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Still choosing
Relentless forward progress - liking it so far
born to run, fun story, one useful nuget about more upright / shorter stride in a easy to understand way that was interesting.
Running a Global History - Small Print, wish i'd got a kindle edition instead (if they do one that is) interesting but dry history. OK, but not my best buy.
I have samples of half a dozen others. will decide what else to buy come payday next week
Or be naughty and buy a new pair of trainers instead!
Oh Advanced Marathoning is good, can dip in and out of chapters.
I willhave a book out soon which will be awesome
But I made a list of my favs here.
http://www.runningandstuff.com/books-and-other-reading/
RFP is a very good book.
Bunion Derby probably my favourite.
'running on empty' was the first book on running i read & the first realisation there was such a thing as ultra running. I think its a pretty good read.
I didn't like Andy Mounceys book too much, i thought it was really boring & poorly written. If you like reading race reports you might like it, most of the material was already on his website not sure if it still is.
Mud sweat & tears is very good as is feet in the clouds.
relentless forward progress is a good resource even though again allot of it is repeated on the website its one of the rare books with actual training advice for ultras.
Just started reading survival of the fittest which i spose is more related to diet & endurance.
Read many other books on running but not ultra related. Really struggling to find a good training specific book for ultra/trail running thats a bit more science based, probably because there is really very little in the way of data out there. I know you can cross some of the knowledge over from track & road running but obviously running around mountains is a bit different.
It was Born to Run that got me, the best damned book I have ever read, I just didn't want it to end!!
Running with the Kenyans and Eat and Run were two other books I loved.
Rosko (and others looking for something trail specific and scientific) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Off-road-Running-Sarah-Rowell/dp/1861265239, good resource to have as by Sarah Rowell, reknowned off road runner and also a sports scientist. Also has a new book out, whcih I've not read yet http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trail-Mountain-Running-Sarah-Rowell/dp/1847974554.
Neither of these ultra specific, maybe best used as a resource alongside previously mentioned titles (relentless forward progress .... etc). I've not found a "bible" for off-road ultra distance running yet and in truth I tend to skim training resource type books anyway, so i just keep looking around for things and trying things.
Not a book, but lots of details here.... http://www.ultrunr.com/ even stuff on technique for hills and long distances, which isn't mentioned that much in other books I've read.
I am also three quarters of my way through Ultramarathon Man, Dean Karnazes, really, really enjoying that one too.
Argh what the hell am I gonna do when I have finished this one, I have run out of books
Here is a link to my running shelf.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7685083-tim-bateson?shelf=running
The best book I have read recently is From Last to First by Charlie Spedding. Based on marathon running, but his big turn around in running was based within the mind. WHich is surely where are ultras are run
I've read a shed load of running books over the last year or so and a lot of books about ultras. I've been through all the usual suspects already listed many times on here, and many of them feature high on my list, but I have to agree with Daz, The Ghost Runner (Bill Jones) is the best running book I've read this year. A great and tragic tale, and very well written.
There were a few less well known books that I have enjoyed too, which included:
A Few Degrees from Hell (Scott Ludwig) - tales from runners who took part in the 2003 Badwater Ultra. Not the best written book IMHO but fascinating reading about what it takes to get through Badwater.
The Longest Race (Ed Ayres) - an interesting read about the JFK 50 miler and the author's unique perspective on the race and it's comparison to other deeper things. Not top of the pile, but interesting and different nonetheless.
Dead Man Running (Billy Isherwood) - self-admittedly not the best written book out there, but an incredible and harrowing tale of one man's battle growing up with abuse and then suffering terribly from alcoholism before going on to run the Atacama Desert Ultra. Gripping stuff.
All deffo worth a read.
A couple of books that I'd add to the list:-
Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning
Ultimate Navigation Manual by Lyle Brotherton
Just read Hal's book. Full of good tips.
And I just noticed a certain: Fat Man to Green Man also isn't on this list
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Man-Green-Unfit-Ultramarathon/dp/191008901X/
I recently read The Extra Mile - Pam Reed's autobiography and found it really interesting. Also enjoyed Dean Karnazes's Run!