Some Book Reviews

I read a lot. Here are some books on running I've read over the past few months with recommendations.

The Big Book of Endurance Training by Phil Maffetone

Ratings: 10/10 for useful information; 2/10 for entertainment.

Review: This book changed my life. If you've struggled with injuries or bonked at your most recent marathon or have hit a plateau in your training, read the book. You'll want a heart rate monitor after reading it, so get one now. My race times have dropped dramatically since reading it and doing what it says.

Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself by Rich Roll

Ratings: 6/10 for useful information; 8/10 for entertainment

Review: Dude was a college swimmer turned alcoholic. He then became a recovering alcoholic turned fatass. Dude then completed an Ironman triathlon on five of the Hawaiian Islands in like seven days or something ridiculous like that. I could have done without the me and my wife are so enlightened because of our East Asian philosophy and Vegan diet preaching, but it was a pretty good story. The part about overcoming his addictions was actually more interesting than the triathlon parts. This book introduced me to the concept of heart rate monitor training.

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Ratings: 10/10 for information; 5/10 for entertainment.

Review: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. This is a common sense guide to eating healthy. I don't have a lot of common sense much of the time. Anyone who considers him or herself an endurance athlete would benefit from reading it.

Iron War by Mark Fitzgerald

Ratings: Information 8/10; Entertainment 8/10

Review: Fitzgerald recounts the epic Ironman battle of 1989 between Dave Scott and Mark Allen. The first 75% of the book is of pantheon quality. The last 25%, including the part about Mark Allen becoming a shaman surfer, is a little lame. This highly entertaining book has confirmed my suspicion that many world class athletes--especially endurance athletes--aren't necessarily to be admired outside of their fitness accomplishments. Both men had failed marriages, at least partly attributable to their endurance addiction. Karnazes is the only psycho endurance runner with a happy marriage that comes to mind. Dean, I'm counting on you. Keep setting the example!

Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn.

Ratings: Information 5/10; Entertainment 6/10

Review. This just in: Kenyans are fast. Finn is another left-winger who feels the need to apologize for prosperity. Kenyans, according to Finn, are fast because they run a lot as kids. They have too. Westerners are fat and spoiled by modern life.

As far as I'm concerned, the East Africans can have their gold medals. I'll take air conditioning.

Oh by the way: Mo Farah and Galen Rupp.

Heart Rate Monitor Training

My coach, who also happens to be my wife, came up with the ridiculous notion that I shouldn't be completely thrashed after each run. I told her she was stupid (under my breath). I agreed (out loud) and continued thrashing myself for several months, culminating in my earth-shattering 4:13 marathon during which I felt pain in every cell of my body.

All those people behind me eventually passed me.

As the summer temperatures settled around 105 degrees (quite cool for Vegas in the summer) every day, I decided on some cross-training. At the same time, I began reading a book about this middle-aged guy (I'm turning 43 soon) who became this mega-runner/triathlon guy. I have no desire to become a mega-runner/triathlon guy, but I have a strange fascination with mega-runner/triathlon guys. I even have a picture of Dean Karnazes and Scott Jurek naked. (I really don't. I'm just trying to lure visitors to my site and I'm sure "naked picture of Dean Karnazes and Scott Jurek" are immensely popular Google search terms.)

As I was reading the book (an incredibly tantalizing book review is coming up (the guys name is Rich Roll (I'm not kidding))), he talked about how his endurance training began with using a heart rate monitor. Even though he was used to busting out 2-hour runs all out 3-4 times per week, his coach would make him run without allowing his heart rate to exceed 140 beats per minute. He protested because all he could do were 10-minute miles. Before long, however, he was able to run 7-minute miles with the same energy output.

I love gadgets.  I now own a heart rate monitor.

I've used it twice and its excruciatingly tough, tough to the tune of 11-minute miles. It's kind of nice though. I'm not thrashed like my wife/coach tells me I shouldn't be (which leaves energy for a little night-time exercise, if you know what I'm saying). I could run for hours in the heat at 142 bpm. I have another gadget and more numbers to fiddle with. Since I'm doing P90X 2, I can go all out on those workouts without worried about being too sore to complete my 11-minute mile runs (I'm giving it 60 days and if my efficiency doesn't improve, I'm ditching the new gadget).

At my next marathon, I'll be as happy as this 80-year-old who narrowly defeated me last time.

Another Goal Accomplished

Back during my first go round at running, I established a goal of running a half marathon.  I wanted to finish in under 2 hours.  The closest I came was 2:02:04.  The fourth and last one I ran took over 2:11. That last run marked the beginning of the end.  It was obvious I would never be fast enough to accomplish a 2-hour half marathon.

