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Runner's World How to Make Yourself Poop: And 999 Other Tips All Runners Should Know
Every runner knows how important it is to prevent an unfortunate bathroom accident midrun. This book can show you how.
For any runner who wants a quick, easy reference guide to every running issue under the sun, look no further. With tips on training, nutrition, gear, motivation, health, and racing, Runner’s World How to Make Yourself Poop is essential reading for runners who want to improve their performance. From “The Best Way to Tie Your Shoes” to “9 Tactics for Busting Out of a Running Rut” and everything in between, these short, easy-to-use tips from reliable experts are the perfect gift for any runner in your life.
For any runner who wants a quick, easy reference guide to every running issue under the sun, look no further. With tips on training, nutrition, gear, motivation, health, and racing, Runner’s World How to Make Yourself Poop is essential reading for runners who want to improve their performance. From “The Best Way to Tie Your Shoes” to “9 Tactics for Busting Out of a Running Rut” and everything in between, these short, easy-to-use tips from reliable experts are the perfect gift for any runner in your life.
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2018
172 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
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February 6, 2024Haha skim read for running tips! The half marathon training begins
June 10, 2018
Informative and funny -- this book is a must-read/must-have for all runners (and even wannabe runners like me). Great tips and not even just about how to make yourself poop (though, that was also helpful). It’s an enjoyable read that truly makes you want to run. Glad I have a copy for my shelves!
March 16, 2021
Made me laugh and also had me highlighting and writing things down! Some good insight in here!
December 6, 2022
Absolutely hate that *this* is the book that accomplishes my 2022 reading goal but here we are. I was on a reading-about-running kick. 😅
Not sure how to rate it. If you’re expecting a mashup of runner’s world articles in book form, this one is for you (I was unaware that was the case until I tried to look up sources for their advice and it’s all links to runner’s world articles) probably could have picked that up from the title, oops.
I also disliked prevalence of diet culture-y advice and how they tend to reduce “health” to size.
There were some fun tips and tricks here but it’s very over-generalized. Those looking for advice on certain topics would find more just searching individual articles/books relating to what they’re interested in.
Not sure how to rate it. If you’re expecting a mashup of runner’s world articles in book form, this one is for you (I was unaware that was the case until I tried to look up sources for their advice and it’s all links to runner’s world articles) probably could have picked that up from the title, oops.
I also disliked prevalence of diet culture-y advice and how they tend to reduce “health” to size.
There were some fun tips and tricks here but it’s very over-generalized. Those looking for advice on certain topics would find more just searching individual articles/books relating to what they’re interested in.
September 5, 2023
This is like a Buzzfeed article stretched to 250 pages. There are some good nuggets of advice, but they are buried within so many listicles. It’s also pretty heavy on diet-culture-y advice and equates weight loss with health quite a bit. Pick it up if you find it in the free bin.
September 15, 2019
Despite the unusual title, this book is chock full of tips on running---gear, training, food, motivation, nutrition, and bathroom situations while running. Highly recommend it!
October 3, 2018
This was a great, highly informative (and relatable!) read about running lifestyle and management. I have to admit that I was expecting more from it -- for example, based on the title I thought there would be some amazing trick revealed about laying cable, which I've been told by fellow runners is for everyone AT SOME POINT a mid-run inevitability, sort of like motorcycle accidents. But no, all her advice was like, drink some hot liquid before you head out. Copy that. So although I did wind up finding a lot of the advice/tips pretty self-explanatory, or were things that I've already learned myself (either through trial and error or from talking to others) this was almost always piggy-backed on something that I HADN'T known before, such as speed-work tempos, proper race etiquette, etc. There was also a lot of great advice about meal planning, taper scheduling, burn-out, injury warning signs, and much more. For this reason I Post-It-noted the f out of this book, just to be able to go back for quick reference on a lot of tips and techniques I want to try out as my running continues to evolve. Basically, the book caters specifically to novices, but everyone can get something out of it, even if it just puts you in the mood to go out for a run! Woot-woot!
May 24, 2024
Contrary to the title, How to make Yourself Poop is not a humorous look into laxatives. Instead, it's a rather solid list of listacles. Lists that cover just about every aspect of the sport of running.
The format is sort of big group to subgroup type stuff. For example, there's a section on "Fueling Your Runs" and in that section you'll have lists like "3 Ways to tell if you're properly hydrated" or "16 easy-to-digest prerun snacks".
