From elite marathoner and Olympic hopeful Becky Wade comes the story of her year-long exploration of diverse global running communities from England to Ethiopia-9 countries, 72 host families, and over 3,500 miles of running-investigating unique cultural approaches to the sport and revealing the secrets to the success of runners all over the world. Fresh off a successful collegiate running career-with multiple NCAA All-American honors and two Olympic Trials qualifying marks to her name-Becky Wade was no stranger to international competition. But after years spent safely sticking to the training methods she knew, Becky was curious about how her counterparts in other countries approached the sport to which she'd dedicated over half of her life. So in 2012, as a recipient of the Watson Fellowship, she packed four pairs of running shoes, cleared her schedule for the year, and took off on a journey to infiltrate diverse running communities around the world. What she encountered far exceeded her expectations and changed her outlook into the sport she loved. Over the next twelve months-visiting 9 countries with unique and storied running histories, logging over 3,500 miles running over trails, tracks, sidewalks, and dirt roads-Becky explored the varied approaches of runners across the globe. Whether riding shotgun around the streets of London with Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt, climbing for an hour at daybreak to the top of Ethiopia's Mount Entoto just to start her daily run, or getting lost jogging through the bustling streets of Tokyo, Becky's unexpected adventures, keen insights, and landscape descriptions take the reader into the heartbeat of distance running around the world. Upon her return to the United States, she incorporated elements of the training styles she'd sampled into her own program, and her competitive career skyrocketed. When she made her marathon debut in 2013, winning the race in a blazing 2:30, she became the third-fastest woman marathoner under the age of 25 in U.S. history, qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Trials and landing a professional sponsorship from Asics. From the feel-based approach to running that she learned from the Kenyans, to the grueling uphill workouts she adopted from the Swiss, to the injury-recovery methods she learned from the Japanese, Becky shares the secrets to success from runners and coaches around the world. The story of one athlete's fascinating journey, Run the World is also a call to change the way we approach the world's most natural and inclusive sport.

Running Everest tells the story of a group of adventurers from around the globe who embark on a remarkable journey through the Khumbu Valley of Nepal, battling high-altitude sickness, deplorable sanitary conditions, freezing temperatures...and enjoying every minute of it! When they reach their destination, Mount Everest Base Camp, they turn around and run a marathon, the highest marathon in the world, back to civilization. Are they extremists? Or the new generation of ordinary people? Written with humour and passion, Running Everest explores the culture, inhabitants, and the delicate balance of Hinduism and Buddhism in the breath-taking Himalayas, topped off by an exhilarating race over glacial moraines, high altitude plateaus, and steep rocky climbs, all in the shadow of the highest mountain on earth. Holly Zimmermann, the first international woman to reach the finish line of the 2018 Mount Everest Marathon, recalls her incredible Himalayan journey. Fans of her first book, Ultramarathon Mom, will be thrilled to be reunited with some familiar names in this next narrative, including her running accomplice, Beatrice, a Zurich-based fashion-blogger who is equally tough in running shoes as in high heels, and Kyaron, a young Nepalese environmentalist. This book is for everyone: runners, trekkers, mountain lovers, Everest fans, and anyone who adores a good story. But be warned, after reading Running Everest, a part of you may long for adventure.

From the co-author of the best-selling Running Made Easy, with a foreword by running legend Kathrine Switzer. Lisa Jackson is a surprising cheerleader for the joys of running. Formerly a committed fitness-phobe, she became a marathon runner at 31, and ran her first 56-mile ultramarathon aged 41. And unlike many runners, Lisa's not afraid to finish last - in fact, she's done so in 20 of the 90-plus marathons she's completed so far. But this isn't just Lisa's story, it's also that of the extraordinary people she's met along the way - tutu-clad fun-runners, octogenarians, 250-mile ultrarunners - whose tales of loss and laughter are sure to inspire you just as much as they've inspired her. This book is for anyone who longs to experience the sense of connection and achievement that running has to offer, whether you're a nervous novice or a seasoned marathoner dreaming of doing an ultra. An account of the triumph of tenacity over a lack of talent, Your Pace or Mine? is proof that running really isn't about the time you do, but the time you have!

