Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Section 1 Getting Started 1
Essay: My First (Horrid) Run 2
1 Brain Training: Your Most Important Muscle 6
2 Minutes, Not Miles 9
3 The Wisdom of Slow 12
4 The Power of Two: Walking + Running 15
5 The Running Habit 19
6 Women's Running 22
7 The Best Shoe for You 25
8 Flat and Fabulous 28
9 The Truth about Running Form 31
10 Relaxed Running 34
11 Safety First: No Headphones 37
12 Postrun Snacking Not Allowed 40
Section 2 Nutrition for Runners 43
Essay: Lab Experiments 44
1 The Kingdom of Carbohydrates 48
2 Healthy Fats 51
3 Muscle-Building Protein 54
4 Water, the Essential Fluid 57
5 Whole Grains 60
6 Food Frequency and Timing 63
7 Tea and Coffee 66
8 Probiotics 69
9 Running and Weight Loss 72
10 Vitamins and Supplements 75
11 The Vegetarian or Vegan Way 78
12 The Super-Salad Solution 81
Section 3 Going Farther 85
Essay: Unconventional Wisdom 86
1 The 10 Percent Rule 90
2 Training Partners 93
3 Cutback Weeks 96
4 Run-Walk for Distance 99
5 Long Runs 102
6 Long-Run Hydration 105
7 Carbohydrate Loading 108
8 Yasso 800s 111
9 Half-Marathon Training 114
10 Marathon Training 118
Section 4 Dealing with Injuries 123
Essay: Learning the Hard Way 124
1 The Injury Conundrum 128
2 Training Errors 131
3 Cross-Training 134
4 Stretching and Strengthening 137
5 Shin Splints 140
6 Knee Injuries 143
7 Achilles Tendinitis 146
8 The Perils of Pain Pills 149
9 Blisters 152
10 A Proven Warm-Up Routine 155
Section 5 Getting Faster 159
Essay: Running the Gamut 160
1 Interval Training 164
2 The Fartlek System 167
3 Races as Training 170
4 Hill Training for Speed 173
5 Downhill Training 176
6 The 30-20-10 Workout 179
7 Run-Walk for Speed 182
8 The Prerace Taper 185
9 Tempo Training 188
10 Out-and-Back Speed 191
11 Speed Variety and the Magic of Three 194
Section 6 Running Forever 197
Essay: A Day to Remember 198
1 Don't Stop. Ever 203
2 The Hill-Running Elixir 206
3 Lost Ten Pounds 209
4 Adaptive Excellence 212
5 Running and Writing 215
6 No More Marathons 219
7 Run-Walk for Life 222
8 Total Body Strength 225
9 The Power of Positive Thinking 228
10 Don't Stop. Ever. Part II 231
About the Author 235