It's the type of thing you'd expect to see in a random blog post. But all of the advice is solid (take it from someone who has learned all of this from 15+ years of running). You'll find everything from the basics of training, to running in a costume, to the logistics of going to a race. They even have some decent advice for the odd corners of the running world, such as running naked (been there) and triathlons (been there).
There's little info here that is truly bad, and they manage to avoid a lot of repetition. This is all solid and helpful advice for the new runner. If you're an old hat in the sport, most of it will just be rehashing what you already know in an easy to read format.
The format is sort of big group to subgroup type stuff. For example, there's a section on "Fueling Your Runs" and in that section you'll have lists like "3 Ways to tell if you're properly hydrated" or "16 easy-to-digest prerun snacks".
It's the type of thing you'd expect to see in a random blog post. But all of the advice is solid (take it from someone who has learned all of this from 15+ years of running). You'll find everything from the basics of training, to running in a costume, to the logistics of going to a race. They even have some decent advice for the odd corners of the running world, such as running naked (been there) and triathlons (been there).
There's little info here that is truly bad, and they manage to avoid a lot of repetition. This is all solid and helpful advice for the new runner. If you're an old hat in the sport, most of it will just be rehashing what you already know in an easy to read format.
July 15, 2025
Aw shit! Unfortunately I was click baited by the title. Diet culture-y guide to running, overall a splash in the toilet.
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August 23, 2025Silly! I love to run
July 23, 2022
If you're new to the sport of running, this book will save you a ton of pain at the start of the learning curve. If you've been around for awhile, you likely won't pick up many new tips here. Most of the advice in this book, you've probably learned through trial and error if you've been in the sport for any lengthy amount of time.
February 25, 2025
Such a fun book to read! I learned some new things about running that I want to try for myself. Such great insight on racing, nutrition, and so many more!
February 23, 2021
I would say this is a 1.5 rounded up. We selected this for our runner's book club, thinking that it would be a litany of funny running anecdotes and "tips." I mean the title has "poop" in it, right? In the first few pages, they even say "hey you probably picked this up thinking it was funny!" This was a fancy way of saying, "hey we tricked you, but you're here now!" The reason I rounded up to a 2 is because there are good tips in here, but most of them are obvious or easily picked up by reading a few internet articles or being a part of a running community. I keep wanting to say that maybe it would be a decent reference for new runners, but I bet that most people would look to the internet (or Runner's World's website for that matter). If you really wanted tips on trail running, you would likely want more than the shallow few bullet points that you would find on any given subtopic in the book. Books like this aren't meant to be read straight through, but we had selected this for book club and that is how we approached it. It's mind numbingly boring. I would have much rather read what I was expecting - a hilarious book of relatable running mishaps and anecdotes and the lessons learned from these. On the bright side, the format made it super easy to speed read.
November 17, 2021
I picked this up as a bit of light reading because the book had 'poop' in the title. Sadly it was downhill from there. I'll just list a few bugbears as a sample of the whole book as the list would otherwise be longer than a marathon:
1) A lot of it wasn't relevant to a UK runner. I can't remember the last time I left my house worrying about what to do if I meet a grizzly bear or get bitten by something poisonous. Not the author's fault, but still annoying.
2) 999 tips was more like 666 when you take out the duplicated paragraphs. I lost count of how many times they tell you to use lube/vaseline to avoid chafing. Likewise their enlightening tip to run with others if you struggle with motivation, which occurred at least 69 times.
3) It bothered me that the reader's running was assumed to be at a certain level. Describing a cheat week as 'three easy 30-minute runs' when that's generally my weekly average was pretty patronising.
The one thing I did enjoy was the section on how to choose the right boxers to avoid my trouser sausage bouncing around ;)
1) A lot of it wasn't relevant to a UK runner. I can't remember the last time I left my house worrying about what to do if I meet a grizzly bear or get bitten by something poisonous. Not the author's fault, but still annoying.
2) 999 tips was more like 666 when you take out the duplicated paragraphs. I lost count of how many times they tell you to use lube/vaseline to avoid chafing. Likewise their enlightening tip to run with others if you struggle with motivation, which occurred at least 69 times.
3) It bothered me that the reader's running was assumed to be at a certain level. Describing a cheat week as 'three easy 30-minute runs' when that's generally my weekly average was pretty patronising.
