|
Even if I enlarge the charts, the text in the chart is just illegible. I have no issues with the book itself. However, in the Kindle version, the charts detailing the marathon plans are essentially impossible to read. This makes the book kind of useless to me. I want to follow these plans, but if I can't read them or otherwise copy them to any other format, what am I to do.
and you're just after someone to tell you exactly what to do, and when to do it. If you're after a training guide based on solid science, that requires you to think a bit about your running. you're better off buying a running magazine or just downloading a training program from some website.As others have said, this book is concise, well-written, and smart. that will teach you the principles of running physiology, so you actually understand WHY you're doing your workouts. you'll love this book.If you just want a dumbed-down training program (think "5 easy steps to your fastest-ever 5K."). Hudson's methodology makes perfect sense, and because he insists you adapt his methods to suit yourself, it forces you to at least attempt to create for yourself a tailored program.More than any book on the subject I've read, this is as close to having a real living, breathing actual in-the-flesh coach as you can get. Obviously not as good, but if you enjoy the challenge of racing as a self-coached athlete, this book is a must.
Intuitive, excellent work. Take advantage of Brad Hudson's years of experience in research and application of running methodology and technique and directly apply it to your running. Warning, not for the casual "I wanna finish a marathon someday" crowd, this is real and it works.Big negative on Kindle is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to read the workout charts at the end of the book. Would appreciate if anyone can provide a link to those charts online.
And you get to, well, run. Lots of Hill Running." Several paragraphs down, the coach-author writes, "Hill running is the only 'weightlifting' my runners do. However, Amazon has chosen to list Matt Fitzgerald as primary author).No matter how well written and packaged a book like this may be, most of its content is going to pass you by or make your eyes glaze over. Brad encourages you to sort out your weaknesses and strengths, and build upon them.
You need to browse hard and find what is relevant to your training.This book is arranged to make your specific needs easy to find.For me, one section that really stands out is on page 35: "5. (Note: The star author of this book is coach Brad Hudson, whose name appears twice the size of Matt Fitzgerald's on the cover. (Of course, the subtitle of the book tells you that this is training "from the 5k to the marathon"--Brad is not talking about 200m sprinters here. There are other ways to imporve besides running more." A few pages later on, discussing masters training: "The majority of your key workouts should be very race-specific. They hoist no barbells or dumbbells.
I am perfectly willing to believe that sprinters need their weights).For the most part, this book is addressed to the runner with at least moderate competitive experience. There's not much to be gained from general training anymore. Only a few sections are really going to be pertinent to your event and training. Page 119: "The training you've done over the past two years, and especially within the past 12 months is, for better or worse, the foundation for the training you will do in your next training cycle. They do some exercises to develop strength in their abdominal muscles and lower back, but that's it."For me, free weights and the pulley-weight circuit are a crashing bore, just a way to spend a half-hour two or three times a week, with marginal payoff.
It's so nice to be reassured that short hill sprints (with lovely rests in between) will accomplish the same thing. Don't feel obligated to increase your running mileage if you are unable or unwilling to devote more time to training. There should be few or no "junk miles" in your training after age 40." This is precisely the sort of advice you should expect from a one-on-one coach giving you individualized training.
He proves a variety of workout plans based on abilities and age at various distances. I am in the first 1/3 of the masters program, adding one extra day of running as opposed to 3 since 1 is a long social run, and I like the variety and a long range peak plan. What I particularly like about this book is that it simply does not lead you into how to run a marathon but to a verity of race distances from 5K forward. His book focuses on balancing the human body with a combination of muscle training, aerobic and anaerobic combined with self assessment leading to an individualized plan. Although a long time runner, I thoroughly enjoyed Brad Hudson's book that in a highly readable and efficient fashion relates his training programs for virtually all runners. He currently is coached by Alberto Salazar for the past 3 months but Salazar credited Hudson for bringing Ritzenhien to such great shape free of the nagging injuries Ritz has had historically. I particularly like the 8 second sprints uphill that improve neuromuscular fitness. For instance, for older and injury prone runners, he encourages more hill work over track workouts and hill work is a major part of all his training.
Great side bar articles on athletes he has coached with pictures. His workouts are truly building block encouraging the athlete not to try to set PRs in practice or increase the load too soon but shy from injury and then work toward specific peak race workouts. His theory of adaptive running makes great sense and he constantly adjusts for abilities, current performance levels and common sense such as always pencil in workouts to adjust for how the runner feels today. Also, has great words of wisdom such as when cutting back for a recovery period, keep some intense workouts on the agenda since getting away from it too much makes a longer climb to get back in shape and increases the potential for injury. And what is somewhat rare, he has an excellent program for masters runners at different distances and, as he conveys that rest is needed, he builds in more rest time for masters runners in the form of cross training and core body workouts. He doesn't spend a lot of time on masters but what he says makes a lot of sense about different needs and recovery. Dathan Ritzenhein just broke the American 5K record with a 12:55 and he was the 4th non-African to break 13:00. This is a great book for all and particularly for HS coaches with four ranges of workouts based on class year/ability.
|
