Guardian's Best Sports Books SHORTLISTED FOR THE CROSS BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2015 LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2015 In Chase Your Shadow, journalist and author John Carlin tells the gripping story of Oscar Pistorius's tragic journey from sporting icon to accused murderer. Before Valentine's Day of 2013, Pistorius was best known as an extraordinary athlete, the 'Blade Runner' who became the first amputee in history to compete in the Olympics. Everything changed after he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead in the early hours of 14 February. Overnight, the Olympian's status as a role model was replaced by tales of erratic behaviour and a violent dark side. His seven-month trial was broadcast live around the globe, its twists and turns captivating millions. Carlin, who followed the drama inside the courtroom, provides a vivid first-hand account of Pistorius's wrenching emotional breakdowns, the merciless interrogation to which he was submitted by the prosecutor, and the highly controversial judgment. Carlin paints a portrait of a complex personality, a man whose life story reveals extremes of courage and insecurity, ambition and vulnerability, generosity and dangerous hot-headedness. Not since the O. J. Simpson case has the world been more riveted by a champion's heroic rise and calamitous fall.

Lo que les voy a contar es la historia de un sueno, casi un cuento de hadas. En el ano de mil novecientos noventa y dos llegue con mi familia a la urbanizacion de La Fresneda (en el municipio de Siero, Asturias) y a todos nosotros nos parecio un lugar idoneo para vivir. Tenia instalaciones deportivas, muchos arboles, bosques, rios y una gran variedad de aves. Ademas a un extremo del pueblo (todavia en ciernes) una pequena colina poblada de bosque, sotobosque, arbustos, prados y algunos caserios (surcada por caminos y senderos) parecia constituir tambien un lugar muy propicio para hacer 'running'. Encontre en la belleza incomparable del Club de Campo un espacio deportivo excepcional para entrenar (arboles, rio, aves, verdes campos...). Asi que nos asentamos en La Fresneda llenos de proyectos e ilusiones. Pronto me calce las zapatillas de clavos y me dispuse a trazar una ruta virgen sobre hierba por todo el perimetro del Club de Campo. De esa forma comence a correr siempre sobre mis pasos, llevando a cabo todos los dias el mismo recorrido, entre la hierba alta y bucolica, aprovechando las margenes del rio Norena y del arroyo Forcon. Que tiempos tan irrepetibles . No tarde mucho en dejar una huella sensible sobre el cesped inmaculado, pues a fuerza de repetir la pisada sobre los mismos lugares ya se sabe que en cualquier sitio enseguida se termina marcando un camino. Por esos anos comence a salir bastante en los periodicos y tambien a ser muy conocido por las largas distancias que corria, al obtener buenos resultados en los cien kilometros y tomar parte ya las 24 horas. Era funcionario de 'Correos' y preste por un tiempo mis servicios en la localidad de La Fresneda, de ahi que para todo el mundo empece a ser 'el cartero' a secas, sobrenombre con el que se me sigue conociendo (y asi sera hasta que me muera) aunque llevo varios anos perteneciendo a otra Administracion del estado espanol Transcurrio el tiempo sin que nadie mas corriera por la 'senda del cartero' hasta que un buen dia cuando estaba entrenando comprobe que el jardinero que prestaba servicios en el Club hacia sus labores con un tractor, el cual tenia acoplado un peine de segar hierba. Aunque yo no era nadie para hacerle peticion alguna (solo un socio mas), lo cierto es que me aventure a preguntarle su parecer sobre si se podria realizar una siega con el tractor por un determinado lugar, intentando mas que nada tantear su buena voluntad y predisposicion. ' De que se trata?', me dijo. Y le sugeri con cierto recelo si podria dar una pasada con la segadora por donde yo entrenaba. Ante mi asombro me indico enseguida: 'No hay problema, eso esta hecho. Dime por donde empiezo...'. Asi fue como le guie hasta un punto del sendero y comence correr por el mismo con el tractor segando y pisandome los talones. Yo estaba encantado, porque veia que se estaba abriendo una autentica vereda, que quedaba estupenda a la vista de cualquiera, pues parecia una verde alfombra. De esa forma fue como poco despues ya se pudo observar a mas corredores haciendo 'footing' por aquel circuito, incluida alguna mujer. Ese fue un punto de inflexion: era como si la hermosa franja de cesped bien cortado invitase a trotar sobre ella. Y de esa manera cada vez mas y mas personas empezaron a hacer 'running' por aquel trazado inigualable, un recorrido primoroso, al lado de enormes arboles, el bosque, dos rios y verdes praderas. Despues, en el ano dos mil dos, la junta directiva decidio dedicarme (con un homenaje una placa) la ya famosa 'milla del cartero', corriendo ya ese dia ciento dos personas las primeras 24 horas de su historia, consiguiendo acumular 931 millas. Lo que ocurrio despues ya fue algo imparable. Pero eso, mis queridos lectores y lectoras, tendran que descubrirlo ya en el libro."

