'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.

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.

The Tao of Running brings a fresh and unique perspective to the topic of running. It offers readers multiple ways to significantly deepen, enlighten, and enrich their running experiences Introduces a unique and bold new treatment of the topic of running

'Incredibly moving and inspiring' Gabby Logan ‘Prepare to be blown away… the most incredible examples of girl power’ Judy Murray OBE 'Louise is such a positive and uplifting presence. Her fearlessness should inspire us all' Susanna Reid 'A celebration of the strength, power and determination of women' Giovanna Fletcher --- JOIN LOUISE MINCHIN ON 17 EXHILARATING ADVENTURES WITH TRAILBLAZING WOMEN WHO ARE BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS, SMASHING RECORDS AND CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES. 'To get to the heart of who these women are… I decided to do it the way that I know best, by taking part, spending time right beside them to experience the things they love.' Driven to bring more attention to female stories of courage and endeavour, Louise Minchin pushes herself to the extreme and embarks on thrilling endurance adventures with trailblazing women. She freedives under the ice in the dark in Finland with Cath, the first woman to swim a mile in the Antarctic Circle; she cycles across Argentina with Mimi, one of the world’s most famous female endurance runners; and she swims from Alcatraz with Anaya and Mitali, two young sisters who have braved the shark-infested waters over 70 times. With her natural empathy and sense of humour, Louise forms close bonds with 18 incredible women. She explores what drives them and how they find the resilience and determination to go on despite life’s setbacks. Lizzie overcame a life-threatening illness and now paddleboards whilst cleaning up the planet with her community; Rhian set up a charity in the face of grief and fundraises through hikes; and Zee took up rugby alongside her busy nursing career and motherhood. Louise reminds us of the bravery inside us all, and how essential it is to celebrate women’s achievements. Prepare to be touched and inspired by these fearless women. --- 'A truly remarkable collection of stories' Sir Chris Hoy

Serious triathletes may be the most tech-savvy of all athletes. You have the latest devices and know that data to improve your performance are at hand, but putting it all together can be a daunting, confusing task. Triathlete, coach, researcher, and author Jim Vance maintains that, despite access to the relevant information, most triathletes start a race undertrained or overtrained. That's why he's developed Triathlon 2.0: Data-Driven Performance Training, the first program to take advantage of the latest science and technology. Triathlon 2.0 examines the sport's most popular devices, including cycling power meters, GPS trackers, and heart rate monitors. Capture the most accurate readings, learn what they mean, and, just as important, what they don't. Then, put the numbers to work for you, translating your data into a comprehensive program based on your performance needs and triathlon goals. With Triathlon 2.0, you will learn these skills: * Establish and identify optimal aerobic fitness base. * Determine the exact number of intervals for the most effective training and quickest recovery. * Identify performance markers to track training results. * Develop a tapering plan for peak performance. * Monitor pace and progress in real time. If you're serious about maximizing performance, then turn to the only program built around your personal performance data. With Triathlon 2.0, the power and plan are in your hands.

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.

"Quick Strength for Runners" offers a smart, fast-paced strength training program for runners who want to run faster and with fewer injuries. In under an hour a week, runners will strengthen their core and key running muscles to build a better runner's body.
Strength training is crucial to better running and injury prevention. But it's difficult to know which exercises work best for runners or to get motivated to hit the gym.
In "Quick Strength for Runners," running coach and personal trainer Jeff Horowitz simplifies strength training into just two 20-minute workouts per week, with no gym or pricey equipment required. Designed specifically for runners, the Quick Strength program pinpoints the exercises that really work. Inside you'll find:
- A guide to how strength training leads to better running form and fitness
- 40 targeted exercises, with step-by-step photos and clear instructions
- Progressive workouts and advanced form options to increase strength as fitness improves
- A focused and efficient 8-week strength training program
- Tips on designing your own long-term workout program for a lifetime of fitness
"Quick Strength for Runners" makes it easy for runners to build a better runner's body. This highly effective, easy-to-implement program will make you a stronger, faster runner in under an hour a week so you can stay on the road or trail.

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

Originally published in 1929, this book was written to provide schoolboys with a guide to the principles of modern methods in various athletics events. Numerous illustrative figures are contained throughout the text, including 'excerpts from slow-motion cinematograph films' demonstrating the best techniques for different sports. An appendices section, incorporating a bibliography, is also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of education and the development of athletics.

