The Complete Book Of Running For Women: Everything You Need to Know about Training, Nutrition, Injury Prevention, Motivation, Racing and Much, Much More

I loved this book! As a 36 year old woman who is only just starting out running, I found this book very useful and informative. I read it cover to cover in only a couple of days but I decided not to follow the 'getting started' section as I'm already part way through a plan from another book, however it contained so much other information I don't feel as if I've missed anything. It has all any woman would need to start, and more importantly, continue to run; from motivational strategies and nutrition, to types of trainers and sports bras. Its set out well which means I can dip in and out as I need to remind myself of certain topics. My only gripe (and it is a VERY small one) would be that the section on races lists races which are all over the USA... not a problem to those living in the USA or those who have the finances to enable them to run in the USA, but a bit disappointing to me as I would have been interested to see a list of UK races - but I guess this is my fault as I never checked where the author was from. That being said, it wouldn't put me off recommending this book to anyone.

I was dubious about buying this book following a purchase of '4 months to a 4 hour marathon' by a different author, fearing it would be just as pointless but this book surprised me. It is a fantastic bible for all runners (not just women) and although some of the reviewers have said it is too basic, I disagree. It is wonderfully written, easy to read, and very very informative. It has easy reference and structured chapters and has helped me to understand alot more about my mid distance running training diet & lifestyle. I disagree that it is not for seasoned runners, and would reccommend it to anyone who wants to know more about running at various levels.

Really interesting to hear about the history of women in the marathon. I had grown up watching women in the marathon and had no idea the prior struggle. The book has good training programmes, although is a little confusing referring to both miles and meters in the same program. Also very US centric. It is also a little serious, if you're looking for motivation and humour and advice I recommend " running like a girl" instead.

I read other peoples reviews of this book after looking around for some guidance and help with my running. This is a very straight forward read with lots of hints and tips for any level runner, would highly recommend.

This is such a great book!I use it constantly to refer back to after reading through it from cocer to cover!It always gets me motivated to run and I am now training for my 1st 10k in a long time thanks to this book and the information it has given me with regards to what foods to eat and what running actaully means to me!Such a great book even though its bit dated its still excellent!!!

I bought the Kindle version of this as I thought is would be a great reference book to have with me constantly. It is a good book and I would heartily recommend it for beginners to running or for people that want more information. However as a subscriber to Runners' World magazine I am aware of most of the information within this book and it didn't contain much new material. It is also written by an American and refers to American races, clothings and foodstuffs/drinks. It also seems to be out of date and I was constantly wondering when it was written and why it hadn't been updated. For example I understand that yoga is a good way of ensuring that runners are flexible and to help with stretching and have taken it up myself, however in the book is says that yoga is of no use to runners, runners shouldn't be too supple and that no top runners practice yoga! Overall I would imagine that there are better books available (I get this mainly because it seemed the best available on the Kindle) but it would be adequate for a beginner.

I think this book is very good especially if you are running mad like me. There are lots of tips that I am putting into place and it keeps you interested through out.

There is so much irrelevant detail in this book and so much basic material that is just common sense (and I’m not a running expert). It’s not an interesting or engaging read and I can honestly say it hasn’t taught me anything. There are many far better books available.

I used to run cross country in high school; however, in college, I chose cheerleading over running and began focusing on easier workouts, like the elliptical. Then, I got married and had a baby. During the pregnancy, I gained well over 60 pounds. I started exercising again at the health club, taking classes, etc., but I was not losing the weight! It was very frustrating. Then I got a new job as a teacher and jr. high track coach! The idea of being a track coach who hadn't run since high school was frightening....so, I decided that I needed to get back in the swing of running. I figured that since I had tried to stay active, I could just go out and do it. I was wrong!! I got injured, and was frustrated. I decided to go on-line and see if I could find a book to give me the basics of how to get back into running after taking time off. I didn't want to run competitively, I simply wanted to be able to keep up with my track kids on an easy road run day for supervision purposes. :) This book was the answer!! It gave me the routine I needed to break back into running (no injuries from this routine!) It was also motivational!! I started waking up before my husband and daughter woke up and went for my run/walk work-out and then I would do the strength routine also provided by this book. I ended up losing all of my baby weight, and I was able to wear out my track kids. This year, I have started entering into races, and I have fallen in love with the sport of running all over again!! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is new to running or returning to running. It is very imformative on how to do it safely, stay motivated, and the benefits of running for your health!

I am a new runner and this book has helped me go from beginner to intermediate which is close to my full potential! ! Love it.

Lots of great advice is contained in this book, but I will say that its probably time for a few updates (listening to your Walkman while you run...). It covers all of the basics from nutrition, choosing the right equipment, how to start running and considerations regarding running injuries. It is probably better for less experienced runners, the more experienced runner might find it a bit elementary but being as I was a beginner runner it was a good tool and gave me great motivation.

Great book!

This book is amazing! I am a beginning runner and read this book from cover to cover. It is EXTREMELY helpful! There are chapters that cover everything from selecting running shoes, evaluating running surfaces, running while pregnant, running during menopause, etc. My favorite item is a 10 week beginner's running schedule that lays out a very easy run/walk plan that culminates in the ability to run for 30 min (about a 5K). For you advanced runners, there are also schedules with much higher mileage, i.e. marathons or half-marathons. Kowalchik covers issues for all runners as well as issues specific to women. She also addresses topics such as nutrition, cross-training, and injury prevention. This book is ideal for the beginning to advanced runner. This book definitely helped and motivated me. Give it a try.