The Complete Book of Running for Women

Everything you need to know about training, nutrition, injury prevention, motivation, racing and much, much more
Author: Claire Kowalchik
Subject: running, sport
My rating: 3*


About the book:
Couldn't find much information about the author, only that she also wrote another runner's guide and an encyclopedia of herbs (?). The book is an interesting read for women, as it touches on everything a woman runner might or might not think of...nutrition, special concerns, gear, racing, injury prevention and treatment. The race plans seem a bit more complicated than the walk/run programs, so not sure I will follow them. A good reference, although the writing style is just plain boring, long texts and tables, not very catchy formatting, dated.

From the book:
'Next time you go for a run, count your stride rate for 1 minute, which means count every footstrike [...]. If it's less than 180 steps per minute, practice taking quicker steps. This does not mean running faster, it means picking your foot up more quickly after it hits the ground, which will require you to shorten your stride. Aim for 180 and 190 steps per minute, no faster.'

'During a relaxed run, you want to inhale for three steps and exhale for two steps (a 3:2 ratio). When you're running hard and fast, such as during a speed workout or a 5-K race, your breathing pattern will shift to a 2:1 ratio of inhalation to exhalation.'
Left, right, left- inhale
Right, left- exhale
Right, left, right- inhale
Left, right- exhale

Before you run- eat low glycemic index foods (yogurt, milk, banana)
During a run and after run- high glycemic index foods (bagel, bread, oatmeal, graham crackers)

Interesting (!?)- 'I don't recommend yoga, you need some tension in your muscles to perform well during running. It gives a little 'spring' to your muscles. If you are too supple, you won't run your best. None of the top runners do yoga, he adds (Budd Coates, coach and marathoner)'.