RUNNING Getting Started will take anyone, at any level of fitness, into the running lifestyle. Jeff Galloway, a US Olympian in 1972, has helped hundreds of thousands of people make this journey while reducing or eliminating aches, pains, and injuries suffered during most training programs. Jeff developed the Run-Walk-Run method of training, in which running is repeatedly interrupted by walk breaks, and offers a step by step program that is easy to use and easy to understand. Included are also lots of tips on nutrition, staying motivated, building endurance, shoes, stretching and strengthening, and much more.

In I'M HERE TO WIN, Chris "Macca" McCormack opens his playbook and reveals everything it takes-mind, body, and spirit-to become a champion. Now he shares the story of his triumphs and the never-say-die dedication that has made him the world's most successful triathlete.
In 2010, at the age of 37, Macca beat the odds and won the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii for a second time in what many called the most dramatic finish in the race's history. Macca's journey to athletic greatness is more than just one of physical perseverance. After coming in fourth in Hawaii in 2009, Macca returned to the island on a mission: He was there to win. A game plan containing a new strategic approach to winning brought him first across the finish line.
Chris McCormack has dedicated his life to training for-and winning-the Ironman Hawaii, one of the most grueling tests of mental and physical endurance in the world. The race challenges athletes to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full marathon, 26.2 miles, using all their strength and willpower to overcome the incredibly harsh conditions.
In I'M HERE TO WIN Macca provides concrete training advice for everyone-from weekend warriors who casually compete to seasoned veterans who race every week to armchair athletes looking for an extra push-and provides insight into the mind of a great champion with excitement and inspiration on every page.
I'M HERE TO WIN is also available as an enhanced e-book with embedded video and audio.

In 1928 two extraordinary Englishmen competed in an unprecedented event - a transcontinental road race across America that required them to run an average of 40 miles for 80 consecutive days. Despite being separated by class, education and age, Peter Gavuzzi and Arthur Newton became close friends and formed a successful business partnership as endurance athletes. They raced in 500-mile relays, in 24-hour events, in snowshoes and against horses; and they became the stars of a craze for endurance events that swept across depression-era North America and the most famous long-distance runners in the world. However, history has forgotten these two men, and in Running for Their Lives - in a story peopled with remarkable characters, unimaginable feats and tragic twists of fate - they only now receive the recognition they so richly deserve.

Correr es una gran manera de mejorar tu salud y bienestar, mejorar tu autoestima y adquirir un sentimiento de realizacion. Correr puede parecer simple para algunos, pero para otros, el asumir un estilo de vida de running, puede presentar un nuevo mundo de entrenamientos, estiramientos, nutricion y equilibrio. Pero llegado el momento, todos podemos ser corredores de por vida si tenemos las herramientas y los conocimientos adecuados. Con consejos de expertos y asesoramiento especificamente para mujeres, este libro es el companero perfecto para el principiante, veterano y aquellos que vuelven a correr despues de una pausa.

The half century since the Ethopian marathon runner, Abebe Bikila, won the Olympic gold medal in world record time in Rome in 1960 has been a golden period for African athletics. Since then, Africans have won 42 Olympic gold medals, numerous IAAF World Championships gold and established a string of world records in international competition. Most, but not all, come from the Eastern African highlands of Kenya and Ethopia with other notable successes from Mediterranean athletes especially Morocco; and they are amongst the very elite of the world’s athletes. Running for Black Gold documents in both text and statistics the African dominance in the middle and long distance events in international athletics competition, highlighting the successes of over 100 male and female athletes, their gold medals and world records. Amateur sportsman and writer Kevin Lillis focuses on the on-track performances of these athletes at the Olympic Games and the IAAF World Championships exclusively, as the `blackgold standard’ against which supreme performance is measured. Written from the viewpoint of a keen observer of both Africa and athletics, Lillis provides a broad map of the key moments in the history of `African runners running for black gold’ culminating in the dominance of the Kenyans at the last IAAF World Championships in Daegu Korea. The text and accompanying statistics are illustrated with stunning photographs of the outstanding gold medal winners and world record holders by internationally acclaimed photographer Mark Shearman. Sports enthusiasts especially those with an interest in the development of African athletics and the history of the Olympics as well as journalists, broadcasters and sport statisticians will revel in this revealing and easily read account of African athletics achievement `from Bikila to Bekele’.