Shortlisted for the 2015 Thwaites Wainwright prize for nature writing Richard Askwith wanted more. Not convinced running had to be all about pounding pavements, buying fancy kit and racking up extreme challenges, he looked for ways to liberate himself. His solution: running through muddy fields and up rocky fells, running with his dog at dawn, running because he's being (voluntarily) chased by a pack of bloodhounds, running to get hopelessly, enjoyably lost, running fast for the sheer thrill of it. Running as nature intended. Part diary of a year running through the Northamptonshire countryside, part exploration of why we love to run without limits, Running Free is an eloquent and inspiring account of running in a forgotten, rural way, observing wildlife and celebrating the joys of nature. An opponent of the commercialisation of running, Askwith offers a welcome alternative, with practical tips (learned the hard way) on how to both start and keep running naturally - from thawing frozen toes to avoiding a stampede when crossing a field of cows. Running Free is about getting back to the basics of why we love to run.

Dom Harvey is a hugely popular radio DJ. He's known for his funny gags, and has been described as a shock-jock. So it might come as a surprise to find out that Dom is also seriously into running - marathon running. In fact, he loves it. This book is a love story about running, and about marathons especially. What got Dom into marathons? How did running save his life? And why, despite being an old fart, is he now trying to run even faster than ever before? Dom is just a regular guy who drank too much alcohol and ate too much shitty food, then fell in love with running and turned his life around (and became a bit of a running nerd along the way).

As a distance runner, are you tired of long, slow runs? Do you often feel sluggish and flat and, despite doing your regular long runs, can never quite improve on your personal best times? If so, The Easy Interval Method may be just the book for you! Written by Klaas Lok, a 24-time Dutch national champion (on the cover photo running in front of Steve Ovett, former British world record holder and Olympic champion), the Easy Interval Method challenges many of the usual training protocols and guidelines associated with distance running. Avoiding long runs in favour of relaxed, easy interval training, Klaas presents a strong and intriguing case to get athletes moving smoother, stronger and faster with fewer injuries. The Easy Interval Method contains detailed schedules for all distances from 800m to marathon. Using the principles described in this book, elite athletes have won many Dutch titles, set several national and World Masters records and even won Olympic and World championship medals. More casual runners have also surprised themselves by greatly improving their personal best times, even after years of stagnation. The book is a bestseller in Holland and is now available for the first time in English.

On the night before he was to turn forty, Rich Roll experienced a chilling glimpse of his future. Nearly fifty pounds overweight and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he could see where his current sedentary life was taking him—and he woke up.

Plunging into a new routine that prioritized a plant-based lifestyle and daily training, Rich morphed—in a matter of mere months—from out of shape, mid-life couch potato to endurance machine. Finding Ultra recounts Rich’s remarkable journey to the starting line of the elite Ultraman competition, which pits the world’s fittest humans in a 320-mile ordeal of swimming, biking, and running. And following that test, Rich conquered an even greater one: the EPIC5—five Ironman-distance triathlons, each on a different Hawaiian island, all completed in less than a week.

One of Men’s Fitness Magazine’s “25 Fittest Men in the World,” Rich has become one of the most recognized advocates of plant-based living. In this newly revised and updated edition, he shares the practices, tools, and techniques he uses for optimal performance, longevity, and wellness, including diet and nutrition protocols. Rich reflects on the steps he took to shift his mindset and leverage deep reservoirs of untapped potential to achieve success beyond his wildest imagination, urging each of us to embark on our own journey of self-discovery.

