The Science of Running How to find your limit and train to maximize your performance

Abstract

"If you are looking for how to finish your first 5k, this book isn't for you. The Science of Running is written for those of us looking to maximize our performance, get as close to our limits as possible, and more than anything find out how good we can be, or how good our athletes can be. In The Science of Running, elite coach and exercise physiologist Steve Magness integrates the latest research with the training processes of the world's best runners, to deliver an in depth look at how to maximize your performance. It is a unique book that conquers both the scientific and practical points of running in two different sections. The first is aimed at identifying what limits running performance from a scientific standpoint. You will take a tour through the inside of the body, learning what causes fatigue, how we produce energy to run, and how the brain functions to hold you back from super-human performance. In section two, we turn to the practical application of this information and focus on the process of training to achieve your goals. You will learn how to develop training plans and to look at training in a completely different way. The Science of Running does not hold back information and is sure to challenge you to become a better athlete, coach, or exercise scientist in covering such topics as: What is fatigue? The latest research on looking at fatigue from a brain centered view; Why VO2max is the most overrated and misunderstood concept in both the lab and on the track; Why "zone" training leads to suboptimal performance; How to properly individualize training for your own unique physiology; How to look at the training process in a unique way in terms of stimulus and adaptation; Full sample training programs from 800m to the marathon--Back cover. How running happens -- Fatigue: friend or foe? -- The brain: the master controller -- An oxygen problem -- The fallacy of VO2max -- Lactate, acid, and other by-products -- Efficiency -- The brain-muscle connection -- The genetics of training -- Theories of training adaptation -- Volume and intensity of training -- Periodization -- Where do we go from here? -- The philosophy of training -- What are we trying to accomplish? -- Creating and manipulating workouts -- Individualizing training -- Defining the workouts -- Bringing it all together: periodization -- Training for each event -- Special workouts and strength training -- The biomechanics of running -- Appendix: workout examples and progressions for each…