Este libro es un viaje inspirador a traves de los ojos, la mente, y el corazon de Alexandra Panayotou, una atleta de ultrafondo que corrio 2010 km en 31 dias, promocionando los Campeonatos de Europa de Atletismo - Barcelona 2010. Aparte de llevarte a los, en ocasiones, angustiosos dias y tortuosas noches, tambien te acercara a su experiencia vital, adentrandote en sus pensamientos y sus emociones, haciendote participe de sus luchas y sus triunfos. Motivador, tanto para corredores como para no corredores, este libro habla acerca de alcanzar tus metas a traves de la excelencia personal.

An exciting series that provides students with direct access to the ancient world by offering new translations of extracts from its key texts. Where did the idea of celebrating the Olympic Games every four years come from? The short answer is ancient Greece. The very name 'Olympic' announces an origin for the competition, but, as with most of our classical heritage, it is easy for the superficial similarities to conceal major cultural differences. The purpose of this new book in the Greece and Rome: Texts and Contexts series is to provide an introduction to Greek athletics and their most important competition at Olympia through a selection of contemporary visual and literary sources.

This unique sports and labor history charts the revolutionary transformation of track and field over the past thirty years. In this time, the sport has changed from an amateur effort whose governing bodies unfairly controlled its athletes' lives to a professional arena in which athletes have the power to make decisions in their own best interests. While historians have chronicled labor history in team sports such as baseball and football or have lumped track and field into larger studies of Olympic history, Joseph M. Turrini is the first to scrupulously detail the efforts of athletes to reorder labor relations in track and field and to end their decades-long power struggle with governing bodies.

Combining social and institutional history and incorporating the recollections of the athletes and meet directors on the front lines, "The End of Amateurism in Track and Field" shows how the athletes thoroughly transformed their sport to end the amateur system in the early 1990s--changes that allowed the athletes to market their potential, drastically increase their earning possibilities, and improve their quality of life.

This book reveals how athletes in the 1950s began to harness the courts, legislature, and little-known underground labor relations systems that grew within the sport to untangle the distribution of power and decision-making by the 1990s. Enlivening the narrative with stories such as runner Wes Santee's battle with the Amateur Athletic Union and revelations about the actions of college coaches and rivalries between the NCAA and AAU, Turrini examines the effects of amateurism on athletes and explores how changes in the economic context of track and field and the role of the government helped leverage the end of the 100-year era of amateur track and field.

Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. The word is derived from the Greek word "athlos" meaning "contest". It is a collection of sport events, which can roughly be divided into running, throwing, and jumping. Athletics has become widely spread within society and as a consequence brought with it many ancillary issues. Major areas of concern to society outside the pure competition include: steroid use, role modelling, sport psychology, public relations, and proper place within various levels of education.

Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sports events that involve running, throwing and jumping. This book presents recent articles on athletics and issues related to athletes.

Mas de 24 millones de personas corren en los Estados Unidos solo, pero un 65 por ciento tendra que dejar de hacerlo al menos una vez este ano debido a alguna lesion. Aun asi, otros elegiran seguir corriendo a pesar del dolor. Pero en este libro vanguardista, ahora disponible en espanol, el ultra maratoniano Danny Dreyer ensena la tecnica de correr que ha creado para curar y prevenir lesiones, y tambien para correr mas rapido, mas lejos y con mucho menos esfuerzo a cualquier edad.

ChiRunning emplea las profundas reservas de la fuerza de los musculos principales del tronco, un enfoque que se desarrolla de disciplinas tales como el yoga, el metodo Pilates y el Tai Chi. Este excelente programa explicado paso a paso te ofrece los principios del entrenamiento y se aprende muy facilmente.

