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A review by thewonderelf
The Runner's World Big Book of Running for Beginners: Lose Weight, Get Fit, and Have Fun by Jennifer Van Allen, Amby Burfoot, Bart Yasso
4.0
I decided to start running to raise money for Miles for Migraine, an advocacy group fighting to end the stigma of migraine disease. (See more info on my blog here and here!) Since I'm a nerd, I went right to the library and checked out a bunch of beginner running books. This is the first one I've read, so I may change my review as I learn more, but I thought this was a good introduction.
It covers the basics of what you need to get started, how to avoid injury, how to use running to lose weight, what to eat and not eat, what good cross-training activities are, and includes a few training plans in the back. It also features mini-profiles of runners to provide inspiration and affirmation, which I really liked. They didn't include any pro athletes, which makes the book a lot more accessible for those just starting out. The profiles also asked what was the most challenging thing about running for each person, and how they overcame it--another valuable feature.
Because this book is by Runner's World, it had a very magaziney feel, and a lot of the information was repeated in multiple sections. That's not really a bad thing, but sometimes I thought I was re-reading a section only to find out I wasn't. The formatting annoyed me a little, because I had to sometimes skip over side-bar-like content to find the next bit of the section, the same way magazines and newspapers are laid out.
The book wasn't only focused on weight loss, but it was a main thread throughout. Most of the advice was the same you'll get from your doctor: eat fruits and veggies, don't overeat after you workout, don't eat processed or fried foods, etc. Some of the nutritional information provided conflicted itself a little, but overall was solid. If you just want to get an idea of what you should eat before, during, and after your runs, this book has you covered.
It covers the basics of what you need to get started, how to avoid injury, how to use running to lose weight, what to eat and not eat, what good cross-training activities are, and includes a few training plans in the back. It also features mini-profiles of runners to provide inspiration and affirmation, which I really liked. They didn't include any pro athletes, which makes the book a lot more accessible for those just starting out. The profiles also asked what was the most challenging thing about running for each person, and how they overcame it--another valuable feature.
Because this book is by Runner's World, it had a very magaziney feel, and a lot of the information was repeated in multiple sections. That's not really a bad thing, but sometimes I thought I was re-reading a section only to find out I wasn't. The formatting annoyed me a little, because I had to sometimes skip over side-bar-like content to find the next bit of the section, the same way magazines and newspapers are laid out.
The book wasn't only focused on weight loss, but it was a main thread throughout. Most of the advice was the same you'll get from your doctor: eat fruits and veggies, don't overeat after you workout, don't eat processed or fried foods, etc. Some of the nutritional information provided conflicted itself a little, but overall was solid. If you just want to get an idea of what you should eat before, during, and after your runs, this book has you covered.