Synopses & Reviews
Most serious runners never realize their potential. The reason is simple: most runners are unable to run by feel.
Scripted training plans hold runners back because metrics and formulas do all of the thinking for them. Runners become trained to ignore their sense of feel, which is the most powerful training tool a runner can use. By stripping away the math and gadgetry that has controlled modern training, RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel will help runners break out into faster, more enjoyable training and racing.
While running by feel can sound like a rejection of science, the mind-body method is rooted in major advances made in neurological research. New science has found that, even at the point of exhaustion, the body is holding back a reserve. The brain senses fatigue and prevents the body from overexertion. A runner's experience, training, and motivation determines how much of their reserve they can wield during a race.
RUN teaches readers how to listen to their bodies so they can access more of their body's capability. Bestselling endurance sports author Matt Fitzgerald reveals how elite runners and world record holders have begun to rebel against traditional training to adopt the run-by-feel philosophy.
RUN shows committed runners how to implement the mind-body method and discover a better and more fulfilling way to run.
Review
“The elements and philosophy laid out in RUN were fundamental and played an essential role in my overall success throughout my career as a self-coached athlete. The ability to run by feel is a learned skill and without the capacity to self assess and adjust your training intuitively, you will inevitably fall short of your potential.” — Alan Culpepper, 2000 & 2004 U.S. Olympian, sub 4-minute miler, sub 2:10 marathoner
“ASICS was onto something when it chose its new name, a Latin abbreviation for ‘a sound mind in a sound body.’ This philosophy is the key to unlocking all the potential we hold. From my first race in junior high gym class to competing in the 2008 Olympic Marathon, I have found that the stronger my mind and spirit are, the further I am able to push myself. Any runner interested in maximizing potential must study the mind-body connection or their journey will not be complete.” — Ryan Hall, 2008 Olympian and two-time American record holder
“In his latest book, Matt Fitzgerald successfully explains the mind-body method of running. While this concept can be difficult to understand, Fitzgerald describes it in a way that will speak to beginners and elite runners alike. Anyone trying to improve and realize their true running potential should read Run.” — Kara Goucher, 2008 Olympian and World Championship medalist
“RUN is full of information that will help all runners start training by feel. Once you learn to trust your instincts in training, your injuries will decrease and your personal records will fall.” — Amy Yoder Begley, 2008 Olympian and four-time U.S. national champion
“The coach knows what to do, the scientist tells us why. Fitzgerald’s RUN artfully and responsibly blends scientifically grounded supportive research and convincing anecdotal evidence into a message that those of us who take running seriously must heed. Now the U.S. can learn the true secrets of the great African runners: That voice in your head that says, “Too much, too little, too hard, too easy”, despite what the device on your wrist says, is probably right!” — Bobby McGee, renowned running coach and author of Magical Running and Run Workouts for Runners and Triathletes
“As a long-time proponent of effort-based training, I highly recommend RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel. The reader will learn the most important concept in all of training—how to connect effort with pace. Using the techniques and ideas in this book, runners can expect more consistent training and racing results without the worry of external feedback from devices like GPS and heart rate monitors. I use effort-based training with the beginning runners, middle of the packers, and Olympians I coach and recommend all runners learn this valuable technique.” — Greg McMillan, M.S., McMillanRunning.com online coach
“After years of searching science journals for secret workouts and fitness techniques, Matt Fitzgerald has decided that the brain is the ultimate training tool. In this insightful and evidence-based book, he challenges us to achieve our potential by enjoying every run and race, even as we accept the pain.” — Amby Burfoot, editor at large, Runner's World; 1968 Boston Marathon winner
“Hey, maybe that voice in your head isn't you going bonkers from too much training. Whether you're a newbie or a master runner...I highly recommend you pick up a copy and read RUN.” — Runner Dude’s Blog
“If you're looking to get to your peak performance weight or explore the mind-body connection of running, writer Matt Fitzgerald has some advice for you. Through his numerous books published by VeloPress, Fitzgerald, an expert in endurance training and nutrition, explores a wide range of topics and cutting-edge developments from the world of running and endurance sports.” — ESPN.com
Synopsis
Most serious runners don’t realize their potential. They simply stop getting faster and don’t understand why. The reason is simple: most runners are unable to run by feel. The best elite runners have learned that the key to faster running is to hear what their bodies are telling them.
Drawing on new research on endurance sports, best-selling author Matt Fitzgerald explores the practices of elite runners to explain why their techniques can be effective for all runners. RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel will help runners reach their full potential by teaching them how to train in the most personalized and adaptable way.
Fitzgerald’s mind-body method will revolutionize how runners think about training, their personal limits, and their potential. RUN explains how to interpret emotional and physical messages like confidence, enjoyment, fatigue, suffering, and aches and pains. RUN guides readers toward the optimal balance of intensity and enjoyment, volume and recovery, repetition and variation. As the miles add up, runners will become increasingly confident that they are doing the right training on the right day, from one season to the next.
RUN marks the start of a better way to train. The culmination of science and personal experience, the mind-body method of running by feel will lead runners to faster, more enjoyable running.
Synopsis
Most runners have become trained to ignore their sense of feel, which is the most powerful training tool a runner can use. By stripping away the math and gadgetry that has controlled modern training, RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel will help runners break out into faster, more enjoyable training and racing.
Synopsis
Scripted training plans hold runners back because metrics and formulas do all of the thinking for them. Runners become trained to ignore their sense of feel, which is the most powerful training tool a runner can use. By stripping away the math and gadgetry that has controlled modern training, RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel will help runners break out into faster, more enjoyable training and racing.
About the Author
Matt Fitzgerald, runner, triathlete, and coach, is a former editor and current contributor for Triathlete magazine. He writes articles for such national publications as Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Outside, Fitness Runner, and the Runner's World Web site, and serves as managing editor of the sports nutrition Web site, Pioneering Muscles. He is a prolific journalist and an authority on sports nutrition and endurance sports. Since 2005, he has authored 10 books, including Brain Training for Runners and The Runner's Body.