The one thing I did enjoy was the section on how to choose the right boxers to avoid my trouser sausage bouncing around ;)
February 17, 2021
Lots of really handy tips. I had already run my first half marathon (distance, not proper race because we’re in a pandemic)and had started training for a full when I got this book as a gift. There were a lot of things I didn’t know as a noob, which is great. The last 3rd or so I started skimming through more quickly though because the tips were becoming really repetitive. There were also several sections dedicated to women runners but only one specific to male runners - maybe that’s appropriate but it reminded me of another book I read about how white men tend to be the default human in many designs and how that’s problematic and while this is clearly different, it made me wonder if there really should be some more male specific stuff or if the tips are already sort of default more male. I dunno. I was also a bit disappointed that the book wasn’t more funny given the title — it was occasionally amusing but mostly just casual language. The illustrations though were all really great. Regardless of the few criticisms here, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it, especially for others that are noobs like me.
February 13, 2018
I'm what you would call a "fair-weather" runner, meaning that I only run when the weather is fair. I see it more of a way to enjoy Mother Nature's kinder side than I do as a primary mode of exercise. But this book makes me want to run more. And further. And faster.
Yeah, the title is funny (as it lots of the copy), but this isn't just some hastily written joke book with some running tips thrown in. There's training advice, nutrition tips, travel strategies, gear-buying recommendations, and even some tips on how to run a race naked (no really!) But there's also a ton of inspiration, which comes through primarily because you can tell the author is so passionate and knowledgeable about the subject.
One of my favorite quotes from the book: "You don't have to run, you get to run."
Get yourself this book. Then get running.
Yeah, the title is funny (as it lots of the copy), but this isn't just some hastily written joke book with some running tips thrown in. There's training advice, nutrition tips, travel strategies, gear-buying recommendations, and even some tips on how to run a race naked (no really!) But there's also a ton of inspiration, which comes through primarily because you can tell the author is so passionate and knowledgeable about the subject.
One of my favorite quotes from the book: "You don't have to run, you get to run."
Get yourself this book. Then get running.
October 9, 2021
A pretty good reference book for the beginner and mid-level runner.
This book is quite comprehensive. It covers how often to run, how far to run, and even what to wear when you run among many other things. Which is fantastic if you don't know anything and want a quick digestible guide.
The drawbacks are that there isn't much detail. Most of the key information is covered in bullet points (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on what you're looking for here). Also, because the book covers so many aspects of running, much of it wasn't directly useful for my purposes. Again, that's not a bad thing.
I'm happy I read this ultimately. There were many tips and bits of advice that I will look to incorporate into my runs.
This book is quite comprehensive. It covers how often to run, how far to run, and even what to wear when you run among many other things. Which is fantastic if you don't know anything and want a quick digestible guide.
The drawbacks are that there isn't much detail. Most of the key information is covered in bullet points (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on what you're looking for here). Also, because the book covers so many aspects of running, much of it wasn't directly useful for my purposes. Again, that's not a bad thing.
I'm happy I read this ultimately. There were many tips and bits of advice that I will look to incorporate into my runs.
February 20, 2023
Don’t let the title of this book mislead you. There are exactly three bullet points dedicated to answering “how to poop”: drink tea/coffee, rub your perineum and warm up near a restroom (which confusingly isn’t even an actual tip). No joke. The rest of the book is basic Basic BASIC running tips.
I’m puzzled Runners World endorsed it.
If you want some actual running Poo science and running Poo prep info, read these two informative NYT articles: Rachel Fairbanks (Why a Long Run Sends You Running to the Bathroom) and Tayla Minsberg (When You’re Out for a Run and Nature Calls).
ALTHOUGH minsberg’s article gives a misleading shout out to “How to Make Yourself Poop” - I can only assume she didn’t read past the title…
I’m puzzled Runners World endorsed it.
If you want some actual running Poo science and running Poo prep info, read these two informative NYT articles: Rachel Fairbanks (Why a Long Run Sends You Running to the Bathroom) and Tayla Minsberg (When You’re Out for a Run and Nature Calls).
ALTHOUGH minsberg’s article gives a misleading shout out to “How to Make Yourself Poop” - I can only assume she didn’t read past the title…
February 1, 2024
If a 2 star review seems a bit harsh, that’s because it is. Kita is a comedic and well-versed writer who is enjoyable to read. However, this is simply not a book; this is a collection of “top-10” style articles masquerading as a book, but since it is presented as a book, it must be reviewed as such. This doesn’t mean that the book isn’t an enjoyable read, but it does mean that it is overly broad and can get bogged down in details that bore readers for whom certain advice was not intended (like the pregnancy section for males and the nudist running advice for non-weirdos, as two examples that come to mind).