Jamaican Usain 'Lightning' Bolt is arguably the most celebrated sportsman in the world. From the relative obscurity of being a world-class 200 metres runner and winner of the Athletics World Championship silver medal in 2007, Bolt has elevated himself to iconic stature with his incredible world record runs in the 100 metres and his unbelievable performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is already being touted as the 'saviour' of track and field athletics and has been a fantastic ambassador for Jamaica, the Caribbean and the entire global African diaspora. This 22 year-old promises astonishing feats to come and his performances indicate that he is more than ready to fulfil those promises. Already a track phenomenon at the precocious age of twelve, this uncomplicated country boy leads the new generation of Caribbean stars who chose to stay at home, and train, study and work in familiar climes. His story is an inspiration to all and his instant celebrity shows the power of the media and the importance of the Olympic Games even in today's crowded sports calendar.

Tap into a powerful mind-body connection to optimize performance and boost happiness-on and off the running trails. What if the key to improving your running, shaping your body, and boosting your happiness was all in your mind? In Mindful Running, lifelong runner, coach, and fitness journalist Mackenzie L. Havey recounts her personal practice of meditative running and the influence it has had on her life. She taps a wide range of sources--from weekend warriors to Olympic runners, from coaches and sports psychologists to neuroscientists and meditation experts--to examine how training mental fitness through mindfulness can enhance your running practice and lead to a more contented existence. The research is clear: Mindfulness changes the very structure of the brain. Paired with physical training, mindful running has the potential to give you an edge when you're out logging miles, as well as help you hone the ability to exist in the present, endure challenges and hardship with ease and find greater happiness in all things big and small. Mindful running is a total body and mind fitness regimen with serious benefits that continue even when the race is over. Regardless of your fitness level, the Mindful Running process is the same: We focus in on the body, mind and surroundings and begin to notice what thoughts, feelings and sensations exist in that moment; we fathom that information, consider how it all fits together from a holistic standpoint, and decide if we need to make adjustments; and by following these steps we enter flow, a state that embodies present moment awareness, concentration, confidence, optimal performance and joy.

Fifty Places to Run Before You Die is a beautifully illustrated collection of the most exhilarating running courses in the world. Featuring a balance of popular races (marathons, 10Ks, and endurance runs) and scenic trails off the beaten path, as well as interviews with accomplished runners and leaders of respected running organizations, this book divulges the details that make each venue unique-and plenty of tips for those who aspire to run there. Readers will discover events and courses both national and international, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc in France, the New York City Marathon, the Vancouver Sun Run, the Grand Canyon, the Dolomites in Italy, and the Great Ocean Road Marathon in Australia. Fifty Places to Run Before You Die is an essential travel companion for runners of all levels seeking to conquer new terrain while breaking personal records.

In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

Young, searching, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year, 1963. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. In this age of start-ups, Knight’s Nike is the gold standard, and its swoosh is more than a logo. A symbol of grace and greatness, it’s one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world.

But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always been a mystery. Now, in a memoir that’s surprising, humble, unfiltered, funny, and beautifully crafted, he tells his story at last. It all begins with a classic crossroads moment. Twenty-four years old, backpacking through Asia and Europe and Africa, wrestling with life’s Great Questions, Knight decides the unconventional path is the only one for him. Rather than work for a big corporation, he will create something all his own, something new, dynamic, different. Knight details the many terrifying risks he encountered along the way, the crushing setbacks, the ruthless competitors, the countless doubters and haters and hostile bankers—as well as his many thrilling triumphs and narrow escapes. Above all, he recalls the foundational relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike, with his former track coach, the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman, and with his first employees, a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers.

Together, harnessing the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the redemptive, transformative power of sports, they created a brand, and a culture, that changed everything.

This book is both a lesson in true grit and determination, but its goal is one that is attainable. Andy isn't a sporting superstar, he holds down a 9-5 job and all the pressures that go with it; he isn't blessed with speed and talent; there are no multi-million pound sponsorship deals; yet this remarkable "common man" is inspiring in a way that some of today's sporting superstars have forgotten how to be. You wouldn't recognize Andy in the street, yet his story provides valuable lessons to us all: "Never give up" and "Anything is possible." "Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run" follows Andy Holgate's epic journey from being an overweight librarian to an Ironman triathlete. Before he could even begin the rollercoaster ride which amassed more punctures than Andy cares to remember, this would-be Superman had first to buy a second-hand bike and take swimming lessons. Along the way, he ended up in hospital, dealt with family crises, encountered crocodiles and deadly amoebas, and persuaded his friends that doing an Ironman event is what normal people do on their stag weekend. This is the inspirational, amusing and moving story of how one normal bloke learnt how to fall off a bike and not injure himself, to run a marathon despite two dodgy knees, and most importantly how not to drown.

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.