In Run Strong, Stay Hungry, running journalist Jonathan Beverly reveals the secrets of veteran racers who are still racing fast and loving the sport decades after they got their start. Beverly collects the habits and mindsets of more than 50 runners including Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Deena Kastor, Benji Durden, Colleen De Reuck, Dave Dunham, Kathrine Switzer, and Roger Robinson. Run Strong, Stay Hungry shares 9 keys from these veteran racers that let them keep running strong and staying hungry for competition. Are they biomechanically gifted? Stubborn? Simply lucky to have avoided injury? Turns out, there's a lot more to it. In his comprehensive research, Beverly discovers that these runners all share specific perspectives and habits that allow them to adapt to changing life circumstances, accept declining abilities, and rebound from setbacks. These keys not only keep them on their feet, but also allow them to continue to draw the same enjoyment from the sport whether they are winning championships or finishing in the middle of the pack, cranking out 100-mile weeks and doing blazing speed work on the track, or squeezing in just enough miles into a busy schedule to simply feel fit and fast and occasionally test that fitness in a race. Beverly interviews over 50 runners including Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Deena Kastor, Benji Durden, Colleen De Reuck, Dave Dunham, Kathrine Switzer, and Roger Robinson. From training methods to mental attitudes to finding community among their fellow runners, there are specific keys that help these masters runners to adapt, accept, and rebound from the hurdles that life and aging put in their path. By adopting the practices of these lifetime competitors, you too can enjoy a lifelong, healthy running career as well as boost your enjoyment of running and your racing performance.

Trail and Mountain Running is a practical guide for runners designed to help those who are already running off road and wanting to improve their performance, to try longer or rougher terrain with confidence, and those who simply want to venture from roads onto trails and mountain paths for the first time. Divided into three sections, the book covers: Training fundamentals - giving you all the knowledge you need to run off road in terms of training programme, looking after your body, kit and equipment and staying safe in the environment. Racing - providing more detailed advice about what to do pre, during and post race to maximize performance. Optimizing performance - more advanced information on training and racing, and supplementary areas such as altitude training, which can help performance. Throughout the book advice is given relative to four 'typical races' of different lengths and terrain; all of which is interspersed by real life anecdotes and stories from the authors.

Every day people realise that running is one of the simplest, cheapest and most effective ways to feel good, get fit, gain confidence and relieve stress. For newcomers, though, the obstacles can seem fierce: fears of pain and embarrassment, busy schedules, and not knowing where or how to start. Get Running provides all the information aspiring runners need to take their first steps, as well as inspiration for staying motivated. The book presents readers with tips for smart training and injury prevention that enable recreational runners of all levels to achieve gradual, tangible progress while learning to enjoy running. Avoid expensive gym fees, get the endorphins flowing, build your confidence and make new friends with this inspirational guide. 'The best running book ever. Comprehensive, inspiring and beautifully produced'. Irish Examiner

Every year, roughly 2 million people participate in marathons and half marathons in the United States, and, no matter what level they are, every one of these runners has likely hit"The Wall," running out of muscle fuel in the final miles and slowing down precipitously. This setback and other common running disappointments are nutritional (or metabolic) in nature. In The New Rules , renowned fitness journalist and training coach Matt Fitzgerald cuts through the myths,distilling the most up-to-date science to help runners overcome the universally experienced nutritional barriers that prevent success in the marathon and half marathon.From basic tenets of training to nutrition guidelines, The New Rules is the first resource for runners to fully integrate nutrition with training for a complete and systematic preraceplan. Fitzgerald's powerful and easy-to-use tools will enable runners of all levels to attain their ideal racing weight, calculate their precise daily energy needs, and formulate a custom nutrition plan.

The inspirational story of athlete Jo Pavey, the runner and mum who ran at a record-breaking fifth Olympic Games at Rio 2016. 'Come-back races? I've had more than a few, the night of 10 May 2014 was the ultimate long shot. I was a forty-year-old mother of two who had given birth eight months before. I trained on a treadmill in a cupboard by the back door and I was wearing a running vest older than most of the girls I was competing against. Was I crazy?' Jo Pavey was forty years old when she won the 10,000m at the European Championships. It was the first gold medal of her career and, astonishingly, it came within months of having her second child. The media dubbed her 'Supermum', but Jo's story is in many ways the same as every mother juggling the demands of working life with a family - the sleepless nights, the endless nappy changing, the fun, the laughter and the school-run chaos. The only difference is that Jo is a full-time athlete pushing a buggy on her training runs, clocking up miles on the treadmill in a cupboard while her daughter has her lunchtime nap, and hitting the track while her children picnic on the grass. Heartwarming and uplifting, This Mum Runs follows Jo's roundabout journey to the top and all the lessons she's learnt along the way. It is the inspiring yet everyday story of a mum that runs and a runner that mums.

