The Complete Idiot's Guide to Running

I met Bill Rodgers at a recent speaking event and he signed a copy of this book for me. I had no intention of reading a book about running since I wasn't very serious about running. I do some 5K's and some 10K's for the fun of it, not because I ever have a chance of finishing in the top half. However, I have moved from 5K fun to training to complete (not win) a half-marathon. With a sense of panic that I'm now going to try to complete 13.1 miles, I decided to pull out this book and give it a quick read. It was a fast paced, easy, fun read. I highly recommend this book for people who are new to the sport who are looking at their first half-marathon. I think it would be overkill and unnecessary if you are just jogging a few miles a week (10 or less) and only planning on doing 5K's or 10K's. If you have been casually running and begin to take your hobby more seriously - start by reading this book. Bill's sense of humor comes through over and over in this book. It's a book I'm very glad I read.

This book is really practical. It's a great reference. There's a good amount of humor infused into the book. It's great for new runners even though it's written by experienced runners. It has everything you need to know about starting running, keeping up with running, running gagets, running must-haves, shoes, health, etc.

Rodgers and Douglas do a fine job demystifying the sport of running. This book is very accessible and easy to read. Like other books in the series, it's structured so that you can read short portions and come back to it at a later time. One key principle in the book is that you need to build up your endurance slowly. If you push yourself too hard at the start, you'll be sore and miserable, and you run an increased chance for injury. Together, these are a major disincentive to ever run again! Building incrementally gives your body time to adjust to the stresses of running. The authors also emphasize stretching, which I've found to be very helpful in preventing soreness and injury. The best thing I can say about this book is that it works. I've personally worked my way through Rodgers and Douglas's plan where you build up to 30 minutes of running. Now I've been running for over a year and a half. At the 6 month mark, I got to the point of running 6 miles at a stretch, and I did my first 5K in May. I've since decreased my distance, but I'm working back up to the 10K mark again. I feel proud of myself for going from nothing to 10K. Other resources (e.g. Runner's World magazine) can be overwhelming for all of their sophistication. I'm thankful for this book because it gave me a goal, a plan, and lots of good advice and encouragement along the way.

This is yet another fantastic book in the "Idiot's Guides" series. Like all other Idiot's Guides, the book is written is a user-friendly style and format. Neatly divided into five parts, this book describes what running is, where and when to run, reasons for running, running apparel and equipment, injuries, training tips, and a lot more. Bill Rodgers, who himself was a runner who won the Boston Marathon multiple times, did a fairly great job presenting the sport of running. The tips that are given in this book are invaluable for runners. However, this book is by no means an all-inclusive guide to endurance running. This book tends to be aimed towards amateur road racers and novice runners and not so much for track athletes, high school cross-country runners, or experienced competitive runners who are looking for advanced racing strategy tips. Also, this book is not for people who are running because they want to burn a specific amount of calories for weight loss. If you are a serious, competitive runner looking for some serious coaching tips, The Competitive Runner's Handbook might be better for you. Overall, Bill Rodgers has intended this book to be a book on amateur running in general. If you want to sprint, or if you want to be top 10 in a college cross-country invitational, something else might do the job better.

Wow, I was laid flat when I opened up this book. These pages are really serious about running. And they haven't returned yet.