The Science of Running: How to find your limit and train to maximize your performance

Every coach would find this really interesting enabling them to get a solid background on the physiological aspects of running. I personally found it really useful.. first class.

This is a first class book - some reviewers have criticised it for not providing pracrtical advice - anyone considering buying this book must realise that it does eaxactly what it says on the cover - it explains the science and as such it is very good indeed. However it is not difficult to glean many important practical principles from it if you simply read it carefully and think about it. All-inall a very good buy indeed for any serious runner and very up-to-date - infinatelt bettyer than the hyped up but simply often incorrcet articles found in many runners mags - this book is the real dael.

I already have a burgeoning shelf on running books and bought this not because I was expecting it to say something radically different about the basics about running and coaching but because I like to read about running as I am interested in it academically; so my review is possibly skewed as a result. Steve Magness is a coach with noteworthy credentials and his book is split into two sections. The first is basically about the physiology of running [what VO2 max and lactate thresholds are and why they do/don't matter] whilst the second part is on the 'coaching' side of things. As such the book's two halves read somewhat differently. [but more than they ought to.] The first half as many others have noted is full of typo's and to me reads like a poorly drafted Master's dissertation, which is possibly what it started life out as. It's also hard to read at times and suffers from far too few diagrams [which are always helpful] and too much jargon - which is fine for a science textbook but not for something which I assume is aimed at the interested reader. But all is not lost! The second half has many redeeming features and I enjoyed reading each and every chapter and am happy to say that the material felt fresh and enthusiastically presented. It was even quite different to what I have read in many other books given its coaching slant [as opposed to scientific slant] and I think would made a fine purchase for a coach or an athlete in interested in tailoring his/her work-outs. I think what makes this better than most is the way the author tries to steer away from the cookie-cutter approach to coaching and work-outs and move more towards tailoring work-outs based on an individuals physiology. He suggest how work-outs can be tweaked not only by changing speed, length, intensity, frequency but also by adding other more subtler tweaks several of which I have already incorporated into my own running. So overall 'a game of two halves'. If ever updated, I think the first section needs to be pruned and redrafted considerably and then this book would have a considerable competitive edge over the competition.

This is a great book for endurance coaches who what to get up to date with current research in sports science and put it In to practice. It is easy to read, but would benefit from a few more diagrams and tables. It explains why the same trainng program won't suit every athlete and how to adjust training to get the maximum improvement for all.

The editing errors that have been mentioned must relate to previous versions, as I found this book to be well written. Whilst nothing included is particularly novel, the training section provided useful ideas to incorporate into my training, and I feel like I now have a better understanding of how the different training aspects fit together.

A book that is aimed at performance runners. The sections on the physiology of running are cutting edge. The author then uses the science to create a systematic approach to training. In all, very informative and well worth a read for those interested in competitive running.

Steve has an excellent background in endurance running. This is reflected in the parts of this book which are different from others: a review of the research and his individual take on preparing plans for runners. These chapters are really thorough and very useful. Less good is his take on resistance training for runners which is too vague, and also the biomechanics of running. Frans Bosch is far better on this. As other reviewers have noted, the typos are too frequent and distract from the flow of the book: where was the editor? I found the research chapters adding to my confirmation bias that little good comes out of the "science in labs": how does treadmill running economy of university student average runners help transfer to the real world of fast runners on the track and road? Steve covers this really well. A book for middle distance coaches as much as runners, go elsewhere for the correct supplementary training advice though.

At last, a book that gives you the theory and means to make serious gains in your running. A refreshing and thorough insight, that leaves Pose, Chi and other guru style running theory on the starting line. Janos

This book is very good. As anyone would suggest it is for High performance and Science freak. Not for normal "to-do" guidelines. It is having extremely intense content. And yes very outstanding practically helpful book vast out look to training.

Love this informative book

Excellent livre sur le sujet de la préparation athlétique qui couvre tous les aspects importants d'une bonne préparation à l'exercice physique en général même si un emphase particulière est mise dans le livre sur la course à pied. Notes importantes : - Il s'agit d'un ouvrage EXTRÊMEMENT technique qui nécessite des connaissances relativement avancées en biologie et physiologie pour pouvoir en tirer le meilleur. L'approche est extrêmement scientifique et appuyée par une masse de diagrammes, tableaux, courbes et chiffres. - Le livre est à ma connaissance uniquement disponible en anglais. - L'auteur (Steve Magness) est connu pour son approche multi-dimensionnelles de la recherche de la performance et le soin qu'il met dans la préparation psychologique de ses athlètes (dont certains multi-médaillés). Ce livre n'en reste pas moins une bible pour les amateurs de course à pied et de sport en général, que je recommande chaudement.

I absolutely love this book! It has really opened my eyes on how to look at exercise physiology for running. Highly recommend this book. One of the best out there.

良かった点は、日本では考えられていないトレーニング方法についての知識を得られたこと。 悪かった点は、和訳が難しいこと。時間がかかります。あと電子書籍なので動画みたいのもつけれたらわかりやすい。 ただ内容に関しては満足。