A guide to running for the unathletic, told by a man who fell into the sport almost by accident. Progressing cautiously on a reluctant and unexpected journey to 100 Marathons (and beyond), he learned the hard way from years of getting it wrong. Unlikely to break any records or become a national figure for the standards he sets, he nonetheless has enhanced his life and fitness, taking his long-suffering family along with him. In this witty account, he writes about his unsteady progress while knocking the stuffing out of running pomposity.

Step after step for 26.2 miles, hundreds of thousands of people run marathons. But why--what compels people past pain, lost toenails, 5.30 am start times, The Wall? Sports writer Matt Fitzgerald set out to run eight marathons in eight weeks across the country to answer that question. At each race, he meets an array of runners, from first timers, to dad-daughter teams and spouses, to people who'd been running for decades, and asks them what keeps them running. But there is another deeply personal part to Matt's journey: his own relationship to the sport--and how it helped him overcome his own struggles and cope with his wife Nataki's severe bipolar disorder. A combination of Matt's own How Bad Do You Want It? and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Life Is a Marathon captures the magic of those 26.2 miles. At the end of the day--and at the end of the race--the pursuit of a marathon finish line is not unlike the pursuit of happiness. You will pick up the book for a powerful personal story about what running does for the people for whom it does the most. You will put it down with a greater understanding of what it means to be alive in this world.

Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year In Bump, Bike & Baby, Moire O'Sullivan charts her journey from happy, carefree mountain runner to reluctant, stay-at-home mother of two. With her sights set on winning Ireland's National Adventure Racing Series, she manages to maintain her post-natal sanity, and slowly learns to become a loving and occasionally functioning mum.

"I laughed, I cried and I was 100% re-inspired to stick with my own personal fitness goals" Running Outside the Comfort Zone uncovers the brash, bold, and very human sides of running, and along the way Susan Lacke rekindles her own crush on America's favorite all-comers sport. Running offers much more than road racing! After a decade of writing about running, sports columnist Susan Lacke found herself in a serious running rut. The runners around her seemed to be thriving, setting goals, and having fun, but her own interest in running was lackluster. Seeking to reengage with the sport she once loved, Lacke spends a year exploring running in its many shapes and forms, taking on running challenges that scare her, push her, and downright embarrass her. From races with giant cheese wheels to a regional wife-carrying competition, a naked 5K to climbing the dark stairwells of the Empire State Building, Lacke's brave forays and misadventures are chronicled in wondrous and funny stories.

'We're not at parkrun any more,' I mutter to myself, quietly longing for the presence of nice marshals in high-visibility vests. Failure is an Option is the story of an average runner who sets out to discover just how far he can go. With the support (and misgivings) of his family, and aware that his quickest years are behind him, Matt Whyman leaves the Saturday morning 5K to push towards 100-mile ultramarathons and beyond. By slowing things down to run a very long way, he joins a growing number of men and women from all walks of life striving to do something extraordinary. A newcomer to a world that can often seem off-limits, Matt finds his feet as an ultrarunner by learning the hard way. He battles monster hallucinations on endurance races spanning day and night, loses himself on tantalising trails across landscapes far from home, and forges bonds with fellow competitors in which small, kind gestures mean more than any medal. Determined to touch the boundaries of his running world before it starts to shrink, ultimately Matt sets his sights on a six-day mountain ultra that even hardened veterans consider to be the most formidable on earth: the Dragon's Back Race. Brimming with good humour, honesty and joy, Failure is an Option pits ambition against ability to uncover human truths that resonate with us all. A mid-pack competitor who could win prizes for enthusiasm - if nothing else - Matt takes us on a journey far beyond his comfort zone and with no guaranteed outcome of success. The results are entertaining from start to finish, often very funny and at times deeply moving.

