Books About Marathon Running | Running A Marathon Books

Books About Marathon Running The ultimate goal for many runners is running a marathon. Below is a selection of books the I recommend for marathon training and for marathon running inspiration. Putting in hundreds of miles running each week is a tough challenge and every bit of extra info you can gain to help with the process is worth gold. Take a look at my marathon running book selections.
Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide Hal Higdon Whether you are attempting a marathon for the first time or you are a seasoned marathon runner, Hal Higdon puts together some of the best marathon running plans around. First time marathon runners can use Hal's advice for preparing for the marathon challenge. The different levels of training allow each runner to select the right training for them personally. If this is your first marathon, don't get too excited and select a tougher level, as the running continues and the distance adds up, injuries can happen with over-training. There are hundreds of free training programs online that you can find with a quick internet search but in Hal's book he not only gives you the plans but describes the reasons for the runs and he gives ample running tips and tricks. If you are going to buy one book for marathon training insight, this is it!
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance! Dean Karnazes One of the hardest parts of marathon training is staying motivated. Dean's book was incredibly motivating for me. It is a story about his quest to run 50 marathons, in 50 days, in 50 different states. Throughout the book dean covers his marathon experiences giving tips, tricks, and discussing his enormous challenge. If you have never run a marathon, it might be impossible to walk away from reading this book without being fired up to conquer the challenge. This is the top marathon running book when it comes to building motivation.
Marathon and Half-Marathon: The Beginner's Guide by Marnie Caron I am a big fan of this book because I am a firm believer in bench-mark training. The goal of a marathon is pretty large when the farthest a runner has gone before is only 5 miles. By segmenting your running goals into different length races and using each one as a bench-mark for training you can achieve success along the way to the larger marathon goal. A half marathon is a pretty lofty goal but one that is reachable by most. This book covers training for both running a half-marathon and a full marathon. Marnie is a great writer and this book is worth the read.
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss by Dean Karnazes This is my second by Dean Karnazes book in the marathon running section which may make me seem a bit lame but I have to say... this guy is good. Again, I think the inspiration factor in training is huge and Dean has a great way of writing that can put you in his shoes. He offers tips and tricks not found in most books but his stories are easy to read. it is a pretty new release so it is not out on paperback yet. You may want to wait until you finish his other books and buy the cheaper version.