A review and my first GIVEAWAY!!!

Yup, my first giveaway! I'm so very happy.

Caroline at Broadway Books kindly sent me a copy of Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon: How to Be Your Own Best Coach to review and give away.

The book is written by Brad Hudson and Matt Fitzgerald. Hudson coaches elite runners, including Dathan Ritzenhein, the top US finisher in the 2008 Olympic marathon. Fitzgerald is an accomplished triathlete who has written several running and triathlon training books.

From the publisher:

Filled with runner profiles, easy-to-read charts, and illustrative accounts from the top runners Brad coaches, RUN FASTER is the first user-friendly guide to creating an individual training program designed especially for runners of all speeds and of all ages.

There was a lot that I liked about this book, starting with the sub-title: How To Be Your Own Best Coach. I'm never going to have a running coach so the idea of becoming better at coaching myself appealed to me. Unlike many other training books that I've read, this book doesn't prescribe any set plan. Rather it offers a step-by-step guide to creating, implementing and monitoring your own training plan. Hudson believes that every runner needs to have an individual plan because every runner is unique.

Hudson talks a lot about assessing yourself as a runner and how what you learn through the assessment should drive your plan. His self-assessment plan outlines 10 factors that every runner should consider in developing their training plan. I found this self-assessment to be particularly useful as I looked inward to decide whether or not to continue my marathon training. It helped me to think about the many factors that influence running success. I think that sometimes we get fixed on achieving a particular goal, period. Hudson shows that, through self-assessment, we can become better at setting appropriate goals and plans to achieve them.

He is also a proponent of hill running, specifically hill sprints. As you can imagine, this hill lover could relate to that!

Most of all, Hudson writes in a very sincere style: I felt that he really wants to help people realize their running potential. Overall, I enjoyed the book and learned a good bit about my running style and what I should and should not be doing. I almost didn't want to give the book away!

But I am.

The Giveaway!

The winner of Run Faster will be selected at random. Entering is easy!

One entry: Leave a comment on this post
One entry: Follow me (if you already do, just note that in your comment)

I'll post the winner here on Wednesday. Be sure to check back to see if you've won!

Good luck and happy Friday!

~ Felice