ArkansasTrackStats.com

Commentary.......Book Review

12/31/2000

Runner's World Training Diary, Runners' World Magazine, Simon & Schuster Macmillan Company, New York, 1984. ISBN 0-02-860820-8

Just the thing for the runner who likes to keep track (no pun intended) of workouts and race stats. There is a place for 52 weeks of data to record pace, weather, distance and a running (those puns just slip in) tally of miles run plus room to record comments on each workout or race.  In addition, there is space for daily weight and morning pulse rates.  Each week has a unique quote or tidbit of advice such as one of my favorites:

"Remember the rule: endurance first, speed later. You pick up much of your speed not by training fast but by increasing your staying power. You can't do much more than sharpen up the speed you were born with, but you can train yourself not to poop out so soon when you're going fast if you practice at distances a lot longer than a mile."

The authors even show you how to complete the log with examples!  

But providing a place to record workouts is not all. A special "Racing Results" page can be a permanent record of races as can the "Progress of Personal Records" section for up to ten different commonly run distances. There is a page for "Best Times, Year by Year" and even a 'Training Records" page to chart longest single run, best day's total, best week's total, best month's total, best year's total, longest streak without missing a day and other items of interest. There are other sections as well...a "Fitness Scorecard" to grade your fitness level, a chart for a 12-minute test to assess fitness level for different age groups, a "Schedule Planner", a distance and metric conversion chart (e.g., 4K = 2 miles, 854 yards, 1 foot and 4 inches; 1 mile = 1609.344 meters), an interesting "How Far Can You Go" table to estimate the longest distance one should run safely, a "How Often Should You Race" table, "Pacing Tables" , "Heat Safety Index" table, "Wind-Chill Readings" table, "Ideal Weights" table, calories consumed by running table per mile and per minute and a nice section on exercises with pictures to illustrate.

Cost...about $10. Over 200,000 copies sold over the years...this has some staying power it would seem.

Review by:  Bob Kelly, ArkansasTrackStats.com

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