Despite believing he was bionic as a child, Ira Rainey was far from an elite athlete with superhuman running abilities like the ones he read about in books. He was in fact an overweight and unfit slacker who felt a bit sorry for himself because he had sore feet. Sure he ran a bit, but he also sat around a lot and ate and drank too much. Why? Because he could, and because he was a delusional optimist who thought everything would always be just fine. That was until a friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given months to live. It was an event that would push Ira to tackle his apathy towards life and take on the challenge of becoming an ultramarathon runner, pushing himself to go further than he had ever gone before. Award winning, Fat Man to Green Man: From Unfit to Ultramarathon is a warm and humorous account of one man's quest to uncover his true super powers as he journeys from fat to fit, and taking in everything that came between the two. It is a story of fields and friendships; mud and maps; but more importantly learning how to push yourself to achieve what you would never believe you could - and how to deal with the consequences. Fat Man to Green Man is shortlisted for the British Sports Book Awards 2014 (Best New Writer) and won the silver award for running books in The 2014 Running Awards, an award voted for by runners.

Half Marathon: A Complete Training Guide for Women is a must-have for adult women of any age at any fitness level who want to train for a half marathon. Using Jeff Galloway's proven Run Walk Run (R) method, this book offers a step-by-step program for women that will get them started with weekly training. The training plans follow the run-walk-run format, allowing the runner to increase her mileage while decreasing her time, safely and effectively. An added benefit of these training programs is that they can easily fit into any busy schedule because training needs to happen only three days a week. Along with the training programs, this book offers nutrition advice for women-what and when to eat and how to control weight while training. It offers advice on staying motivated and preventing injury while training as well. Also included is information on women-specific issues. Any woman looking to complete a half marathon will find all the information she needs to run-walk-run fast and finish her race strong.

The inspirational, bittersweet story of Tamsin Imber's journey as a runner. Starting out as a busy mum, she secretly trains for a marathon - and ends up completing nine in a year, running joyfully in the rainy North York Moors with a group of like-minded lunatics. But talented Tamsin's London Marathon attempt is thwarted by a mysterious fatigue. Running My Way explores the empowering sense of freedom and achievement that running can bring into the chaotic, stressful life of a typically selfless mum. Mocked by an old friend, Tamsin sets off on a bumpy road that leads to a rewarding new social life and countless hilarious adventures. Trophy-winning runs attract the attention of a coach who helps her toward qualification for a championship place in the London Marathon. Ultimately, an appreciation of running free with wild abandon - whether in glorious countryside or in competition - is sharpened by Tamsin's diagnosis with debilitating CFS/ME. Now her positivity and sense of humour are sure to inspire others to take up the sport.

It is summer, the hay and silage have not yet been made on John Connell’s farm, so he has time to indulge his other great passion: running. John sets off on a marathon run of 42.2 kilometres through his native Longford, the scene of his award-winning book The Cow Book.

As he runs across woodlands, fields and tiny roads, he tells the story of his life and contemplates Ireland’s history, old and new. He also remembers other great runs he has done, from Australia to Canada, and tells the stories of some of his running heroes, such as Haile Gebrselassie.

Part memoir, part essay, The Running Book explores what it is to be alive and what movement can do for a person. It is deeply intimate and wide-ranging, local and global: Connell is as likely to write about colonialism and the effect of British imperialism in Ireland and its former colonies as he is about life on his family farm in Ballinalee, County Longford. Told in 42 chapters, each another kilometre in the 42.2k race, the whole book is 42,000 words long and it captures what it is to undertake a marathon moment by moment, in body and mind. Above all, The Running Book is a book about the nature of happiness and how for one man it came through the feet.

"Off-Road Running" explains the basics of training so that every runner can design a program unique to them. Practical explanations of nutrition and physiology complement advice on every aspect of training, from taking a compass bearing to preparing for a race. Topics covered include trail running, cross country, fell running, mountain running, orienteering, and mountain marathons.

'An amazing story of one woman's journey through mental illness... So inspiring and proving once again that exercise changes lives' Mel Sykes Suffering from depression but desperate for 'normality', Rachel Cullen found herself in failing relationships, the wrong career and a reliance on alcohol and chocolate to get her through each day. Stuck in an endless cycle of mental misery, she put on a pair of old trainers. She'd never been able to think of herself as a 'runner' before, and the first time she forced herself out the door, she knew it would hurt. Everywhere. She just didn't realise how much it would heal her, too. Interspersed with Rachel's real diary entries, from teenage non-runner to London Marathon finisher (just months after giving birth), she questions if she really can outrun her demons.