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Runner's World Run Less, Run Faster: Become a Faster, Stronger Runner with the Revolutionary FIRST Training Program (Runners World)
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| List Price: | $16.95 |
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Product Description
Hailed by the Wall Street Journal and featured twice in six months in cover stories in Runner’s World magazine, FIRST’s unique training philosophy makes running easier and more accessible, limits overtraining and burnout, and substantially cuts the risk of injury, while producing faster race times.
The key feature is the "3 plus 2" program, which each week consists of:
-3 quality runs, including track repeats, the tempo run, and the long run, which are designed to work together to improve endurance, lactate-threshold running pace, and leg speed
-2 aerobic cross-training workouts, such as swimming, rowing, or pedaling a stationary bike, which are designed to improve endurance while helping to avoid burnout
With detailed training plans for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon, plus tips for goal-setting, rest, recovery, injury rehab and prevention, strength training, and nutrition, this program will change the way runners think about and train for competitive races.
Amby Burfoot, Runner’s World executive editor and Boston Marathon winner, calls the FIRST training program "the most detailed, well-organized, and scientific training program for runners that I have ever seen."
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #710 in Books
- Published on: 2007-05-15
- Released on: 2007-05-15
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 272 pages
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Bill Pierce, a collegiate half-miler and experienced marathoner, is a professor and chair of Furman's Health and Exercise Science Department.
Customer Reviews
Every Runner's Dream
Most serious amateur athlete who has a day job, family, church and other activities, anything that requires not committing 5 to 6 days a week to running is godsend. But make no mistake, although it requires running three times a week, it also suggested two days of cross training and a bit of time for strength building and flexibility training. I am going to try out the program and see how it goes especially when in the tropics I do not have the luxury of optimal running condition weather wise.
Efficient Training Method
I've always had the theory that if everyone who trained for a sport would cut their training time in half, their performance would improve. While this book doesn't advocate that exactly, it proves the idea that training a lot less does improve performance. The method is called the FIRST program, which stands for Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training.
The book is for anyone who wants to improve their running performance and is divided into 4 sections. The first section explains the FIRST approach, where a "3 plus 2" format is the foundation. This means you have 3 quality runs each week and 2 cross training workouts.
The second section is how to follow the program. Briefly, one day is a cross training day, then a "track repeats" day, then a cross training day, then a "tempo run" day, a day of rest, a "long run" day, and then either another rest day/or optional cross training day. Cross training days include activities such as cycling or swimming.
The 3rd section covers performance factors which include such things as running in hot and cold climates, nutrition, and injuries (readers who have plantar fasciitis that interferes with their running might also be interested in The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution).
Lastly, Section 4 covers supplemental training, which I feel is an often overlooked/skipped part of running training. Here you get info such as instructions and pics on how to strength train and stretch for running (important!!).
The book ends with a bonus section on how to qualify/train for the Boston Marathon. Additionally, you get an Appendix A (pacing table) and an Appendix B (how to calculate pacing).
Backed by studies conducted by the authors, this is a great resource for anyone who wants to get better results with less training.
Great book.
I've been running for 20 years and have completed 16 marathons. I have read a number of books and quite frankly this book got my attention: I would like to keep running one marathon a year and this book appeared to have the ingredients (less running, more quality on the training days, and hopefully the right formula to avoid injuries on my already punished calfs). I have been training for 3 weeks now and I feel comfortable with the training. I have found a dozen new ideas that never occured to me despite all the running and reading that I have done in 20 years. I will have a final opinion once I run my next marathon. So far I like a lot the ideas of this book.
