Jack Daniels (1)Besprekingen

This is the first edition. I liked it so well that when the second edition came out I bought it.

While I once ran a half-marathon, most of my running these days doesn't go beyond a 5K. And a slow 5K at that. I looked for a book to help me switch into high gear, but frankly this book was too much for me. I really felt like it was written either for running coaches or for more serious runners and athletes. I found myself skimming chapters or reading sections without much sinking in. That said, I did really appreciate the charts and tables. The book is good at outlining a battle plan and helping you think about how to put together a program. In the end, I feel like this is a book for folks who are already serious runners. Maybe in a few years after I have been running more (and further), I will turn back to it and find it more helpful.

The most comprehensive training manual I have found that coaches all levels of runners from beginners to elite. I appreciate the advice on treadmill training, days on, days off, how to prepare for races of various lengths, well-defined charts for different levels of athletes. This is simply a must have for any runner's library.

A very comprehensive coaching bible for all kinds of runners. Honestly, as someone who was a sprinter and plays a lot of other sports, this is still a great book to read.

If you are looking for a textbook on how to become a better runner, this is the book for you. Knowing that there are all sorts of runners, there are some chapters that do not apply. For example, for the already serious long distance runner, information related to starting and building a running program may not be helpful. However, I have shared this book with other runners and each one found interest and excitement as to how this could improve their game. It will be a reference book for family and friends.

Searching for the science behind your training? Need the information in terms you or a coach can understand? Jack Daniels’ third edition of “Daniels’ Running Formula” is the book for you. Updates include vdot tables that are age-graded (a boon for masters runners) and separate female tables. A chapter devoted to half-marathon training, more information on altitude and treadmill running will also be helpful.
Daniels’ uses his years of coaching and exercise physiology knowledge in such a way that a beginner or a seasoned vet can learn a great deal from reading this book. Coaches at any level, whether for cross-country, track or road athletes, can use this book as their sole reference tool. Training tables for distances from 800meters to the marathon are included. Once you understand the system using the zone training (E, M, T, I, R) you can quickly grasp how to improve. The psychological aspect of training, as an athlete or coach of athletes, especially coming from a coach like Daniels, is excellent.

Daniel's Running Formula is one of the classic texts on competitive running. I first picked up this book in college at the suggestion of my coach, and I have used it consistently as a reference and training guide ever since (both as an elite runner and a recreational one). What I like about Daniel's book is that he explains the physiology behind running, in the process explaining why you run different types of workouts (and why not to run other kinds of workouts). This is the main takeaway from the book, in my estimation. He gives you the tools to know how to plan your training schedule, or how to have an intelligent conversation with your coach about it. (Remember, if your coach can't explain why you are doing each and every workout, then you need to get a new coach!) I also like the VDOT tables, which are indispensable for determining workout intensities and goal race paces.

Having first picked up this book around ten years ago, I am just now trying my first training plan from Running Formula. I'm currently using one of the many training programs in the back to train for a marathon. Although I have not run the race as of yet, I'm definitely enjoying the plan (Marathon, Program A) and I can easily see why he set it up the way he did. There are some tough workouts, no doubt, but I know that I will be ready come race time.

If you are a runner or coach and want to learn the "why" behind your training, then this is a great book for you. Or, if you are a runner without a coach (like me) and need advice on developing a training program (or using an existing one), then this is a great book for you. The bottom line is, every runner would be better off with the knowledge that this book contains.