More great books on running

I have blogged before about books on running and how they can provide some great inspiration.

Over the past few years the genre (can we say that yet?) of writing about running has certainly diversified. Books tend to fall into three camps: rather dry, technical training manuals; personal diary accounts of the writer’s experience of training for a big event; or biographies or autobiographies of the famous and well known, or sometimes not so well known. Whilst you might find some inspiration from a training manual it is is pretty unlikely, so for a good read the diary account or (auto) biography are the best bets, and over the past few months I have read some good examples of both.

The first is Haruki Murakimi’s ‘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running’, a book that is part travelogue, part training programme and part a reminiscence. Murakami is a full-time writer and novelist and the book gives you a really good sense of how his writing and running compliment each other beautifully – ones feeds off the other.

If its reading about sheer determination, dedication and bloody-mindedness is what your are after take a look at Pam Reed’s ‘The Extra Mile’ and ‘Ultramarathon Man’ by Dean Kanarzes. Both books are about the weird and wonderful world of ultra running. Not only do you get a superb accounts of just how much physical and mental effort is required to be one of the best in this part of the sport, you also gain a real understanding (particulary from Reed’s book) of the impact such dedication has on friends and families. You can read more about Dean on his website.

Another book about determination, but from a very different perspective is Paul Rambali’s ‘Barefoot Runner – the life of marathon champion Abebe Bikila’, a very intense account of how running and politics became completely entwined during 1960s Ethiopa. Many have questioned some of Rambali’s claims about what exactly took place, but I leave you to judge for yourself.