Wisdom is the prime thing

This is an excellent book that combines tips for the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of running a marathon, making a marathon accessible and enjoyable for the non-runner. This book really is a pleasure to read, and I highly recommend it.

The book has three authors, each of whom makes a unique contribution to the book. Each chapter is broken up into three sections: one for the physical side of the week’s training; one for the psychological aspect; and one for presenting stories of first-time marathoners who have used this course.

After the introduction, each chapter corresponds to one of the 16 weeks of training. So you read one chapter a week, and incorporate what you learn in your running that week. The chapters aren’t long, but they are packed with good, solid tips. The typical things you’d expect a running course to cover are covered here: form, relaxing while you run, clothing, and hydration tips.

The mental tips included make the book a real gem. Any book that refers to the Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is automatically a winner in my book! It uses the concepts of “optimal experience” to discuss associative techniques for enjoying the run and making it a fun experience. They discuss in great depth effective techniques for combatting negative self-talk. This makes the book useful far beyond its value as a marathon trainer. The habits and mindset you learn in this book are applicable everywhere in real life.

Finally, the stories of some of the students that have run a marathon with the help of this course are encouraging. The students vary in age from 20 to 55, some having run before, but most never running more than 2 miles at once in their whole lives before starting training. Some were fit, but some were overweight. I found their personal quotes on what mental imagery worked for them and what obstacles they had to overcome to be helpful. Some of the stories are very inspirational (read: tearjerkers), when you see what some students were able to accomplish despite limitations or insecurities.

Altogether a wonderful book. It was a delight to read, practical, and well-rounded. Highly recommended.