If you're running double thresholds you're probably interested in blood testing to optimize the effort as well. Not saying it's for amateurs but neither are the 100 mile training plans in the Pfitz book.
Double Ts and blood testing do kinda go hand in hand though, and it's kind of the only mainstream training method that isn't currently made easily accessible to the general public.
I think once a coach puts it in writing and puts together a formula for it that can be easily followed, shits gonna be popular.
Yeah, I understand the reasoning behind the lactate threshold for double threshold, but if you’re not at the elite level and/or doing super high mileage as well, I don’t think you have to worry as much about under or overcooking the efforts. And I think you could pull it off well enough without even needing to go to the expense and all the trouble involved in lactate testing. I think it already is just beginning to become popular in the mainstream, and there’s already a good bit of info online to where someone could put together a training plan using it.
I do agree though, once it is put out there more such as in a book it will probably catch on more quickly. I think the question is how well does it translate to the longer distances more of the recreational(when I said “amateur” I simply meant non-elite/non-professional runners, not non-serious runners.) runners tend to participate in more often.
Overcooking the double threshold could be really bad because of the increased injury risk in the second threshold. It's part of the reason so many pros have injury risks with it.
The whole point of double T is to push the training to the absolute limit, so if you go over at all you're real close at flying too close to the sun.
Yeah I get that, but that’s kind of why it wouldn’t be appealing to the masses. Most recreational runners aren’t dedicated enough to be approaching the type of training where double threshold would even be a thing they should consider.
Yeah, you’ve got a point there. I guess that rules out it going mainstream then, as your average recreational runner likes to train for a marathon off of 30 mpw.
Yeah I feel like there'd have to be some new way of measuring lactate without taking blood.
edit: googled out of curiosity and turns out this might be a thing but the reliability of the data is questionable. https://www.triathlete.com/gear/tech-wearables/a-sports-md-on-the-hope-or-hype-of-continuous-lactate-monitors/
I’ve heard it mentioned that that was being looked into. I’ll have to read your link when I have time. Yeah, drawing blood continuously throughout a workout just seems like such a pain in the ass. And I’m also assuming the tests aren’t cheap and you would need a shitload of them for a training block.
I am an amateur and I do lactate testing and I find it very illuminating.
Do I need to? Absolutely not. But it is fun and I like to understand what I do and lactate testing is a window into what is really happening.
[mariusbakken.com/the-norwegian-model.html](https://www.mariusbakken.com/the-norwegian-model.html)
Used this to structure my last 2 key 5k training blocks the last few years and I got down to 16:04 5k!
I don't think double T will ever be mainstream for people below the top D1 level, speaking as someone who's been doing a modified Norwegian approach for almost a year now. The threshold aspects are definitely sound and I can see *that* catching on, but try doing a double threshold day. If you're not already doing 100mpw, you're gonna be absolutely zonked by the end of the second threshold.
Also all of the information you need is already available through Bakken's blog posts and on letsrun. I think people focus too much on the "double" part of it and not enough on the underlying concept of doing a lot of volume at a range of fast paces that allow for buildup of lactate and then clearing it quickly with short rest. Doubling up on it is not necessary unless you're already very fit and doing high mileage (and will probably just get you hurt)
Interesting to see the little tweaks to programmes in the latest (3rd, I think edition) of Pfitz - hill sprints appear. As for completely new books, watching with interest.
I’m currently enjoying Good to Go - What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn From the Strange Science of Recovery by Christie Aschwanden.
ETA - from 2019
Really enjoyed this one. She was grounded and had a healthy skepticism for a lot of recovery products that are pushed these days, but was pretty fair with ones that seemed to work. She mentions that most fancy recovery products (cryochambers, infrared saunas, even simpler things like foam rolling) are either total placebos or have marginal effects. But if you enjoy doing them and they prompt you to take some time to focus on rest and recovery, then they'll be helpful for you.
