The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing

This book is (extremely) useful to competitive and amateur athletes, alike. It came highly recommended to me from a friend and he thought it would help me as much as it helped him. At that time, he was a highly competitive Ironman triathlete and I was an overweight, newbie struggling to do a 5K. That just says, this book is not just focussed on pros OR amateurs. It relates to everyone because it focusses on teaching basic principles of fitness and how our body works. Dr Maffetone touches on many important aspects that are overlooked by 90% of the people (including active/fit people!) such as aerobic vs anaerobic energy, role of carbohydrates, HR as an effective tool, using FAT as a fuel in long races (you heard it right!). Throughout the book, Phil uses examples of how he helped various athletes and non-athletes in improving their personal records and injury prevention just by improving their basics. The book itself is written in a very simple manner and is an easy read. If you are looking for 10minutes a day/ 3x per week magic workouts/schedules here... prepare to be disappointed. One has to read, digest and apply this information to their workouts and diet. Some of his concepts, might seem unconventional but they work very well. Whether you choose to follow Phil Maffetone's methodology to train for your next race or not, is upto you. But regardless, it provides a wealth of information for any enthusiast in world of endurance sports.

Phil Maffetone lays out the foundation for a healthy, fit lifestyle with this book. I would recommend anybody who performs any endurance sports at all to read this book, as well as anybody interested in health in general. The first third of the book is about aerobic training. Specifically, training in a way that causes your body to burn mostly fat during aerobic activity. The second third of the book is about diet, and this section is something that absolutely everyone should read. There are so many misconceptions out there about diet, specifically the ridiculous "low fat" craze. Phil explains in detail why meats, fat, and veggies are good for you, and why refined carbs are bad. There is a long explanation of different dietary fats and which ones to eat to stay balanced (eating correct amounts of vegetable oils, meat/dairy fats, and fish/flaxseed fats). His recommended diet also promotes fat burning for energy, tying in with the training strategy. The focus of the training and diet is not to "lose weight", although if you are overweight and follow this plan you will definitely shed pounds your body doesn't need. The main purpose is health and performance - aerobic activity is much more efficient while burning fats instead of carbs. The last third of the book is about injury prevention and care.

This is a great book. I first heard of this book when it was recommended by a medical doctor who gave a presentation on marathon training at a marathon expo I attended. I bought the book and read it cover to cover. I am not an expert in sports medicine or training... but I am an avid marathoner, ultra runner, and triathlete who is also an equally avid consumer of information regarding training and racing. This is the most complete source of information on endurance training that I have yet to see. Don't buy it expecting to learn some easy secrets to success, etc. It just contains good info - and a lot of it - on virtually everything the endurance athlete needs to know. Solid advice from a reliable source. You won't regret reading it. It may have more information than you are looking for... but certainly not less.

This book is great. But let me tell you why I read it. I am 61. I was always reasonably fit and then unfit. I ran an ultra marathon of 90 km for months after I bought my first ever running shoes. I then ran various marathons. And 5 more ultras at 56 km. Then I stopped. 15 years later I cycled for fun. Ended up with a by pass. Obviously I am lucky and wanted to get fit. I started heavy weight training. And progressed quickly to more 1.5 body weight but the stressed effect with cortisol was driving me crazy. I had to make a change. Then I read about exercise with heart rate monitor. I had to understand the idea. And bought the book. Obviously I could have found the info on the internet. But I like reading a book. Kindle or other. I learned a lot. I have all the necessary measures in place. And will measure them on schedule. I will not compete. No races for me. I have done that. But I will be aerobically fit as any other. My aim is health. Naturally. And I got more than I bargained for. In more ways than one. I think Dr Maffetone can write a shorter book for dudes like me. 50% or more of the book i skipped through as it was dedicated to very serious athletes. Good for them. I have downloaded an app to measure or graph my daily progress. And without this book I may still be having sleeps nights because of an over stressed body due to cortisol. This will stop and I will be riding my recumbent trike with a plan. A plan I can enjoy and not expect over training physically, chemically or mentally. Enjoy.

