Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz

Alan and Liz
  • 5.0 (9)
  • RUNNING
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

All types of running related books are reviewed by two non-elite track, road and trail runners. Observation and description of running books intended to inform, help and inspire anyone involved or related to running at any level. Whenever possible we chat with the author about the book, but if not then we try to do it justice. If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. You can also go to our Buy Me A Coffee website where we have a few more posts: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz  

  1. 2D AGO

    Advanced Marathoning (4th ed.), by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas

    Send a text Advanced Marathoning (4th ed.) is the newest version of the training book Alan and I have been using for our sub-3 hour marathon attempts. This version, like the last one, is divided into 2 parts: Training componentsElements of trainingNutrition and hydrationBalancing training and recoverySupplementary trainingAdvanced marathoning for masters runners (The older (and wiser) marathoner –  in the 3rd ed.) Tapering for peak marathon performanceRace day strategyTraining programFollowing the schedulesMarathon training up to 55 miles (89 km) per weekMarathon training on 55 to 70 miles (89 to 113 km) per weekMarathon training on 70 to 85 miles (113-137 km) per weekMarathon training on more than 85 miles (137 km) per weekMultiple marathoning Pete Pfitzinger was the top American finisher in the 1984 and 1988 Olympic marathons. With a personal best of 2:11:43, Pfitzinger is a two-time winner of the San Francisco Marathon and placed third in the 1987 New York City Marathon. He was ranked the top American marathoner in 1984 by Track & Field News, and he is a member of the Road Runners Club of America’s Hall of Fame. He was a senior writer for Running Times from 1997 to 2007, in which his popular column, “The Pfitzinger Lab Report,” appeared. Pete has over 30 years of experience coaching marathon runners to achieve their goals. He is also the coauthor of Faster Road Racing.   Scott is a contributing writer for Runner’s World and Outside. He is the author or coauthor of several well-known running books, including Personal Best Running, Running Is My Therapy, and the New York Times bestsellers Meb for Mortals and 26 Marathons. Scott has run more than 130,000 miles since starting as a teen. He lives in North Yarmouth, Maine. He has also written about running for Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and others.   If you’re interested in this book, the authors would like if you could first check your local book shop, specialty running shop, or bookshop.org (if you’re in the US). You can also find it online if all else fails.  They mentioned their Advanced Marathoning and Faster Road Racing FB page where you can follow them, and Scott Douglas is on Substack (where his profile photo is a photo of a dog with the Advanced Marathoning book). The Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063961968481 Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

    1h 31m

  2. FEB 1

    Move, Rest, Recover, by Erin Taylor

    Send us a text Move, Rest, Recover guides readers on the practice of rest and recovery. It tries to answer questions like:  Why should I rest and recover?How do I know when to stop and rest?When I stop, what should I do?The book is split into 4 sections: Understand recoveryActivate recoveryStrengthen recoveryKeep recovering  Erin Taylor is an international recovery expert, writer, and yoga teacher. For 20 years she has coached professional athletes, everyday runners, pre- and post-natal women, office workers, and anyone looking to integrate practices that improve well-being and longevity. She is the creator of Balance Practice, a platform that offers practical tools to inspire and support mental and physical balance in all aspects of life. Erin is also the founder of Athletes for Yoga, the only athlete-led, on-demand video platform and app that puts yoga into the context of sport and well-being goals, and the author of Work IN and Hit Reset. If you’d like to follow Erin, she can be found at https://erintaylor.works where you can get her book. She is also on Instagram at @erintaylorworks  or @athletesforyogahq. Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

