles in the feet all seem like no brainers when it comes to improving running or to run injury free. I must admit I was a skeptic but after reading it and taking several of the warm up exercises and implementing some of the strength and conditioning into my routine I really feel it will make a difference in the long run, great read, and most importantly great way to challenge old ways of thinking.
June 27, 2022
A nice companion book to Ready to Run, Unbrealable Runner makes an evidence based (and mostly compelling case) for fewer miles, higher intensity, and fewer runs per week. I didn’t care for the training plans and the exercises explained are likely already well known except to the beginner athlete. Still, a nice reminder to watch your form, incorporate intensity and resistance training alongside your running.
January 5, 2018
Thoughtful approach
This is a great synopsis of the CrossFit Endurance approach to training. It also includes drills and training plans for those wanting to complete 5k to ultra marathons using CrossFit Endurance. Parts of it seemed to be more about battling critics versus laying out the plan. This is a great complement to Power Speed Endurance.
This is a great synopsis of the CrossFit Endurance approach to training. It also includes drills and training plans for those wanting to complete 5k to ultra marathons using CrossFit Endurance. Parts of it seemed to be more about battling critics versus laying out the plan. This is a great complement to Power Speed Endurance.
October 12, 2025
poor book except the strength training and mobility chapter. the conditioning part is terrible. if you ask MacKenzie now, it's very likely he would tell you the same. if you want to be an unbreakable runner , you are going to have to run a lot (walking great too). and not looking for shortcuts/hacks like this book is doing.
November 8, 2020
It feels like the majority of the book is all about convincing the reader of strength training. I was already convinced. The exercises explained may be good but the explanations are short and some of the pictures show them executed with bad posture.
February 28, 2025
Training program covered in 30-50 pages justifies the cost of the book, but remaining 150 pages is the same statement repeated over and over again. I get it, CFE will cure world hunger, now provide me with actionable information.
January 1, 2018
A good short read
This is more of a manual than a book, however I enjoyed it all the same. I'll likely try one of the training routines in the future to prepare for my next race.
This is more of a manual than a book, however I enjoyed it all the same. I'll likely try one of the training routines in the future to prepare for my next race.
May 5, 2018
Average read. Not much new information presented. It is pretty much known now that strength training helps runners with injury prevention.
March 2, 2019
I am a runner, and a Crossfitter. This book really helped me refine my training for ultra marathons.
Highly recommend!
Highly recommend!
July 15, 2019
I am a runner, and a Crossfitter. This book really helped me refine my training for ultra marathons.
Highly recommend!
Highly recommend!
July 26, 2022
This is amazing if you like CrossFit and want to start running long distance. Program works!
August 13, 2023
Not a long read. Looking forward to trying some of the programs and getting healthier and fitter.
June 5, 2024
BLUF: work harder, not longer.
A little disappointing, honestly. But maybe it would have been more impactful if I'd read a few years ago when i felt caught between Crossfit and running.
A little disappointing, honestly. But maybe it would have been more impactful if I'd read a few years ago when i felt caught between Crossfit and running.
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