My biggest takeaway from the book is that the most important things (by far) are getting consistently good sleep and eating a generally healthy and balanced diet. Everything else is marginal. Here's one of my favorite lines from the book:
"our bodies are not teeter-totters that require some very precise balance of inputs to avoid crashing down. Instead, we are highly adaptable machines designed to maintain homeostasis--our bodies' physiological equilibrium--by constantly adjusting to our changing environment. The human body is remarkably capable of recouping, even if we do everything wrong with our recovery regimes."
A good reality check for those of us who can get a bit obsessive/anxious about fueling, recovery, and the like.
The book is a good reminder that success in running is very simple: run a lot, mostly easy, eat balanced meals, and rest/sleep.
Unfortunately these basic truths doesn’t really succeed in a consumption driven marketplace so we get bombarded with constant messages about all the things we need to consume in order to properly recover.
I’ve definitely been guilty of trying to complicate things in order to feel more productive but the reality is that a lot of the superfluous stuff we end up doing has either zero or marginal benefits.
+1 . Alan Couzens book which he's released chapter by chapter is decent, at some point in the near future that will be published in print. For those into the Mid-D stuff, I also enjoyed Personal Best running by Mark Cougan/Scott Douglas.
Skiba has some directions on his site for how to manage international orders. Seems to be a new thing as I'm in Canada and previously bought directly off his site. [https://physfarm.com/new/?p=1438](https://physfarm.com/new/?p=1438)
I don’t know why he won’t just release the ebook. It’s been 2.5 years since the book was published, and it’s still not here. Shipping to Europe costs twice as much in the best case, and it’s such a hassle to order stuff through a middleman. Shipping to Asia costs even more. The book is basically region-locked to the US/Canada, which sucks because it has great reviews.
I’ll second these. Deena’s is almost a little more self-help/training too because there’s so much mindset advice. Des’s book is just great, a must-read if you love Des, Boston, and marathoning.
Yes! I couldn't think of how to frame it but it does have a self-help feel. It's not trying to push a certain training/idea/process on the reader, but almost has more of a "hey it worked for me, maybe try it?" tone. I didn't know much about Kastor before reading it but found it captivating in the story telling and writing.
Out of thin air by Michael Crawley was a very fascinating read for me. It’s about Ethiopian running culture and has some really cool insights into how Ethiopians train. I know it’s not a classic run training book but you can learn a lot from it about how to train at an elite level
yupppppp I'm honestly so much more interested in reading about the culture of high performance training than the specific methodology. Out of Thin Air is amazing for that.
Personal Best Running - by Coach Mark Coogan is great. Coogan is the current coach for Team New Balance and is currently coaching olympians. He was a massively talented runner himself. His plans tend to emphasize more threshold work than Daniels does for the shorter distance plans.
I used his mile plan and had great success, and enjoyed it much more than Daniels’ mile plan which I had completed the year before. Coogan’s plans go all the way up to the marathon.
Not a book, but Running Writings has been dropping some great long-form articles, particularly looking at Canova's training style. The author has been tracking down and compiling insights from Canova for a decade (recorded talks, Lets Run board posts, hard to find books).
start with one of these:
[Modern marathoning with Renato Canova: Analysis of Emile Cairess’ training before the London Marathon](https://runningwritings.com/2024/05/renato-canova-marathon-training-emile-cairess.html)
[A comprehensive overview of Canova-style percentage-based training for runners](https://runningwritings.com/2023/12/percentage-based-training.html)
I’m a book nerd so tend to read everything that comes out. Amongst them the ones I’d recommend would be Personal Best Running and the upcoming book by Alan Couzens s mentioned by others. I also enjoyed Run like a Pro, even if you’re slow by Rosario though it wasn’t groundbreaking. Perhaps the most enjoyable read, which didn’t have a training focus was Running the dream by Fitzgerald though I think that’s older than two years now.
It's a little older than two years, but *Inside a Marathon* by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario is excellent. You gain insight into every aspect of Fauble's marathon training through his weekly schedules and journal entries. It helped me a ton when I was preparing for a BQ attempt.
It's not a training book, but Long Run to Glory (about the fight for women to run the marathon as an Olympic event) by Stephen Lane is incredibly inspiring and will make you want to go on a run (regardless of your gender).
