The Competitive Runner's Handbook [Tapa blanda]

This book starts off by breaking runners into categories from Novice to Elite. There are 7 categories (further broken down by age groups and gender), and any recent race time (from 5k all the way to marathon) can be used to help you find out where you fit. Glover explains the different training concepts to help you improve your times. He goes into a lot of detail about all of the important topics. He gives weekly mileage guidelines, talks about maintaining a running base (what % of your weekly mileage should be used as a base), and what paces you should be training at based on your desired race time. Although his advice is specific (and supported with examples of studies that have been done to prove how certain concepts work), all of his advice can be adjusted to fit the individual reader's level and goals. He gives examples of training schedules for the 5k up to the marathon for each category of runner, and tells you how to write your own schedule. He gives many examples of different types of speedwork, hill training, and tempo training so runners can add variety to their own schedules. He says how often each workout should be done on a weekly basis, and at what point they should be done in the training cycle. This is a great book, easy to read, and full of tips that can help you improve your time at any distance.
I used to do my daily runs at the same pace, and train without a plan. Last year I started training using the concepts explained in this book (speedwork, hills, long run distances), and I have been able to cut 13 minutes off of my half marathon time in less than 8 months. These training concepts are well known, but Glover customizes them to the reader's level, gives many different examples of each type of workout, and expains which workouts are best for the distance you are training for (For example, he says 1 mile intervals are better when training for the 10k up to the marathon, while power intervals and repeats will be more helpful when training for a 5k or shorter distance). This is a great book, and I wish I had read it sooner.

This book is a great resource for all aspiring competitive runners. However, don't confuse this book with Glover's other book - which is more for beginning and non-competitive runners. There is a lot of overlap between the two books, so there is not much point in buying both. However, I can see a beginner outgrowing the beginner book and wanting the extra info that the "Competitive" handbook can provide. Both are great.

Let's forget that this book is a huge bestseller in the running market. Lots of running books are more hype than content, or only regurgatate what last month's "Runner's World" has said, and sell just as well. However, "The Competitive Runner's Handbook" is informative, thorough and engaging.

Returning to racing after some fifteen years of basic jogging, I needed a book that took my knowledge seriously. Glover and camp give hard-core, nuts and bolts info. They've provided for the various levels of fitness. I'm not going to run my high schools times first time out, but what happens when I get my speed down? It is in here. Solid how-to, without the fluff of running psychobabble.

Run a 10K? Wanna know how byou might do in a 20K? In a half-marathon? Charts galore. How 'bout intervals and tempo workouts. Marathon training tips? 5K tips? Got 'em!

The beauty of this book.. and the fundmental reason I recommend it, is because the base of info and guidance here is fantastic.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com