Alberto Salazar's Guide to Road Racing: Championship Advice for Faster Times from 5k to Marathons

This is my favorite running book by far. Alberto Salazar is obviously trying to convey the best information he can to the reader and he does a great job. The book is weak in the area of training schedules but strong on virtually everything else. Most of the book has been useful to me on a daily basis. The only real complaint I have is that the author, like many of the older elite runners , does not personally do as much stretching as he recommends for the reader, does not use a heart rate monitor, etc. But he, as a coach, recommends it to other runners while not having a whole lot of personal experience and it shows. I use both so sometimes I read between the lines. He also does not understand cycling and its effect on the runner. A not uncommon malady among runners.

I'm a novice runner wanting to take it to the next level and needed some advise and inspiration. I found that I was doing several things wrong and I have made major improvements in my running since buying the book. I now have a plan of action for continued improvement, and this book can take me there and beyond.This book is quick and simple to read and covers all the basics, plus more. It's been extremely helpful.

Since Alberto Salazar was a former world-class runner himself, before retiring from competitive running, thisbook is definitely worth checking out. It also helped thatelite runners like Bill Rodgers and Mary Decker Slaney alsohad positive comments regarding this book. This book is useful because it takes you from preparingrace, the race itself, and the post-race routines. It alsodiscusses injuries, and how to deal with them, and other associated topics, like the psychological aspect of running,and basics like weight training, crosstraining and nutrition. If you're a beginner or even a veteran runner, you willfind useful advice, because there was a few things I pickedup in this book that I don't recall seeing in other runningbooks, and viceversa. If I had a complaint, is that it onlyhad a sample training schedule for someone training for theirfirst marathon, not including his own elite schedule when hewas running 120 miles or more weekly. This schedule was notof any use to me, because my weekly training mileage alreadyexceeds the highest weekly mileage suggested in the book. However, despite this, it is well worth the investment,if you plan to enter a road race at some point in the future.The topics are logically organized in a chronological fashionthat makes the book easy and simple to read. FYI, if you wanta sneak peek, here's a look at the Table of Contents, and youcan decide if this book is for you or you can take a pass andlook for another book that will fit your goals more suitably. CONTENTSAcknowledgements ixIntroduction From the 100 Yard Dash to 1the Ultramarathon Part 1. Preparing To Race 1. On The Road To Racing 9 Why Race*Coaching What Nature Gave You* Before You Start*Stages of Life*Medical Issues 2. Basic Principles of Running Faster 23 Muscle, Power, Fuel and Oxygen*Base Training*Speed Training*Lab Tests and Training Theory*Callusing The Mind*Rest*Building a Workout Schedule 3. Base Training Hard-Easy Pattern*LSD Pacing*Warm-Up and Cooldown* 38 Hydration*Maintaining Consitency*Overtraining 4. Running Form Upper-Body Form*Leg Motion*One Ideal Form 50 5. Speed Training 61 Eyeing The Prize*The Variety of Speed Workouts* Picking Your Benchmark Pace*How To Run A Speed Workout*Customizing Your Speed Workout*Training for the Distances*Other Workouts*Putting It All TogetherPart 2. Oiling The Machine 6. Stretching 85 Stretching Basics*Ten-Minute Stretching 7. Weight Training and Cross-Training 95 Lower-Body Exercises (Core Program)*Upper-Body Exercises (Core-Program)*Pylometrics*Cross- Training 8. Nutrition and

An excellent and complete review of this book was written by the Zimmermans. I would, however, like to add that from the perspective of a better than middle of the pack masters runner, that this book contains everything you need to be a successful road runner. Most of the information is not new but it is an excellent SINGLE SOURCE for anyone who wants to find a way to improve his or her running. Although co-written by an elite runner, I was pleased to read about training in a manner to which I could relate. The pace charts, age graded and other tables are excellent. Thanks to both Alberto and Richard for writing a running book that made me feel they were talking directly to me. BRAVO!

The audience for this book is those who have been running for six months or more, who have possibly completed a road race, and who now want to improve their racing times. The book's aim is to teach correct principles of training for faster times and to help runners apply those principles to a training program. The book succeeds well in its goal. I particularly like the explanation of the four types of training (base, VO2max, running efficiency, and tempo) and the four types of speed work (long intervals, medium intervals, short intervals, and tempo runs). Salazar and Lovett clearly explain the purpose and methods for these runs, and how to incorporate them into an overall training program. The material is, for the most part, scientifically correct and thorough. The book is authoritative, due Salazar's experience as a competitive runner and coach, and well written, due to Lovett's experience as a recreational runner and freelance writer. In fact, the book approaches training from two points of view: the elite competitive runner's (Salazar's) and the serious competitive recreational runner (Lovett's). I especially like Salazar and Lovett's coverage of stretching, strength training, and injury prevention. As a marathoner, I would have like a stronger emphasis on that racing distance. If your focus is marathoning, I recommend "Advanced Marathoning" by Pfitzinger and Douglas. The weaknesses of the book are few and minor. Some readers might want more example training charts. Some scientifically minded readers might want more cited research. In one case, the authors err in suggesting the method of glycogen depletion to proceed carbohydrate loading (the depletion phase is dangerous and ineffective), but that's about the only serious mistake I found in the book. How does Salazar's book compare to others? Salazar's book has the same audience and purpose as Pfitzinger and Douglas's "Road Racing for Serious Runners," and Glover's "The Competitive Runner's Handbook." My favorite of the three is Glover's book, because of its complete and authoritative information, numerous helpful tables, predesigned and customizable training charts, and coverage of heart-rate monitors, injuries, cross training, and many other specialized topics. I would rank Salazar's book at the same level of quality and coverage as Pfitzinger and Douglas's book; both are excellent. In summery, Albert Salazar's Guide to Road Racing is an excellent training guide for serious runners. If you want to improve your racing time, you'll love this book.