Rating: Summary: A successful first marathon! Review: This is my first book review ever. I found this book while browsing for a book about hockey. I always had in the back of my mind that someday, someday I'll run a marathon. I've run fairly regularly the past few years, but never more that 2-3 miles. This book does exactly what it says - prepares you to finish the race, nothing more. Once you realize a marathon is 85% mental training, then the training runs just become reinforcement for your motivation. In September 2002 I ran my first marathon, the Air Force Marathon in Dayton, OH, and I finished in five hours flat. There is little in life that can compare with crossing the finish line of your first marathon. I had been told that before the run, but had to learn for myself that it is very true. If you apply the techniques in this book, and stay focused on your goal, you WILL complete the run. This book was exactly the right kind of help at the right time. I recommend it to anyone starting their own personal quest for the 26.2!
Rating: Summary: This program works for non-runners! Review: I just completed the 2002 Chicago Marathon using this book as my "running bible". Plain & simple, do what it says and you will finish. I had a great marathon experience & didn't even BONK! Before this I had not exercised for over 10 years & I hate to run.
Rating: Summary: Overweight and out of shape to marathoner in 16 weeks! Review: When I first purchased this book, I was not a runner. I had dabbled in running a year earlier, and had finished two 5K (3.1 mile) races and one 10K race. I let myself quit running regularly because of circumstance, and proceeded to eek out a mile or two every other month or so. I saw this title on Amazon and was intrigued. I wanted to change my lifestyle; to go from an unhealthy, binge-eating, channel-surfing existence to healthy, active, and energetic life. Thanks to this book, I have - and you can, too! The book is based on the "Marathon 101" class taught at The University of Northern Iowa. It gives accounts of the training and the big day from journals kept by the students, who cover a broad range of age and ability. Feeling that I "shared" the experience of training with these students helped me along considerably. Many of them wrote of the same pitfalls and triumphs I was encountering. Both mental and physical preparation are stressed in the book, with each chapter broken down in a Mental/Physical/Student Testimonial fashion. I had never considered myself athletic, so I believed the training program would be pretty tough. It's not. Just as they say in the book, if you do everything they tell you to do, you will FINISH! The day of my marathon, the temperature broke 90 degrees and the air was thick with humidity. Though I struggled with the mental aspect of finishing, I ran across the finish line in 6:31:04 (yes, 6 hours!). I know the only reason I could run and walk for over six hours was because this book provides such wonderful mental preparation. The goal is to finish. Nothing more. Now I am looking forward to reaching my new goal of running another marathon. Content presentation and editing are the only negatives of this book. I was sometimes frustrated when trying to review information because the physical portions of EVERY chapter are called "Physical Preparation" in the Table of Contents. More descriptive sub-titles would be helpful. Some of the journal entries seemed to be in the wrong chapter as well, since the students would talk about mileage I hadn't run yet, or distances that were not in the program as it is currently presented. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a flicker of a dream to run a marathon. You do not have to be born an athlete in order to achieve athletic success. Experienced runners may or may not want to read the sections on physical preparation, but may enjoy the mental preparation techniques.
Rating: Summary: Great book for beginning marathoners! Review: If you are considering running your first marathon (and do not consider yourself to be an ultra-serious competitor), this book should be on your list to read. I tried my first marathon this spring and with the help of this book, I ran the entire thing and finished in 4:38. This book makes the process of training for a marathon seem manageable; it focuses on training for and finishing the marathon and not getting injured in the process. I followed the schedule 90% of the time and had no problems....I strongly agree with the authors that running 4 times per week is adequate in preparing a runner to finish a marathon.
Rating: Summary: A great book! Review: I would have never known of this book had I not heard the author do an interview on NPR. I am so glad I did. I hadn't run in over 5 yrs and was a grandmother of 5 but something made me want to get this book and go for it. They promise you will finish a marathon if you follow the book and that you CAN do it. I bought the book Oct '01 and last weekend 5/11/02 I finished the Lake Geneva Marathon. This book gives you everything you need to make it. It was like the bible to me for 26 weeks. Be careful though- it may change the way you think forever- after this you may think anything is possible! Highly recommended to anyone who wants a real challenge!
Rating: Summary: Fantastic Program Review: Used this to train for my first marathon and had a great race - very informative and an excellent approach
Rating: Summary: An excellent guide for novices like me Review: Everyone writing a review here is right. This book is great. Every time I read about people who do something athletic, I always find out that many years ago they used to be a track star, or a football player, etc. Take this from someone who has done NOTHING of the sort: You can do it too! The only thing I changed a little bit was the sequence of long runs. I preferred Hal Higdon's recommendations for long weekend runs followed by a slightly shorter run every third week or so, which made it seem like the "shorter" weekend run was a reward for all your work during the previous two weeks, perhaps also allowing for extra recovery. A potential improvement: a subject index at the end of the book. It is difficult to jump to a specific subject because the main index is not specific enough. A terrific buy, however!
Rating: Summary: Great first marathoner book Review: This was a great book! I had never run a marathon before, in fact, I couldn't run half a block. Mostly, the book gave me the confidence that I could run a marathon. I am into my training program now and I know I'll complete my first marathon!
Rating: Summary: Great book for first-timers Review: As a purely recreational runner training for my first marathon, I thought this book was great. It gives you all the practical advice you need (e.g., a training program to follow, nutrition tips, advice on injury prevention, etc.), plus lots and lots of encouragement and impressions from other first-time marathoners. If you're like me, and wind up doing your training on your own, it is the closest thing to having a support group to train with. I highly recommend it for first-timers whose goal is simply to complete a first marathon without injury, and who want to enjoy the whole experience. This is not the book for those who want to get the best time, but then it doesn't pretend to be that either. Five stars!
Rating: Summary: Hope for non runners wanting to do a Marathon Review: Awesome. Wonderful. If you want to do a marathon, and your not a GREAT runner, or a lover of running - but, you WANT the goal of a marathon. This book is great. Happy Trails. It may even convert you into a liker of running.
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