Book Review: Run Less Run Faster

April 23, 2015

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Run Less Run Faster
Bill Pierce, Scott Murr, Ray Moss
320 pages
hard copy edition

From the Publisher:
The science of running experts at the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST) show you how you can run less and avoid burnout while producing faster race times!

With all-new revised and expanded user-friendly content, this new edition of Run Less, Run Faster shows you how to get stronger, faster, and better by running less. It also includes more sections for novice runners, as well as training plans for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon is the 3PLUS2 program, which consists of:

  • 3 quality runs, including track repeats, the tempo run, and the long run, which are designed to work together to improve endurance, lactate-threshold running pace, and leg speed
  • 2 aerobic cross-training workouts, such as swimming, rowing, or pedaling a stationary bike, which are designed to improve endurance while helping to avoid burnout

The quality-over-quantity approach optimizes training time and yields better performance—results runners will love no matter what distance they are racing.


Review:
I finally got around to finishing this book – just in time, the day I finished it I got an email saying it was due at the library.

I think this book has an interesting concept and has really good ideas. I have signed up for two half marathons this summer and want to run another one in the fall.  I’m not sure I want to commit to the time a marathon takes to train for.  Not right now anyway. For my first half this year I beat my goal time by a couple minutes. I haven’t put much thought into what I want my goal time to be this summer, but since are downhill runs, I am thinking something a little bit more challenging.  I have a training schedule.  But I’ll be honest, I haven’t been too great at being exact with it.  I run at least a 10 mile run every Saturday.


One thing I’ve decided about myself, is I think I really love distance over speed.  It takes me a couple miles to start feeling great about any run.  So speed short runs are harder for me.  But this book suggests doing them and I think they have a point.  I think I’ll start adding a run for speed in my week every week between now and my races this summer.  We’ll see how that goes.


The book was well organized and I loved all the charts and information. I thought it had great information and I loved reading some of the testimonials from readers though out the book too.  I thought it could be a great resource book.  I borrowed this copy from the library, but I think this would make a great addition to a running library.


If you are a runner and trying to train or improve your time this might be a good book to have around.  If you don’t like running, but want too..this might be a good place to start too. (Although I think my favorite book if you don’t like running (or you do like running) and want to start would be Tales from Another Mother Runner, by Dimity McDowellSarah Bowen Shea).

Do you have a favorite book about running?


Final review:


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