Athlete. Runner. Marathoner. Are these words you wouldn't exactly use to describe yourself? Do you consider yourself too old or too out of shape to run a marathon? But somewhere deep inside have you always admired the people who could reach down and come up with the mental and physical strength to complete such a daunting and rewarding accomplishment? It doesn't have to be somebody else crossing the finish line. You can be a marathoner. The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer is based on the highly successful marathon class offered by the University of Northern Iowa, which was featured in a Runner's World article titled "Marathoning 101." The class has been offered five times over 10 years, and all but one student finished the marathon. That is approximately 200 students -- all first time marathoners and many with absolutely no running background. This book follows the same 16-week, four-day-a-week workout plan. What makes the success rate of this program so much higher than any other? The special emphasis on the psychological aspects of endurance activities. You don't have to love to run -- you don't even have to like it -- but you have to realize that you are capable of more than you have ever thought possible. One participant in the program explained it like this: "I'm doing this for me -- not for others or the time clock. I just feel better when I run, plus it helps me to cope with things in general. The skills we've learned in this class don't apply just to marathoning -- they apply to life! Just like you never know what the next step in a marathon will bring, so too, you never know what will happen next in life. But if you don't keep going, you're never going to find out. By staying relaxed, centered, and positive you handle just about anything that comes your way." This is marathon running for real people, people with jobs and families and obligations outside of running. The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer has proven successful for men and women of all ages. Now let it work for you.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Practical, Inspiring Advice for "Regular Person" Marathoners:
This is absolutely *the* book to use if you are intimidated by the marathon you just signed up for. Using a blend of solid training advice, exercises in the mental and psychological elements of marathon training, and first person stories from the authors' classes, The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer coaches you through every step of the way. This book was my primary guidance for training and running the LA Marathon, and I had a blast in every phase, even 16-mile training runs, which I did by myself because... more info
Does What It Promises... Trains you to FINISH!:
I love this book! Had I not gotten injured in week 7 (no fault of the book or its methods... just my own crazy body structure!) I know that this book would have seen me through to completing my first marathon. I was amazed at how easy it was to follow the program, even considering my hectic life of two jobs and 4 kids. I had a lot of fun training with this program and would recommend it to anyone who would like to run a marathon for the first time.
Great advice and motivation, a little tone deaf though:
This guide has great advice and insight into the physical and mental demands of endurance running. And the authors fully appreciate that there are real mental challenges -- inspiration, pride, and motivation are key elements of whether one can finish this race, rather than just footspeed. Where the book is disappointing is in its dogmatic tone. It's a bit like listening to a high school gym instructor telling you "well do it my way or you are going to get an injury just you wait" over and over. One of... more info
Worked for me!!:
So I decided I wanted to run a marathon. Was it really that crazy of an idea? I had not run more than 3 miles since high school - 15 years earlier!! I bought this book, started the training and two days ago I finished my first marathon! It was such a great experience. While I don't think I'll ever run another, I'm so glad and proud to say I have done it once. This is really a great book and does produce the results it claims to.