A few years ago, I was barely able to walk, much less run. I suffered from horrendous Plantar Fasciitis in both feet that would leave me hobbled after a morning of coaching my kid's soccer team. Trips to the podiatrist, painful injections in the heels, and expensive custom orthotics didn't seem to help. I was giving up all hope when my wife and I saw Christopher McDougall, the author of "Born to Run," interviewed on the Daily Show. He described the same "icepick in the heel" pain I was having, so my wife bought his book for me as a gift. It literally changed my life, actually, considering my family history of heart disease, may have saved my life. While I have trained barefoot to work on form, I do not consider myself a barefoot runner. But, I have readjusted my gait to a very natural, mid-foot running form using Newton Running shoes. While it took a while to build up my atrophied calf muscles, less than 2 years later and 50 years old, I was running regularly without joint pain, but was still struggling every now and then with significant flu-like pain and fatigue. And my Plantar Fasciitis, the vampire bite of running injuries, was always lurking out there forcing me to take 2, sometimes even 3 rest days between runs, and when it would flare, I could be down for 2 to 3 months. In summary, I was running, I was running better, but I was still struggling more than I felt I should be. When I tried to extend my runs out to the 8 to 12 mile range, I always found a demon lurking out there in the thin air, ready to pour cement in my legs while I would bonk and my body would shut down. The dream of running a marathon seemed beyond my grasp. While researching a "100-Ups" drill on McDougall's website, I stumbled across McDougall's endorsement for Dr. Maffetone's book. I bought the Kindle edition and started reading "The Big Book on Endurance Training and Racing" and was hooked by the first few pages of the introduction. I learned that the biggest hurdle I had to get over was my male ego. I was pushing too hard and running too fast. My running partner and I were both suffering from aerobic deficiencies that we could measure with our heart rate monitors. While we could run moderate distances in the 8's and 9's, we were locomotives causing injury in our anaerobic zones, and excess weight just wasn't coming off. So, while skeptical, I decided to give the Maffetone method a try and only a month later, I am happy to report to all of you I have seen amazing improvements in my aerobic function by slowing down and following Maffetone's advice. Here are summary results from my two actual MAF tests 1 month apart. To demonstrate just how deficient my aerobic zone was, I had to slow down from my usual 9 min/mile pace to 12:37/mile average in my first 4 mile MAF test. Talk about a blow to the ego! But in the book's sidebars, you will learn that you are not alone, that even elite athletes have suffered from the same aerobic/anaerobic imbalance. So, 1 month later, at the same aerobic heart rate, my average time in my most recent MAF test has improved to 11:28/mile. Additional benefits of training aerobically and teaching my body how to burn fat is that I have lost a total of 10 pounds so far. I have left that demon behind in the dust, and I am now running a ½ marathon every weekend with plenty of gas left in the tank, and I will run my first marathon in the spring. I can even run back-to-back runs if my training schedule calls for it, which is a miracle for me considering where I've come from. And when I need to pick the pace up on race day, I find that my AHR is lower than it used to be, even when I am in the anaerobic zone, and I can gradually pick up my pace as the race progresses. I feel that Maffetone is teaching me how to build this much needed, and often overlooked base. While McDougall's book provided the inspiration for the paradigm shift I so desperately needed, I honestly believe that Maffetone's book was the missing piece to the puzzle. Get this book, get a good heart-rate monitor, set the ego aside, and enjoy pain-free progress in your running. I cannot recommend it enough.

I read the book from beginning to end and decided to put part of it use. The book is somewhat technical and re-emphasizes some of the same points over and over again, but perhaps Dr. Maffetone is trying to drive the point home. It's also broken down between the concept of working out within your optimal heart rate and nutrition. I started the heart rate portion of the program 2 weeks ago and I have to admit that it was very difficult to "run" at such a slow pace. However, of the past 2 weeks I've remained true to the program and I already noticed a difference after 2 weeks. Today I found myself being able to run at a slightly faster pace and I was still staying within my heart rate. I was also able to partially run up hills and I didn't have to walk the entire hill, like I had to in the beginning of the program. I think if you commit yourself to the concept and stay true, it will pay off. But be prepared to get frustrated for the first few weeks, it just is what it is. The second half of the book discuss a lot of information about proper nutrition, hydration and overall health which I found fascinating. Since there's a lot to put together I decided to start with the heart rate program first and I'm working on the nutrition aspect as I go along. I do recommend the book and I'm very happy to have found it. In addition, I suffered a back injury along with SI joint dysfunction 6 months ago. When I started reading the book, there was a lot of information about the dangers of overtraining. With my first full marathon looming on the horizon, I took his advice and I cut back my running schedule and I stopped stretching. Low and behold, it worked for me. The marathon was a success and I never ever "hit the wall". In fact I felt so fabulous I could have kept running.

Great book with lots of information, but too much filler. Seems like he spent a lot of time trying to sell the reader on low aerobic training, but they're already reading the book so they've already bought in. Just get to the point. Could have been 100 pages and gotten the point across just fine.

Dr. Maffetone is a pioneer and his methods work. His coaching helped Mark Allen win six Ironman World Championship titles in Hawaii. Dr. Maffetone's 180 Formula for determining maximum aerobic heart rate (MAHR), coupled with his maximum aerobic function (MAF) test are the foundation for an effective training and racing program. Since I started following his methods, my race times have dropped, injuries are very rare and my overall health has improved. The information on 'carbohydrate intolerance' and Dr. Maffetone's Two-Week Test are priceless. I've completed the Two-Week Test and experienced the benefit of more even energy levels and reduced belly fat. Why do we eat so many refined carbohydrates and so much sugar anyway? Stop it for two weeks (based on the protocol outlined), see how you feel and how much weight you lose, and then decide how you want to eat. Dr. Maffetone also details how eating fewer refined carbs and less sugar will improve your training and racing. But don't take my word for it - the MAF test (running a set course at MAHR) will provide you with the results. Results: at age 29 I qualified for the Ironman in Hawaii and completed the race in 10:37. Several years later I started using Dr. Maffetone's methods and competed in races up to ½ Ironman in length. (This book includes the information from two of Dr. Maffetone's earlier titles, Training for Endurance and Eating for Endurance.) At age 43 I qualified for Hawaii again and set a goal of beating my previous Hawaii time. I completed the race in 10:19. This would not have happened without Dr. Maffetone's methods. I give this book to the triathletes I coach and it is the basis for our work together. The key is that athletes feel and see the results; this is motivating. "The Big Book" truly is THE book for faster race times, reduced body fat and better overall health.

This book had the answers to questions I didn’t know I had. I’ve learnt so much on my first reading. I’ve implemented some of Phil’s training techniques and philosophies, and they are working for me. It’s a total systems book. I recommend it for every athlete serious about learning more about their body and performance.

This is the bible of athletic performance. It is exhaustive and precise at the same time. It provides you clear steps to execute, and if you practise them, you will reap the benefits. This book made Mt Kilimanjaro happen for me.

Llego en buen estado

Amazing book 👍 It changed my perspective on planning for my training for half-marathons and much more, from sleeping, eating and everyday life.

Sensacional! Uma leitura densa, mas completa. Abra sua mente e se prepare para ter uma visão muito bem ponderada e embasada do corpo humano, suas características e comportamentos nos diversos estágios do exercício de longa duração.