Even the most minor of injuries can sideline a runner from being active for an extended period of time; some are even determined to run through the pain and risk injuring themselves further. Danny Dreyer's technique, ChiRunning, can help prevent these injuries and promote the ability to run faster, farther, and with less effort at any age. ChiRunning employs the deep power reserves in the core muscles of the trunk, an approach that evolved out of such disciplines as yoga, Pilates, and t'ai chi. Dreyer's training principles are broken down step-by-step to accommodate all levels of runners.

Approaching his middle forties, Gavin Boyter wondered what his life was all about. A Scot living in London, single and with no kids, he was living for the job and the dwindling hope of a career in film. He had been a club runner all his life, pretty good but not at the front all that often. He was what he called an ordinary runner and he came to wonder just what an ordinary runner might be capable of. How about John O'Groats to Land's End, the longest linear run in Britain, and how about making a film of it? And how about writing a book? As usual, Gavin was neither the first nor the quickest but Downhill from Here is his real triumph, written in such an engaging and witty voice the reader accompanies him every step of the way.

In this book, Olympian Jeff Galloway details how to set up a training program, how to monitor progress, and how to schedule each workout. Included are 52 weeks of daily journal entries, with data analysis tables. Jeff Galloway tells how to set up a successful training program to avoid injury, improve endurance, and run faster. Galloway's "magic mile" is used to predict performance and set a safe pace for long runs. Specific run-walk-run strategies are set up based upon the runner's current ability. Galloway details how to use the training journal to schedule long runs, drills, speed workouts, rest days, etc. The 52-week journal is easy to use and easy to analyse.This new edition is characterized by a modern and more practice-oriented design that facilitates logging your progress as a runner. In this way, it might help you to keep your motivation.

'Elite athletes aren't born. They're made.' Michael Johnson From a living icon of the Olympic Games - as both an athlete and now as a BBC broadcaster - Gold Rush is a compelling analysis of the fascinating combination of psychological and personal qualities, as well as internal and external factors, that go to create an Olympic champion. This exciting new book is based on Michael Johnson's own experiences as an iconic four-time Olympic champion, and on the knowledge he has gleaned as a top-class coach and motivational speaker. It also features, uniquely, more than a dozen exclusive and insightful interviews with Olympic legends from across several different sports who between them have claimed more than 50 gold medals over the past 30 years. In essence, Johnson has assembled his very own Olympic Hall of Fame in assessing the DNA of true champions. Gold Rush is themed around chapters in which Johnson will discuss each of the key qualities/factors. He expertly feeds in fascinating first-person testimonies from the Olympic legends. In the process he builds up a definitive knowledge bank of expertise and experience from athletes who have been on this fascinating journey, encountered the highs and the lows, but ultimately reached the summit - an Olympic gold medal. Johnson's interviewees include: Usain Bolt Carl Lewis Sally Gunnell Seb Coe Daley Thompson Cathy Freeman Ian Thorpe Michael Phelps Rebecca Adlington Chris Hoy Steve Redgrave Matthew Pinsent Lennox Lewis Michael Jordan

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.

"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to enjoy something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." --Emil Zatopek For a decade after the Second World War, Emil Zatopek--"the Czech locomotive"--redefined the sport of distance running, pushing back the frontiers of what was considered possible. He won five Olympic medals, set eighteen world records, and went undefeated in the 10,000-metre race for six years. His dominance has never been equaled. In the darkest days of the Cold War, he stood for a spirit of generous friendship that transcended nationality and politics. Zatopek was an energetic supporter of the Prague Spring in 1968, championing "socialism with a human face" in Czechoslovakia. But for this he paid a high price. After the uprising was crushed by Soviet tanks, the hardline Communists had their revenge. Zatopek was expelled from the army, stripped of his role in national sport, and condemned to years of hard and degrading manual labor. Based on extensive research in the Czech Republic, interviews with people across the world who knew him, and unprecedented cooperation from his widow, fellow Olympian Dana Zatopkova, journalist Richard Askwith's book breathes new life into the man and the myth, uncovering a glorious age of athletics and an epoch-defining time in world history.

WINNER OF THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR 'Lyrical and passionate ... a celebration of the human spirit and what it can achieve' Observer Two hours to cover twenty-six miles and 385 yards. An exceptional feat of speed, mental strength and endurance. The sub-two-hour marathon is running's Everest, a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. But now we have reached the mountaintop. In this spellbinding book Ed Caesar takes us into the world of the elite of the elite: the greatest marathoners on earth. Through the stories of these rich characters, and their troubled lives, he traces the history of the marathon as well as the science, physiology and psychology involved in running so fast, for so long. And he shows us why this most democratic of races retains its savage, enthralling appeal - why we are drawn to test ourselves to the limit. Now with a new afterword telling the inside story of how Eliud Kipchoge achieved the impossible, with exclusive access to Nike's #Breaking2 project, and the Ineos159 event at which the barrier was finally broken.