A Reduce dramaticamente la posibilidad de sufrir lesiones

A Hace el dolor de rodilla y el estres de la tibia medial (periostitis medial)una cosa del pasado

A Reduce enormemente el tiempo de recuperacion despues de las carreras

A Crea un programa de entrenamiento seguro y eficaz

A Hace posible que disfrutes el correr a cualquier distancia tanto si eres un corredor principiante o un competidor experimentado

Triathlon Training: Running is essential reading for runners who want to improve their lap times, athletes who want to incorporate running into a multi-sport programme and anyone considering training for their first triathlon. Practical, effective and easy to understand, it contains all the information and advice that serious runners need to improve their technique and achieve great results. It includes: improving your technique for the best results; outdoor and track training techniques for speed and safety; fitness, competition, strength and flexibility training programmes; mental training and motivation; effective equipment use.

The All-Around was a one-day, ten-event track and field contest of endurance, speed, and strength that was the forerunner to the modern decathlon. Its heyday stretched from the American Civil War to World War I during which its champions were generally well known and highly esteemed figures. After the decathlon was introduced in the 1912 Olympic Games, however, the All-Around was soon forced into the background. The event vanished early in the 20th century before it made a brief comeback after World War II, creating an athletic subculture for dozens of athletes who kept it alive until its final demise in 1977. The careers of these early amateurs are highlighted in biographical sketches of the 22 greatest All-Around men. The book covers the great touring professional Highlander athletes, Donald Dinnie and Princeton's George Goldie, whose careers did much to popularize multi-event contests from the 1860s to the 1880s. Zarnowski also profiles Malcolm Ford, Hollywood cowboy Fred C. Thomson, Avery Brundage (later president of the International Olympic Committee), and the legendary Jim Thorpe. The story of the post-WWII All-Arounder, Bob Richards the "Vaulting Vicar" of Wheaties fame, is also included. The lives and careers of these men - as well as the event itself - are finally given the treatment they deserve in this richly detailed book, which includes more than 20 photos. It will hold great appeal to sports historians, 19th century historians, and the fans, athletes, and coaches of modern day track and field.

Athletes from all levels of achievement competing in sport are involved in a continuous quest to optimise performance. The Improving Sports Performance book series sets out to present a new synthesis of contemporary knowledge and understanding with respect to the scientific basis of performance. Whilst accepting that there is no one answer and recognising that all athletes are individuals, this series aims to provide prescriptive, sports-specific advice as far as is presently possible to enable all athletes to optimise their sporting performance. Improving Sports Performance in Middle and Long-Distance Running, the first book in the series, addresses the physiological demands of middle and long distance running, presenting contemporary research on running. The book covers the limitations to running performance; the application of this knowledge to training and preparation for performance; methods by which the runner, coach, and sports scientist can assess and monitor running performance; and special considerations for optimising performance including nutritional and environmental issues. The series draws upon the expertise of applied exercise physiologists who have direct experience of working with elite performers and coaches. Improving Sports Performance in Middle and Long-Distance Running is aimed at three groups of people. First, sports participants aspiring to improve their personal performance through a more complete understanding of the application of science. Second, coaches of such athletes who wish to complement the art of coaching by basing their training programmes upon rational scientific principles. Third, sports science and physical education students with an interest in implementing the theoretical background of their course in an applied sporting context. Thus, books in the series will steer a course between the theoretical texts of exercise physiology and biochemistry and popular coaching texts.

College basketball experienced its greatest rise in popularity during the eighties, becoming one of the most commercially successful spectator sports in America. With this rise came an era of scandal: recruiting violations, spurious admittance practices, and controversial treatment of student athletes. Within this guarded context of scrutiny, allegations of improprieties, and media celebrity, Patricia and Peter Adler penetrated the public front of a top twenty basketball team. The result of their efforts, "Backboards and Blackboards: College Athletes and Role Engulfment," is a compelling inside account of an exciting, intimidating, and glamorous hidden arena.