That was in 2006 or 2007.  I don't remember exactly.  I still ran, but no more than 2 or 3 days a week.  Sometimes not at all.  I started doing triathlons and that was fun, but alas, I still didn't reduce my running times enough to make me excited about the sport.

Then along came Tony Horton and Shaun T.  They got me into the best shape of my life. I noticed I was running faster.  I was setting prs in nearly every conceivable distance.  I decided to apply my new found fitness to running.

Shaun T

++++++++++

I set out this morning on a 12-mile run.  About 3 miles in I thought I'd make it a half marathon and get that 2-hour monkey off my back.  For whatever reason, 13.1 miles didn't seem that far.  Perhaps it's because I'm training for a marathon and half that distance doesn't seem as intimidating?  Perhaps it's my increased fitness?  Perhaps I've been reading too many Dean Karnazes books?

Me at the Kaloa Sugar Mill 10-mile run in Hawaii.  I've dropped 20 pounds and 2 minutes/mile since this race.  As bad as I look in this picture, I felt even worse.

I figured if I'm running a half marathon I might as well make it official by naming it.  I dubbed it the Trent Lorcher Invitational.  There was a good chance I would win since I was the only participant.  I finished in 1:49:55, well below the seemingly impossible 2-hour threshold, well below my personal best, well above a Boston qualifying time.

It's time to get to work.

Running Book Reviews

I’m an English teacher and I’ll be the first to acknowledge that English teachers have ruined more good books than people of any other profession.  I also remember from my days as a high school student long ago that most books my English teacher made me read I found boring and long winded.  These book recommendations, thankfully, do not come from Trent the English teacher.  They come from Trent the runner and creator of the incredibly entertaining Running from Mediocrity blog.

Must Reads (You’ve probably already read these)

Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes – I’m under the impression that many in the ultra-running community think Dean’s a bit of a sellout.  I’m not a member of the ultra-running community, so I don’t care.  If I were a member of the ultra-running community, I probably still wouldn’t care.  The guy’s taken something he’s passionate about and made a ton of money writing about it.  Awesome!

Until I read Ultramarathon Man I had no idea there was such a thing as ultra-running.  Even if you have no desire to run a 100-mile race (my hand’s raised firmly in the air on that one), Dean’s account of the Western States 100, the Badwater Ultramarathon and his one-man 199-mile relay race will open your mind to new possibilities and make running a 26.2-mile marathon seem easy (until you actually run it, of course).

Although Dean’s a bit in denial about how training for 100-mile races might put a strain on one’s personal life, and although there’s an awful lot of humble-bragging, Ultramarathon Man is inspirational, entertaining and well worth the effort.  By the way, his third book, Run, has set a new standard for humble bragging.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall – Born to Run has been credited with the increased popularity of barefoot running.  The book’s excellence, however, goes far beyond persuading people to toss their running shoes.  It makes the case that human beings were born to run and that the survival of the human species can be linked to the genetic capacity for long distance running.  It is not, however, a scientific dissertation on human evolution.  It’s an account of MacDougall’s quest to run injury free, the Tarahumara Indians, and one of the greatest ultra-races ever.

The book reads like a novel and includes characters Charles Dickens would be proud of.  The Tarahumara are real.  I looked them up on the Internet and we know the Internet would never lead us astray. They live in the Copper Canyon region in Western Mexico. Barefoot Ted is real.  I looked him up on the Internet too. He once organized a triathlon in which the participants could only use equipment that existed in the 1800s.  Scott Jurek.  Real.  Caballo Blanco.  Real.  That’s not his real name though.  You’ll have to read the book to find his real name or look it up on the Internet, which, as you know, will never lead you astray.

Other than the incredibly annoying, repulsive couple from North Carolina who entered the race and the pro-hippy sentiments ofCaballo Blanco, whom I admire for completely different reasons, the book makes a valuable contribution to people who like to run and read.

Once a Runner by John L. Parker – I can’t believe a book this good and this popular with runners has been around since the 1970s and I had never even heard of it until a couple months ago.  Although it’s fiction, it’s obvious the author understands the dedication it takes to succeed in the sport (Parker himself was a track star at the University of Florida).

Although the book relies on the tired anti-establishment cliché popular among victims, Occupy Wall Street losers, and people who like to blame others for their failures, it’s in depth account of the fictional training regimen of Quenton Cassidy is enough to motivate runners to get their butt in gear.  Its literary merit makes it an excellent read for runners and English teachers.

*******

If you've written a book about running and want me to review it, send me a copy.