The perfect cool down

Long May You Run
all. things. running.
By Chris Cooper

Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 250 pages

As the title suggests, this book sets out to cover every aspect of running and succeeds in living up to its title.

While it’s an interesting read, Long May You Run might best be described as the Cliff Claven of running books for folks who don’t think linearly.

The book is written in five parts, however its topics skip around so much that it really doesn’t follow any particular pattern. Each topic is a maximum of two pages long, so it never gets too in-depth about anything.

That said, through reading this short book, I learned a ton of extremely interesting things about the sport I love; from tips on training, nutrition and injury prevention, to interesting races to run, to historical facts, to stories about running legends and much more.

The book is a good mix of motivation, facts and humour. One slight drawback is that most races and athletes mentioned within are American, so it doesn’t have an international flavour.

With topics covered in such short bursts, it would make a great read in the evening when you’re tired, on the bus commuting to work, waiting in line at a doctor’s office, etc.

This is a running book I would definitely recommend picking up, if for no other reason than to impress your friends with your knowledge of running trivia.

— Jeremy Deere

The Runner’s Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance
By Stephen McGregor and Matt Fitzgerald

Human Kinetics Publishing, 224 pages

Running and multi-sport athletes who want to learn how to maximize the benefits of their speed, distance, power and heart rate devices, as well as gain a performance edge, need to have The Runner’s Edge as part of their reference library. Though it might be overwhelming for beginners, the concepts can be used by all levels to interpret data from high-tech gadgets to adjust training loads, and that helps runners and triathletes peak for raceday.

Although they explain the advantages and disadvantages of each device without bias, the authors recommend training software from Training Peaks. Most devices come with their own software, however, WKO+3.0 and trainingpeaks.com allow more in-depth analysis, are relatively  easy to use and are compatible with many different devices. They are also quicker than plugging in formulas to spreadsheets.

Pace zones for various levels of physiological demand and pace zone indexes for different levels of fitness are explained well. These training variables are more refined and more motivating than using heart rate zones alone.

The book helps readers understand how to monitor fitness and fatigue by tracking chronic training load, acute training load and training stress balance. Correlate these measurements with body feedback to adjust training loads and peak properly.

New gems are found each time this book is read. 

— Alfred Ball

The Running Life
By Donald Buraglio and Michael Dove

iUniverse, 268 pages

The Running Life is an entertaining collection of columns, originally published in the Monterey County Herald, the California home of the Big Sur International Marathon.

Authors Michael Dove and Donald Buraglio are accomplished runners, fixtures in their community, and down-to-earth guys. Their combined histories give them a great perspective on all things running.

The humorous columns cover everything from getting started, to snot-rocket science, to raceday juju. The authors poke fun at how dependent we have become on the latest running technology, encourage being active with our kids, and remind us that great runs are possible in bad weather.

Their passion for the sport is evident throughout; Buraglio’s detailed account of the Western States 100-mile run had me torn between wincing with (sympathy) pain, and wanting to sign up for next year!

If you have ever raced, or wanted to race Big Sur, the last section of the book is for you. Dove and Buraglio provide behind the scenes recaps of raceday, and detailed descriptions of the tough course. After reading about the strawberry aid-station found at mile 23, this race moved up several notches on my to-do list. Why has no one told me about this before?

Are you looking for a quick read that will inspire you to get out and run? Whether you are just starting out, or trying to pass the time during your next taper, this book has something for everyone.

— Laurie Souchotte

March/April 2011 Issue