Road Racing for Serious Runners: Multispeed Training- 5K to Marathon

Road Racing for Serious Runners: Multispeed Training- 5K to Marathon
by Peter Pfitzinger, Scott Douglas

Road Racing for Serious Runners:  Multispeed Training- 5K to Marathon
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Book Summary Information

Author: Peter Pfitzinger, Scott Douglas
Foreword: Bill Rodgers
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-10-26
ISBN: 0880118180
Number of pages: 200
Publisher: Human Kinetics
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Book Reviews of Road Racing for Serious Runners: Multispeed Training- 5K to Marathon

Book Review: Train smarter, train easier
Summary: 5 Stars

Pfitzinger's book finally delivers on what I always want from a book on a complex subject, simple explanations and simple solutions. Why write 800 pages when 188 will suffice. If you are only looking to train for 5K's then you can skip the section on 10K and marathon training and get even more concise explanations. This book gives short, simple explanations to the key elements of a training program. We now know everything we need to know about VO2 max and lactate threshold training, their relative importance, how to improve them and how to incorporate them into your training program. Pete indirectly points out how most of us are doing no lactate threshold training (by running most of our daily runs to slow) and doing all of our interval work to fast. I recommend this book to anyone looking to improve his or her racing times.

I would also suggest buying "Daniels Running Formula". I bought it last summer and my 5K's times went down from 19:40 to 18:50. I bought "Road Racing for Serious Runners" to basically get a second opinion on Daniel's theories. Actually these are not opinions or theories. These are time-tested methods back by sound science. I'm 43 years old and I'm living proof that random training will yield random results. Both Pfitzinger and Jack Daniels book will eliminate the "lets try this" approach to training. Both books cover the same topics and both authors come up with the basically the same training program. Daniels book breaks his schedule into 4 six-week phases while Pfitzinger has a 10-week and an 11 phase. When you look at both plans it becomes obvious and almost laughable on how easy it is to improve on your racing times (and in my case actually cut back on the training intensity).

I would buy both books so you can really feel good about your new training methods. Pete's book is simpler and has separate schedules for some of us low 20-40 mile per week folks. Daniels book has slightly more science and covers more topics. Daniels also has been around longer and has trained more athletes. There are only a few contradictions in Pete's book. He states on page 21 that your volume of Vo2 max workouts (your hard intervals) should be 1 workout per week with a total distance covered of 4 to 8K with the possibility of adding a second lower volume session each week. This corresponds with Daniels book where he has 2 Vo2 max sessions each week (or 1 Vo2 Max and a race). But when you get to the detailed 5K schedules for the 20-40 miles per week you only see 6 Vo2 max workouts scheduled in 21 weeks, despite them being listed as the number one priority. Also only 5 threshold workouts are scheduled in the last 11 weeks for the 20-40 mile schedule. I guess Pete is no dummy. He knows that Bill Rodgers may not use his book and that it will be geared towards people like me. He knows that I'm going to sneak in a combination of ten 5K and 8K races this fall before I attempt to peak in early December. The Daniels book just encourages it and has those realities clearly shown on the schedules. Just buy both books, start training smarter and in some cases a little easier. I've bought bad unhealthy lunches for [PRICE]. If you run this will be the best [PRICE} you will ever spend.

Summary of Road Racing for Serious Runners: Multispeed Training- 5K to Marathon


Improve your racing performance through multispeed training! Whether your distance is 5K, marathon, or anything in-between, Road Racing for Serious Runners tells you how to train smarter and run faster. This training plan is based on solid science, and its physiological basis is clearly explained and incorporated into a running program that produces maximum results and reduces the risk of injury.

In Road Racing for Serious Runners, Pete Pfitzinger-a world-class marathoner, distance running coach, and exercise physiologist-tells you how to get the most out of your limited training time. Pfitzinger teams up with former Running Times editor-in-chief Scott Douglas to present a training and racing plan that will help you excel in the full spectrum of road racing distances. You will learn how to

- design a week-by-week training program,
- determine the right pace to run during speed workouts,
- get the most out of long runs,
- taper training before an important race,
- detect and avoid staleness and injury,
- determine the best strategy for each race, and
- achieve the optimal mental state to train and race.

Included with each of five training schedules are racing tactics, mental tips, and lessons from world-class runners. Whatever distance you plan to race, Road Racing for Serious Runners will guide you to peak performance!

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