Alberto Salazar's Guide to Road Racing : Championship Advice for Faster Times from 5K to Ultramarathons

by Salazar, Alberto; Lovett, Richard A.

• ISBN13: 9780071383080
• ISBN10: 0071383085
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-09-27
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press

Summary

A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL A complete program for taking runners to the next competitive level, from one of the world's greatest marathoners Written by distance runners' Hall of Famer Alberto Salazar, Alberto Salazar's Guide to Road Racingarms novice and veteran runners, 5Kers, and ultramarathoners alike with a complete program for running farther, faster, and with greater reward and enjoyment. Drawing upon his experiences, Salazar offers expert training advice tailored to specific events, showing runners of all ages and abilities how to customize their workouts for maximum physical and mental toughness.

Author Biography

Alberto Salazar is coach of Nike's Oregon Project, which combines his expert knowledge of running and training methods and cutting-edge technology to create radically better marathoners. He burst onto the American and world marathon scene with a victory in the 1980 New York City Marathon. During his running career, he set one world and six U.S. records in various distances. After a hiatus lasting more than a decade, he made a comeback in 1995, when he won the Comrades Ultramarathon in South Africa. Richard A. Lovett, Ph.D., is an avid runner and veteran of numerous marathons. A former law professor, he is now a full-time writer.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: From the 100-Yard Dash to the Ultramarathon

Part 1. Preparing to Race

1. On the Road to Racing

Why Race?; Coaching What Nature Gave You; Before You Start; Stages of Life; Medical Issues

2. Basic Principles of Running Faster

Muscle Power, Fuel, and Oxygen; Base Training; Speed Training; Lab Tests and Training Theory; Callusing the Mind; Rest; Building a Workout Schedule

3. Base Training

Hard-Easy Pattern; LSD Pacing; Warm-Up and Cooldown; Hydration; Maintaining Consistency; Overtraining

4. Running Form

Upper-Body Form; Leg Motion; One Ideal Form

5. Speed Training

Eyeing the Prize; The Varieties of Speed Workouts; Picking Your Benchmark Pace; How to Run a Speed Workout; Customizing Your Speed Work; Training for the Distances; Other Workouts; Putting It All Together

Part 2. Oiling the Machine

6.Stretching

Stretching Basics; Ten-Minute Stretching

7. Weight Training and Cross-Training

Lower-Body Exercises (Core Program); Upper-Body Exercises (Core Program); Plyometrics; Cross-Training

8. Nutrition and Weight Control

Nutrition Basics; Fueling the Serious Athlete; The Right Weight for You; Body Composition: Measuring the Fat

9. Aches and Pains

Basics of Field Repairs; Common Hurts; Excess Pronation and Its Control; Coming Back after an Injury Layoff; DMSO; Lesser Ailments; Other Maladies

10. The Runner's Mind

Paying the Price; Building Confidence; Letting Go; Relaxation; The Mental Race: Fighting Fatigue; Long-Term Motivation

Part 3. The Race

11. Getting Ready

Choosing Your Race; Planning Your Race; Tapering; Registration and Packet Pickup; The Night before the Race

12. Race Day

Rise and Shine; Warming Up; The Start

13. After the Gun

Split Times; Race Strategy 101; The Dictates of Nature; Fine-Tuning Your Pace; Hydration; Gels

14. The Finish and Beyond

The Final Mile; At the Finish Line; Recovery; Setting Your Next Goal

Part 4. The Marathon--and More

15. The Marathon

Marathon Training; The Big Day; Recovery

16. Masters Running

Masters Physiology: Bad News/Good News; Masters Training; Age-Graded Performance Standards

17. Advanced Challenges

Race Strategy 102: Racing People Rather than the Clock; Cross-Country and Trail Running; Relay Races; Alternative-Format Races; Mega-Races; Triathlons; Ultramarathons

Appendix: Pace Chart of Common Workout and Racing Distances

Index