Running: A Year Round Plan

by Jeff Galloway

This book will take anyone, at any level of fitness, into the running lifestyle. Jeff Galloway, a US Olympian in 1972, has helped over 150,000 people make this journey while reducing or eliminating aches, pains, and injuries.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping to find out a bit more about the ‘Jeffing’ method itself, but found it useful, nonetheless.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Might as well stick to the website for all of the same information (word-for-word, even).

[Charles Cowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Jeff Galloway’s methods. I followed his training plan to run the DisneyWorld Half Marathon in 2020. That’s something I could never have done without his plan. This book, while full of good information, is hard to follow and incomplete. To understand and calibrate the run-walk-run ratio, you need more than this book. The run drills aren’t all together and are hard to understand how they fit into the plan. Much of the book is repeat of what you can find on his website. I found his intro book for beginning runners great, but this one is just ok. The 52-week plan is something helpful, though, and I hope to utilize it.

[Kristīne Līcis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a literary masterpiece (needs some serious editing), but if you are a beginner runner with healthy independence in thinking there are a good number of points in this book that you can borrow to structure your runs and get the most fun out of them. And not only on the technique of running, but the attitude and mental conditioning to make sure that at the end of every run and every race you are "in the upright position, with a smile on your face, wanting to do it again".

Other than that, some of advice sounds vaguely surreal (in order to get out the door early in the morning you are supposed "with coffee cup in hand, walk out the door to see what the weather is like /../ putting coffee down, cross the street, and you have made the break"... um.... what happens to my coffee cup?! won't I be fined for littering?). Also, the book could do without some eye-roll inducing attempts at humour ("What not to wear [when running] - lime green shirt with bright pink polka dots (unless you have a lot of confidence and / or can run fast)." - why the hell not, if I want to?!).

Each run has a purpose.

One of the most liberating feelings you get from running comes from its simplicity - the minimal requirements.

To maintain speed when tired - is the mission.

[London · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not terribly well-written, but it is still an invaluable, practical tool. I would definitely recommend it to fellow greenhorns! :)

The Shelf: Accepted until further notice.