Read all about it

Writing about running is one thing, but why not read about it too! Most running books focus on the technical aspects of training and nutrition and there are many great ones around. But over the past few years I have tried to find books about running from a different angle, be it a more light-hearted and comical approach, or one that tries to understand the wider influence running has on us as individuals, or society more widely. Two books that I would recommend to all runners – in fact to anyone, even if they are not runners, because they are so good are, Russell Taylor’s The Looniness of the Long Distance Runner, and Feet in the Clouds by Richard Askwith. Taylor’s book is a diary account of his training for the New York marathon and is a fantastic and very funny personal view on the ups and downs of what it means for an absolute beginner preparing to run 26.2 miles. Feet in the Clouds is an altogether different book – a social history of fell running! Now don’t let that put you off for a second. This is a beautiful account of one runner’s obsession of tackling hills and mountains, and also a fascinating insight into the cultural and social impact that this side of the sport has in Britain.