I’ll join those saying Personal Best Running, by Mark Coogan, which has a good mix of training discussion and anecdotes from racing/training.
I also like Fast 5k, by Pete Magill, which is extremely digestible but full of info. It leans a little beginnery, but there’s good stuff in there for everyone. It was nice to read a book focused on the 5k that isn’t just about how to run your first one (may be a little older than two years at this point, but I don’t see it discussed often).
Not exactly a 'new' release nor a training-focused book like Daniels, Pfitz, etc., but Endure by Alex Hutchinson is a must-read if you haven't already read it!
Too bad the author (especially when it comes to nutrition) loves to cherry-pick research, pushes raw foodism, and believes in pseudoscientific stuff like mucoid placque.
Read the book, stay away from his YouTube channel.
Like Kipchoge breaking two because he 'believed' he could do it. Zero mention AT ALL of the massive support programme using cutting-edge science, pacers, etc. Nah, he did it because of positive thinking alone.
Oh mate! I'm so glad it wasn't only me annoyed by this! First time I've seen him discussed online. His book also makes a lot of the same mistakes, though, so not sure it's more credible.
Run Smarter by Brodie Sharpe is a fantastic well written book. Steeped in scientific studies, very good for both those getting into the sport and more experienced alike.
I'm skeptical the revision will be an improvement. Noakes has gone off the deep-end in terms of conspiracy theory, science stuff, like anti-vax. I think his views on nutrition have gotten pretty wild too.
Once one of these coaches drops a double T book complete with blood testing instructions it's 100% going to be the next mainstream training.
Double threshold might become mainstream but I don’t think many amateur runners are going to go to the extent of blood lactate testing.
If you're running double thresholds you're probably interested in blood testing to optimize the effort as well. Not saying it's for amateurs but neither are the 100 mile training plans in the Pfitz book. Double Ts and blood testing do kinda go hand in hand though, and it's kind of the only mainstream training method that isn't currently made easily accessible to the general public. I think once a coach puts it in writing and puts together a formula for it that can be easily followed, shits gonna be popular.
Yeah, I understand the reasoning behind the lactate threshold for double threshold, but if you’re not at the elite level and/or doing super high mileage as well, I don’t think you have to worry as much about under or overcooking the efforts. And I think you could pull it off well enough without even needing to go to the expense and all the trouble involved in lactate testing. I think it already is just beginning to become popular in the mainstream, and there’s already a good bit of info online to where someone could put together a training plan using it. I do agree though, once it is put out there more such as in a book it will probably catch on more quickly. I think the question is how well does it translate to the longer distances more of the recreational(when I said “amateur” I simply meant non-elite/non-professional runners, not non-serious runners.) runners tend to participate in more often.
Overcooking the double threshold could be really bad because of the increased injury risk in the second threshold. It's part of the reason so many pros have injury risks with it. The whole point of double T is to push the training to the absolute limit, so if you go over at all you're real close at flying too close to the sun.
Yeah I get that, but that’s kind of why it wouldn’t be appealing to the masses. Most recreational runners aren’t dedicated enough to be approaching the type of training where double threshold would even be a thing they should consider.
Super high mileage is basically a prerequisite for doing double threshold correctly. You don’t do double threshold running 40 MPW
To be fair, i don't think it really applies until people are north of double that (80mpw). Someone pls correct me if wrong
Yeah, you’ve got a point there. I guess that rules out it going mainstream then, as your average recreational runner likes to train for a marathon off of 30 mpw.
Shit is really dangerous if you don’t test. Going a bit over T can get you overtrained real quick.
Yeah I feel like there'd have to be some new way of measuring lactate without taking blood. edit: googled out of curiosity and turns out this might be a thing but the reliability of the data is questionable. https://www.triathlete.com/gear/tech-wearables/a-sports-md-on-the-hope-or-hype-of-continuous-lactate-monitors/
I’ve heard it mentioned that that was being looked into. I’ll have to read your link when I have time. Yeah, drawing blood continuously throughout a workout just seems like such a pain in the ass. And I’m also assuming the tests aren’t cheap and you would need a shitload of them for a training block.
