Reading & Running

These are two of my interests. If it is time for me to be a couch potato, i usually read – a lot. But then reading time has been relegated to the sidelines in favor of my current “flame” which is being at the outdoor and more often, running.

Lo and behold! I lately have found time to reunite with my readables because every night after training, I usually find it hard to get some sleep – training making me too hyper as if i am not it already! What I do is read until I feel sleepy. 

One of my favorites and i think my best buy as of yet is this running book by Amby Burfoot – the “Runner’s World Complete Book of Running”. I got this book on sale at the National Bookstore sometime in 2007 as tipped to me by Gold’s Gym PT (now Fitness Manager of their Wilson Branch),  Boyet Trinidad.  At the price of a little over a hundred pesos, the book was a real steal. Oh, it is published in 1997 pa but the topics in the book are still worth the reading time. It is good because it doesn’t overwhelm me with a lot of technical stuff ( though it has a good number of it) and a lot tips and facts are laid not just to educate but to inspire and motivate as well.

the book comes in hard bound and paperback copies. I got the paper back.

Thanks to the book, i have learned :

1. That as a beginner runner, it is ok to start with a simple and realistic approach. A walk/run program is acceptable and that you just have to add some determination to progress from there.  Anybody can walk but those who run can because they have the determination to do it.

2. Oprah Winfrey  achieved her goal of losing weight, was able to run her first full marathon without walking because she trained hard and most importantly, she trained hard because she never stopped believing in herself.  If Oprah can do it, so can we. The secret to it is just believing we can.

3. The most important piece of equipment we need in running is our running shoes.  But we should be able to pick the perfect one for our feet because running , while being a simple sport that anybody can do, forces our feet and legs through a fairly complex series of movements. And oh, a possible cause of shinsplints is the poor choice of running shoes.

4. The more weight you lose, the faster you run. The faster you run, the more you lose weight. Hmmm, Law of physics! So by now, people who know my body type can failry judge how fast (or slow is a more appropriate term) I run!

5. Running doesn’t make women’s breasts sag or make the uterus collapse. These are myths! In fact, the book says that running tightens and firms all the muscles it uses, so in effect, it even prevents sagging rather than cause it. Keep this in mind girls! I certainly did!

I can go on and on about what other points I was able to pick-up from the book. In fact i have yet to read half of what it has but what I have read so far already gave me a whole lot of new and useful information.  Which got me to thinking, i should have been reading it instead of blogging about it! lol!

If you are into running and reading is also one of your interests, I suggest you try to get hold of this book because it is worth it. And maybe, just maybe, you will be lucky to get a new and updated edition. If you do, tell me ha!