Ever since I started running many years ago, I have best intentions to stick to training plans and to keep up a base fitness so that I don’t ever have to “start over” in my training. But then life happens and I get busy, lazy, or injured, and I have had to start over many times. Dividing my time between family, school, and work responsibilities, I attempt to reserve the time to stay in shape, so the book title “The 30 Minute Runner – Smart Training for Busy Beginners” really caught my eye.
The book is geared towards beginning runners who may be overwhelmed by the thought of starting a workout routine with the goal to complete a 5k, but is also useful for those who are busy and want to learn how to effectively use the 30 minutes they can dedicate to working out. in the chapter “Learn” it starts out with some basic education about how lungs, legs, and feet work together during exercise. It then goes into the longest chapter “Train” where it teaches training plan terminology and how to maintain your running log, details some training plans for 5k preparation, and offers suggestions on how to handle different weather and terrain situations. The different training plans are geared towards the first time 5k finisher, and towards those who want to improve their previous 5k performance.
The chapter “Conquer” talks about quitting: when it is important to quit a run, and when to keep running anyway when motivation is lacking. Finally, the chapter “Sustain” suggests ways to choose your next race, how to continue training after reaching your goal, and the chapter “Thrive” gives us a 10k training plans for those who want to increase their distance and are ready to have workouts last longer than 30 minutes.
The book is written in an easy to read tone by someone who knows what he’s talking about in a way that will be encouraging and supportive to those who are new to the sport. Even as someone who has run for many years, I appreciate the explanations about the hows and whys of different training runs. Now that I have read the book, I am looking forward to following the 12 week training plan to improve my 5k running time.
The book is available at Amazon for $13.50, and both Clackamas and Washington County libraries own some copies as well.