"At the end of every marathon training run, I recite the Penguin mantra: 'The miracle isn't that I finished, it's that I had the courage to start.' I thank John Bingham for bolstering my courage and helping me run, literally, for my life."--Jessica Stedman Guff, senior producer of ABiTV's "The View
"Jenny Hadfield is an amazing motivator. She makes regular people believe that they can undertake amazing things--and then she's there all the way to encourage them, right down to the finish line. I've never met another coach quite like her."--Kathy O'Malley, WGN Radio--Chicago talk show host in training for her first marathon
Once considered a feat for superhuman athletes, the marathon is now within every mortal's grasp. Former couch potato John Bingham has joined forces with coach Jenny Hadfield to create a winning plan that works for every mortal--even you.
In "Marathoning for Mortals, you'll find the courage to train, the willpower to persevere, and the tenacity to finish one mile after another. John and Jenny stick with you every step of the way, from your first insecure thoughts to your last-minute jitters to your supreme joy at the finish line. In "Marathoning for Mortals, you'll find:
8 training programs to run, run-walk, walk-run, or walk the half-marathon and marathon
The advice you need to physically, mentally, and spiritually reach your dreams
Tips to help you customize your training, buy the right shoes and apparel, and eat the best foods
Guidance for common motivational, physical, and emotional roadblocks
Join John and Jenny on an amazing transformative journey where the finish line is just the beginning.
John "the Penguin" Bingham writes amonthly column for "Runner's World magazine and teaches the basics of running to adult-onset athletes at his popular Penguin Flight Schools. He is also the author of "The Courage to Start: A Guide to Running for Your Life and "No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running.
Jenny Hadfield, M.A., C.P.T., is a fitness expert who has trained thousands of walkers, run-walkers, and runners of all levels. Her gentle yet uncompromising approach to training combined with her unique insights into the human body and mind will help you discover your inner long-distance athlete. She has qualified for the Boston Marathon and competed in three Eco-Challenges.

The fantastic memoir by Roger Bannister, the middle-distance runner who achieved the epic quest to break the four-minute mile! All sports have pivotal moments, single events that change perceptions forever after. For the sport of running such a moment passed on a blustery May afternoon in 1954, when Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. This is the story of that fantastic run. Today, more than sixty years later, lovers of sport - runners and non-runners alike - will be moved by this impassioned story of one of sport's true heroes.

In today's hyper-competitive world, young athletes are often pushed to compete and pressured to succeed to the point of burnout. It doesn't have to be that way, though, because many young runners genuinely enjoy training and racing. But in order to train and compete intelligently-to become better runners yet avoid injuries or academic and social missteps-they need guidance. Young Runners at the Top: A Training, Racing, and Lifestyle Guide for Competitors and Coaches provides helpful instructions and suggestions for runners of all abilities. Drawing on their experiences as coaches and runners, authors Brad Hudson, Lize Brittin, and Kevin Beck offer insights into how pre-teens and teens can become faster and stronger athletes. Chapters cover such key topics as choosing the right gear, cross-training, the mental side of running, new technology, how to integrate running into daily life, and proper nutrition. Sample training schedules for beginning, intermediate, and elite runners make this a truly comprehensive resource for runners at all levels. Using examples of athletes who have excelled both as youngsters and adults and citing wisdom from top running coaches, this book encourages young runners to develop the inner strength and discipline required in a demanding sport. Ultimately, Young Runners at the Top shares with athletes, coaches, and parents not only what it takes to become a top runner, but also how to maintain a positive attitude and enjoy the act of running day after day, year after year.

A New York City firefighter's emotional and inspiring memoir of learning to run again after a debilitating accident, based on the wildly popular March 2009 piece in "Runner's World."
On the morning of December 22, 2005, Matt Long was cycling to work in the early morning when he was struck by and sucked under a 20-ton bus making an illegal turn. The injuries he sustained pushed him within inches of his life. Miraculously, more than 40 operations and months later, Matt was able to start his recovery. In spite of the severity of his injuries, Matt found the psychological consequences of the accident nearly as hard to process. He would no longer be able to compete at the highest level.
In the 18 months before the accident, he had competed in more than 20 events including several triathlons and marathons and had qualified for running's most prestigious race, the Boston Marathon. After the accident, his doctor told him he'd be lucky if he could even walk without a cane.
The Long Run is an emotional and incredibly honest story about Matt's determination to fight through fear, despair, loneliness, and intense physical and psychological pain to regain the life he once had. The book chronicles Matt's road to recovery as he teaches himself to walk again and, a mere three years later, to run in the 2008 New York City Marathon--a gimpy seven-and-a-half hour journey through the five boroughs. "Running saved my life," Matt says, and his embrace of the running community and insistence on competing in the marathon has inspired many, turning him into a symbol of hope and recovery for untold numbers of others.

Breaking records and challenging the limits of human ability are central to much of our understanding of athletic track and field sports, with a world record title arguably as valued as an Olympic gold medal. Some particular limits and records take on greater significance, however, as in the case of the Four-Minute Mile which was roundly believed to be impossible until Roger Bannister shattered the illusion with half a second to spare in May 1954. These essays look at the background of Bannister's achievement and the meaning that was ascribed to it by the media and the public at large, drawing on an array of interdisciplinary and international influences to unpick the legend surrounding an historic moment in our social and sporting past.