    1h 9m

  3. JAN 15

    Running The World, by Robyn Godfrey

    Send us a text In this episode we speak with Author Robyn Godfrey about her book Running the World. Robyn didn’t plan to become a marathoner. She stumbled through adolescence as a clumsy teen and later partied through midlife while searching for purpose. Everything shifted the day she laced up her running shoes. What began as thirty seconds on a treadmill grew into a running journey that redefined her life. Running the World follows Robyn’s quest to conquer all six World Marathon Majors—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City—while navigating her husband’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis, injuries, weather disasters, and waves of self-doubt. With honesty and humor, she shares the grit, setbacks, and triumphs that shaped her path through marathons, half marathons, and beyond. This is more than a running memoir. It is an inspirational story of resilience, reinvention, and the courage to start again. Robyn Godfrey is a speaker, accomplished runner, pacer, Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Certified Level 1 coach, and writer, who began her running journey at the age of 47. What started as a personal quest to improve her health and overcome her relationship with alcohol soon evolved into a remarkable achievement: completing seven marathons, including the prestigious World Marathon Majors — London, Chicago, Berlin, Boston, New York, and Tokyo achieving the Six Star Medal in 2024. A dedicated member of the Wilmington Road Runners Club since 2013, Robyn has made a significant impact by coaching and pacing runners, helping them unlock their potential and reach their goals. In addition to her coaching, she has volunteered with organizations like Girls on the Run, empowering young girls to grow both physically and personally through running. If you’d like to read the book for yourself then it can be found here: https://books2read.com/runningtheworld To learn more about the author she can be found here: https://www.robyngodfrey.com Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

    1h 36m

  4. JAN 1

    Practical Fueling for Endurance Athletes, by Kylee Van Horn

    Send us a text Practical Fueling for Endurance Athletes delivers the practical, science-based information and strategies you need for long-term health and superior performance in your sport. Kylee Van Horn—registered dietitian, endurance athlete, and coach—will help you navigate the challenges of endurance sports with the following:  Essential nutrition concepts that aren’t directed at weight loss The smart use of supplements Strategies for developing your ideal personal nutrition plan Unique nutrient needs of female athletes, including during pregnancy and menopause Plant-based fueling Special dietary needs Planning meals and snacks You’ll learn to design, test, and implement sport-specific nutrient intake for before, during, and after your workout or event to ensure your body has the right amount of energy at the right time. Throughout, you will find checklists, charts, and 28 easy-to-make recipes to help you take in adequate and appropriate nutrients for your unique needs. Get inspiration from the stories and strategies shared by endurance athletes such as Camille Herron, Sage Canaday, Nicole Mericle, and many others, showcasing how their nutrition plans fueled their success. Kylee Van Horn, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Flynutrition LLC, a virtual sports nutrition private practice that exclusively serves the endurance athlete population.  With a mission of separating facts from fads, Van Horn provides practical guidance for endurance athletes to direct them to a sustainable approach to fueling their activities for long-term health and performance. Van Horn writes a monthly nutrition column published in Outside Run Magazine and has written for FasterSkier and Gnarly Sports Nutrition. She is quoted frequently in articles for Outside Magazine and speaks regularly to athletes and professionals on topics related to endurance sports nutrition for running, skiing, climbing, triathlon, obstacle course racing, and mountaineering.  She is the cohost of the podcast Your Diet Sucks, which seeks to provide thoughtful conversations—backed by science—around controversial topics in the diet and fitness space.  She has also been featured on numerous podcasts, including The Running Explained Podcast, The Strength Running Podcast, Consummate Athlete, Bodies in Motion, and Off the Couch. You can find Kylee's podcast here: https://w Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

    1h 25m

  5. 12/15/2025

    Road To Redemption, by Tom Fitzgerald

    Send us a text For today's episode we got to read another fictional running story. These are rare but we've enjoyed every single one we read so far and this one was no exception. Toeing the start line of the 1983 Boston Marathon, Cooper McKenzie (the main character) finds himself in a race to make meaning of his troubled, unimpressive life. Cooper McKenzie is contending with the stark realities of middle age—he is fully disenchanted with his career, he is struggling to meet the financial needs of his young family, and he has accumulated an unbearable number of “what ifs” and regrets. Staring down a serious medical diagnosis, Cooper takes inventory of the pivotal moments of his life—things left unfinished, unfortunate outcomes, and a negative sense of self. He resolves to rewrite his script of failure even as his own body is failing him. A story of resilience builds as Cooper makes his way to the start of the Boston Marathon to run a distance he has never attempted, let alone completed. His reasons for risking it all to finish are painfully clear, but with such high stakes, finishing could mean the end. The Road to Redemption captures a personal journey that is altogether universal. We must traverse our lived experience, particularly those moments of vulnerability and shame, to reach the end goal of knowing the truth of what we can do and who we are. In this episode we had two guests... Tom's son, Matt Fitzgerald (yes, the same Matt Fitzgerald who has written more than 30 books about endurance), was there to help with questions if needed and Tom's other son, Sean, was in the background to help set up the technology. I guess we had 3 guests?  Tom Fitzgerald doesn't always write about running but has his own impressive resume. He has authored a wide-ranging collection of impactful books, including the bestselling novel Chocolate Charlie, the popular fitness title Get Tough!, and the critically acclaimed Poor Richard's Lament. Raised in Upstate New York on the St. Lawrence River, Fitzgerald completed a series of solo open-water swims in his late teens and early 20s before joining the United States Navy and serving in Vietnam as a member of the Special Forces. He later ran the Boston Marathon three times. Fitzgerald began working on Road to Redemption (originally titled A Private Agony) in 1982, completing the novel after a lengthy hiatus at the urging of the second of his three sons, Matt Fitzgerald, himself the author of many books on running. If you'd like to learn more about the author, his website is: https://www.kingsleybooks.info If you'd like to see some of the oth Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

