Lore of Running gives you incomparable detail on physiology, training, racing, injuries, world-class athletes, and races.

Author Tim Noakes blends the expertise of a physician and research scientist with the passion of a dedicated runner to answer the most pressing questions for those who are serious about the sport:

-How your body systems respond to training, the effects of different training methods, how to detect and avoid overtraining, and genetic versus trainable potential

-How to train for the 10K up through ultramarathon with detailed programs from Noakes and several leading running experts

-How to prevent and treat injuries, increase your strength and flexibility, and use proper nutrition for weight control and maximum performance

You'll also find a candid analysis of supplements and ergogenic effects and training aids. The book includes new interviews with 10 world-class runners who share their secrets to success and longevity in the sport. Features on legendary figures and events in running history provide fascinating insights.

And that's just scratching the surface. Lore of Running is not only the biggest and best running publication on the planet. It's the one book every runner should own.

In my opinion, Dr Noakes has done an excellent job of extracting results from current research and translating them from the highly specialized language of sports physiology into language that the intelligent layperson can understand. Indeed, I found the book pitched at a slightly less technical level than the popular competitor by Martin and Coe---a book I hve also found to be invaluable.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the Fourth Edition is Noakes' unapologetic challenge of THE prevailing paradigm in distance running; he questions the widely accepted belief that an individual's VO(2) max, or maximal oxygen uptake figure, is the key limiting factor in distance running performance. In a carefully argued Chapter 2, complete with dozens of references to research of the past decade to support his claims, Dr Noakes argues for an alternative "Central Governor Model" in which exercise capacity is primarily limited by coronary blood flow to supply oxygen to the heart. I cannot even present an outline of this fascinating alternative model in the brief space allocated here, but suffice it to say that Chapter 2 of his book, in which this theory is developed in detail, is alone worth the price of the book.

In addition to the physiology of training, there are entire chapters devoted to temperature regulation, ergogencic aids, injury prevention and treatment, apparel (emphasis on shoes), etc: all of the usual topics with which self-coached runners must eventually cope.

If I were to offer criticisms of the book for the sake of balance, there would be only two, both relatively minor.

(1) Chapter 6, entitled "Learning from the Experts" offers training programs from a number of famous past champions who raced over distances from 1 mile to the ultramarathon. However, as Dr Noakes points out clearly and often, many of these runners, almost inhumanly gifted with natural ability, became champions IN SPITE OF their obsessive, unbalanced training programs, and not because of them. For the person of average gifts, emulating the training programs of, say, Dave Bedford (who occasionally logged as many as 160--200 miles per week!)is a certain prescription for injury (as it ultimately was for Bedford). I would therefore suggest changing the title of this chapter to "Learning from the Champions." The accomplishments of these highly gifted people all too often had very little to do with "Expertise" in rationale training, as the current title suggests, and far more to do with natural endowment.

(2) Since Dr Noakes is willing to challenge the VO(2) max paradigm so openly, I think it is necessary that he offer some guidance on precisely what differences to the training program his alternative Central Governor Model implies. It is not easy for the non-specialist to see what amendments to training are implied by this alternative model; perhaps an addition to be incorporated into the Fifth Edition?

In summary, if you are a self-coached runner looking for an intelligent basis on which to construct a training program, then this 931-page book is comprehensive and has no real rival. If, on the other hand, you would prefer a 5-page pamphlet offering some training tables for the beginner, then I advise you to look elsewhere.

This book is certainly not a quick recipe. It takes time to digest the material. If you enjoy reading, it is a plus. I have read some section multiple times. Another very good running book that takes much less time to read is Daniels' Running Formula by Jack Daniels that is geared more toward elite runners, but still very helpful for midpack runners like me.

Also if you are studying exercise physiology or sports science, biomechanics etc. it has loads of references which are great to sling in the back of the bibliography...ooophs.

Finally I have a library of over 200 running books and if I had to take one to my grave this would be it.