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| The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer | 
 enlarge | Authors: David Whitsett, Forrest Dolgener, Tanjala Kole
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.53
You Save: $6.42 (43%)
New (33) Used (22) Collectible (1) from $7.72
Avg. Customer Rating:  171 reviews
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.6
ISBN: 1570281823
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.4252
EAN: 9781570281822
Publication Date: January 11, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New. Ships within 24 hours with free delivery confirmation / tracking number. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 166 more reviews...
 Very Motivational December 31, 2008
There are multiple books on the market for beginning marathon runners. I suspect many, if not most, people compulsive and movitivated enough to train for a marathon will sample more than one of them. I personally think this is wise, as each one I have read has a bit of a different perspective and different strengths.
The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer is very strong on motivation. The authors were college psychology professors, and they focus way more on the mental aspect of running long distances than any of the other 'how to run a marathon' books I have seen. I would rate that as a strong point. The book is also interesting in that it gives in depth quotes from the students who were training - their insights as beginners were very helpful and motivational.
Some of the other books available have different strengths. Some highlight health benefits of running, others focus more on improving as a runner, achieving better times, etc.
My only real complaint - and that is perhaps too strong a word - with the book is that it uses a 16 week training plan that is basically a straight progression on weekly long runs, starting with 5 miles and max'ing out at 18 miles at week 13, before the final taper. A few weeks repeat the previous week's mileage, but it is basically a straight march upwards. Most other training plans that I have seen use some sort of variation of a '2 step forward, 1 step backward' approach - in other words, for example, they will progress from 12 to 14 mile long runs, then back down to 8 or 10 miles the following week, before progressing again. The advantage of such a staggered approach is that it gives the body, and mind, a bit more recovery time. I suppose the straight progression of miles must work for most people, but I have personally found, in my 50 year old body, that I really need more time before ratcheting up the mileage. Both Hal Higdon and John 'The Penguin' Bingham present plans for beginners where there is an easy week thrown in every 2 or 3 weeks - their systems work better for me.
One aspect of The Non-Runner's Trainer that I really liked was a preliminary training chart for complete non-runners. Before entering into the actual marathon plan, the authors request that you be able to jog non-stop for 30 minutes. Most complete beginners will not be able to do that, so the book presents a preliminary 10 step training program that starts off with a simple walking pace 3 days a week, then very gradually and methodically works up to a 30 minute jog. I found this plan to be excellent and I have recommended it to numerous non-exercising friends, even those with no desire to run a marathon.
In summary, I agree with most other reviewers that this is an excellent, very motivational book for beginners wanting to run a marathon. But, at least for me, and perhaps other older runners, choosing a slightly different training plan that occasionally backs off on weekly long run mileage might be a good idea. There are numerous other books that offer such programs, and they can be easily incorporated into the framework of this book. I don't think any of these books are mutually exclusive. Such plans are also freely available online. I have recommended this book to numerous friends and, with the exception of my comments above, I recommend it to you.
Best wishes to everyone in their marathon quests!
Practical, Inspiring Advice for "Regular Person" Marathoners December 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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 there aren't many marathoners as slow as me. I'm a big believer in training your mind as you train your body, and that's really the strength of this book. Highly recommended by the Slow Fat Triathlete!
Does What It Promises... Trains you to FINISH! December 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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 November 20, 2008
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 the single most important skills in running is being in touch with the specific behavior of your body, and knowing when your legs are telling you that you need to adjust from a standardized training plan. I think this book is useful but would be helped by a more flexible point of view.
Worked for me!! October 21, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
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.
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