    56 min

  6. 12/01/2025

    Alan and Liz's Running Chatter and Rundown on Books 111-120

    Send us a text Here we are again with another recap episode. Alan and Liz chat about their last ten reads and we've also linked the full episode for each book in case you want to hear more! If you're behind in your listening then this episode is for you. You can get a feel for each of the last 10 books, before going back to the episodes in order of which books you're most interested in. Unbound, by Bill Donahue  Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/16892720 Run Less Run Faster, by Bill Pierce and Scott Mur Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17210285 What If?, by Ashley Varley Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17210375 Believe Training Journal, by Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettigan-Dumas Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17284114 Chasing Mastery, by Matt Fitzgerald Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17343771 Mud, Sweat and Bears, by Harriet Gaywood Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17397837 Feet In The Clouds, by Richard Askwith Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17528270 How To Run, by Scott F. Parker Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17621086 Marathon Mindset, by Erica Rasmussen Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17676440 Stroke of Luck, by Steven Kelly Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/976876/episodes/17925455 You probably noticed we talked about a book Liz is reading that was not reviewed yet called The Running Shaped Hole. If you’re interested in learning more about that then you can find it on the publisher’s website here: https://www.dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9781459749054-the-running-shape Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

    1h 41m

  7. 11/15/2025

    Ultra Women, by Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson

    Send us a text Recently, a trend has captured public attention: female athletes have been beating the strongest male contenders, in the toughest races in the world, races designed for men. In Ultra Women, the authors (who are themselves endurance athletes) delve into the surprising science of sporting performance to explore the physiological and psychological differences between the sexes. They ask: could fat stores and muscle type (and capacity for not sleeping) really give women an edge over men in ultra long distances? And what roles are played by pace, preparation, and motherhood? Speaking to elite athletes, historians and scientists, the book unearths the largely unknown past of female endurance, from hunter- gathering to the early 20th Century discipline of pedestrianism and we get to meet some amazing women who have done amazing things. These bios are not going to do justice to these two women because they do a lot more than we could cover in the number of characters allowed in this description, but here it goes!  Lily Canter is a freelance running, fitness and  adventure travel journalist writing for Runner’s  World, Live for the Outdoors, Women’s Health,  The Guardian and Metro. She is an England  Athletics running coach and founder of  women’s only club Great Bowden Runners. She  competes in ultra marathons and canicrosses  with her dog. Instagram: @lilycanter  Emma Wilkinson is an award-winning  freelance journalist specialising in medicine,  science and health. She has written for the  Sunday Times, BBC, Pulse, the BMJ and Lancet  among others. Emma lives in Sheffield and runs  up hills for fun. Instagram: @emmawjourno  If you're interested in getting a copy of this book for yourself then you can find it on Amazon or directly on the publishers website here: https://www.canburypress.com/products/presale-ultra-women-by-lily-canter-and-emma-wilkinson-isbn-9781914487101?srsltid=AfmBOopm-PGhLV9ZE2vjNfl-wobGtYreNsxyJ2F_VNPUtgLWH1VGzlsy Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

    59 min

  8. 11/01/2025

    Fuel For Thought, by Renee McGregor

    Send us a text Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

    1h 7m
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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

All types of running related books are reviewed by two non-elite track, road and trail runners. Observation and description of running books intended to inform, help and inspire anyone involved or related to running at any level. Whenever possible we chat with the author about the book, but if not then we try to do it justice. If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. You can also go to our Buy Me A Coffee website where we have a few more posts: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlanandLiz  

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