Reading

Along the way to becoming a better runner and coach, I’ve read a lot of books and articles. I’ve compiled a list of these for anyone looking to learn more about running.

Firstly these are the books that explain the basics of how to train and what to do. The first three are the ones that took my running in new directions.

  • “Daniels’ Running Formula” (2nd ed.) – Jack Daniels
  • “Healthy Intelligent Training” – Keith Livingstone
  • “Hansons Marathon Method” – Luke Humphrey with Keith and Kevin Hanson
  • “The Art of Running Faster” – Julian Goater and Don Melvin
  • “RUN – The Mind-Body method of Running by Feel” – Matt Fitzgerald
  • “Slow Burn” – Stu Mittelman
  • “Run Less, Run Faster” – Bill Pierce, Scott Muir and Ray Moss
  • “Hadd’s Approach to Distance Training” – this is a PDF easily found on the  internet that contains a compilation of LetsRun posts by John Hadd
  • “Running to the Top” – Arthur Lydiard
  • “The Cutting Edge Runner” – Matt Fitzgerald
  • “Running my Way” – Harry Wilson
  • “Obsession for Running” – Frank Horwill

These books are what I’d consider advanced reading. They can get rather technical or full of jargon.

  • “The Science of Running” – Steve Magness
  • “Advanced Marathon Training” – Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas
  • “Better Training for Distance Runners” – David Martin and Peter Coe
  • “Build Your Running Body” – Pete Magill, Thomas Schwartz & Melissa Breyer
  • “Fast after 50” – Joe Friel
  • “Intervals, Thresholds and Long Slow Distance” – an important research paper by Stephen Seiler – available on the internet
  • “The Mechanics of Sprinting and Hurdling” – Ralph Mann and Amber Murphy

These books are more peripherally about running. In fact many of them you won’t even learn to run from as they can be psychology or topics like shoes, barefoot training and yoga.

  • “The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing” – Phil Maffetone
  • “Running Rewired” – Jay Dicharry
  • “The Race Against Time” – Richard Askwith
  • “The Cool Impossible” – Eric Orton
  • “The Complete Lore of Running” – Tim Noakes
  • “How Bad Do You Want It” – Matt Fitzgerald
  • “Racing Weight” – Matt Fitzgerald
  • “Mind, Body and Sport” – John Douillard
  • “Tread Lightly” – Peter Larson and Bill Katovsky
  • “Yoga for Runners” – Lexie Williamson
  • “The Joyful Athlete” – George Beinhorn
  • “The Complete Book of Running” – Jim Fixx
  • “Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?” – Alex Hutchinson
  • “Learning to Walk” – Joe Henderson
  • “Speed Runner” – Pete Magill
  • “Science of Running” – Chris Napier
  • “Running to the Top” – Derek Clayton
  • “Bounce” – Matthew Syed
  • “The Talent Code” – Daniel Coyle
  • “The Sports Gene” – David Epstein
  • “The Wim Hof Method” – Wim Hof
  • “Faster” – Michael Hutchinson
  • “Beyond Training” – Melvin H. Williams
  • “Sprints and Relays” – Jess Jarver
  • “A Scientific Approach to Distance Running” – David Costill
  • “Precision Heart Rate Traning” – Edmund R Burke

Along the way I’ve read a fair, few biographies. As best I can remember these are:

  • “Born to Run” – Chris McDougall
  • “Natural Born Heroes” – Chris McDougall
  • “Running with Sherman” – Chris McDougall
  • “Bowerman and the Men of Oregon” – Kenny Moore
  • “Eat & Run” – Scott Jurek
  • “North” – Scott Jurek
  • “Feet in the Clouds” – Richard Askwith
  • “Running Free” – Richard Askwith
  • “Today We Die a Little Zatopek” – Richard Askwith
  • “Running with the Kenyans” – Adharanand Finn
  • “Way of the Runner” – Adharanand Finn
  • “Rise of the Ultrarunners” – Adharanand Finn
  • “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” – Haruki Murakami
  • “From last to first” – Charlie Spedding
  • “The Long Hard Road” – Ron Hill
  • “The Road to Athens” – Bill Adcocks
  • “Running with the Legends” – Michael Sandrock
  • “Running with the Buffaloes” – Chris Lear
  • “Iron War” – Matt Fitzgerald
  • “A Runner’s High” – Dean Karnazes
  • “Why Michael Couldn’t Hit” – Harold L. Klawans
  • “The London Marathon” – John Bryant
  • “Gold Rush – What Makes an Olympic Champion” – Michael Johnson
  • “Sebastian Coe – Set Free” – David Millar
  • “Brendan Foster” – Brendan Foster and Cliff Temple
  • “Beyond Winning” – Gary M. Walton

Read and enjoy!