If you’re a runner and you want to improve your gait, I’d certainly recommend taking a look at this book. It’s a small time investment and it’s a fun read, but I couldn’t help but feel that reading 15 of her Runner’s World articles would have the same impact.
If you’re a runner and you want to improve your gait, I’d certainly recommend taking a look at this book. It’s a small time investment and it’s a fun read, but I couldn’t help but feel that reading 15 of her Runner’s World articles would have the same impact.
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February 6, 2024If anyone knows me, they know two things; I like to run, and I get constipated easily. This book is not entirely about chugging a coffee or protein pills to get it out before logging some miles, but there’s certainly helpful tips to get the bowels moving.
With a few upcoming races I figured if there’s more I could do in my training plan, here are some of my favorites:
• 10% incremental weekly increase
• splitting tempo, paced, and easy runs to 1x per week
• adding 5 minutes of speedwork to each run will improve avg pace
• train for more than your goal distance - something I struggled with in my 2022 races is that I never fully trained that distance, shoot for the moon and land in the stars
With a few upcoming races I figured if there’s more I could do in my training plan, here are some of my favorites:
• 10% incremental weekly increase
• splitting tempo, paced, and easy runs to 1x per week
• adding 5 minutes of speedwork to each run will improve avg pace
• train for more than your goal distance - something I struggled with in my 2022 races is that I never fully trained that distance, shoot for the moon and land in the stars
December 29, 2023
“How to Make Yourself Poop and 999 Other Tips All Runners Should Know” by Meghan Kita is filled with loads of great advice for first-time runners to experienced runners, whether they’re running 5Ks like me or taking on the Herculean challenges of half-marathons or full marathons. It covers tips for mental, physical, nutritional, strategy, injury, and much more. Broken into sections and subsections, this is one I’ll surely revisit time to time when a need arises to check back in on a particular issue or concern.
September 15, 2018
The title is yet another thing about running that non-runners won’t get. I’ve followed Runner’s World magazine for years. This compilation of best principles and tips is compact and thorough. I also appreciate how this contemporary update debunks some of the old-school advice about how to carb load and the omnipotence of bananas. This book is worth a perusal by amateur runners with any level of experience.
July 20, 2021
Lots of good tidbits of information. There isn't any section that's longer than a paragraph or two, so if you're looking for a lengthy exposition how to start a running habit, this ain't it. However, if you've started running and you need bits of advice--not just how to get yourself to poop on schedule, but how to tie your shoes so your feet don't hurt, or how to deal with stinky laundry--this is what you're looking for. Fun, quick read.
November 14, 2018
Some really good tips not just on the obvious title. Although this is a genuine problem for long distance runners. I just ran a marathon and in the first 3 mos of training (6 mos total) there was a lot of trial and error. Honestly, you have to figure out what works for you and the only way to do that is try different things. Enjoyed the book though.
April 16, 2020
I thought this would be a fun little book to read. It was that and a lot more. Kita provides a lot of good tips for runners for just about any circumstance that might come up, including a few tips on how to make yourself poop in the morning before you leave for a race so you don't need to do it during the race. It's an easy read and I think it's good information for any runner at any level.
August 15, 2020
I found this book helpful. It was repetitive but I found that useful because there’s a lot of info. I think it also helped that I had already been running for a bit before I started reading. I think it would’ve been too overwhelming to read this right at the start of running. Recommend for beginning to intermediate runners.
February 19, 2021
This is a good random facts book for runners. It has a lot of tips. Most of the inform can be found elsewhere. I would recommend it for someone just starting their running journey. More experienced runners (who have done some research already) will probably know a good deal of the information. You still might find a tip or two that can help.
February 17, 2023
As promised, this is a comprehensive collection of tips every runner should know. This book provided an index for so much of the knowledge it had taken me years to accumulate from many different sources, along with new useful information to use in training. Helpfully cited for further research as well. A worthwhile investment for anyone who likes running.
March 26, 2023
Really repetitive and half the “tips” in this book were not useful. If you are a runner and generally research how to train and eat properly, this book will seem unhelpful. Like I didn’t need to read a section on how to handle if my private parts slip out while running… there were a few good nuggets in here but nothing you couldn’t find on a website.
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