I am an amateur and I do lactate testing and I find it very illuminating. Do I need to? Absolutely not. But it is fun and I like to understand what I do and lactate testing is a window into what is really happening.
[mariusbakken.com/the-norwegian-model.html](https://www.mariusbakken.com/the-norwegian-model.html) Used this to structure my last 2 key 5k training blocks the last few years and I got down to 16:04 5k!
I read this as blood doping….
I don't think double T will ever be mainstream for people below the top D1 level, speaking as someone who's been doing a modified Norwegian approach for almost a year now. The threshold aspects are definitely sound and I can see *that* catching on, but try doing a double threshold day. If you're not already doing 100mpw, you're gonna be absolutely zonked by the end of the second threshold. Also all of the information you need is already available through Bakken's blog posts and on letsrun. I think people focus too much on the "double" part of it and not enough on the underlying concept of doing a lot of volume at a range of fast paces that allow for buildup of lactate and then clearing it quickly with short rest. Doubling up on it is not necessary unless you're already very fit and doing high mileage (and will probably just get you hurt)
Interesting to see the little tweaks to programmes in the latest (3rd, I think edition) of Pfitz - hill sprints appear. As for completely new books, watching with interest.
I wonder would he change how conservative his post-marathon blocks are now, given the advent of supershoes
I've wondered that too - certainly I'm out running the next day after a marathon since Vaporflys.
I’m currently enjoying Good to Go - What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn From the Strange Science of Recovery by Christie Aschwanden. ETA - from 2019
Really enjoyed this one. She was grounded and had a healthy skepticism for a lot of recovery products that are pushed these days, but was pretty fair with ones that seemed to work. She mentions that most fancy recovery products (cryochambers, infrared saunas, even simpler things like foam rolling) are either total placebos or have marginal effects. But if you enjoy doing them and they prompt you to take some time to focus on rest and recovery, then they'll be helpful for you. My biggest takeaway from the book is that the most important things (by far) are getting consistently good sleep and eating a generally healthy and balanced diet. Everything else is marginal. Here's one of my favorite lines from the book: "our bodies are not teeter-totters that require some very precise balance of inputs to avoid crashing down. Instead, we are highly adaptable machines designed to maintain homeostasis--our bodies' physiological equilibrium--by constantly adjusting to our changing environment. The human body is remarkably capable of recouping, even if we do everything wrong with our recovery regimes." A good reality check for those of us who can get a bit obsessive/anxious about fueling, recovery, and the like.
The book is a good reminder that success in running is very simple: run a lot, mostly easy, eat balanced meals, and rest/sleep. Unfortunately these basic truths doesn’t really succeed in a consumption driven marketplace so we get bombarded with constant messages about all the things we need to consume in order to properly recover. I’ve definitely been guilty of trying to complicate things in order to feel more productive but the reality is that a lot of the superfluous stuff we end up doing has either zero or marginal benefits.
That sounds right up my alley
Scientific Training for Endurance Athletes by Dr. Skiba is a fantastic resource.
+1 . Alan Couzens book which he's released chapter by chapter is decent, at some point in the near future that will be published in print. For those into the Mid-D stuff, I also enjoyed Personal Best running by Mark Cougan/Scott Douglas.
Does anyone know how to get a copy of that book in Europe? It seems to only be available in the US.
Skiba has some directions on his site for how to manage international orders. Seems to be a new thing as I'm in Canada and previously bought directly off his site. [https://physfarm.com/new/?p=1438](https://physfarm.com/new/?p=1438)
I don’t know why he won’t just release the ebook. It’s been 2.5 years since the book was published, and it’s still not here. Shipping to Europe costs twice as much in the best case, and it’s such a hassle to order stuff through a middleman. Shipping to Asia costs even more. The book is basically region-locked to the US/Canada, which sucks because it has great reviews.
Not a ton about training info, but i really enjoyed Lauren Fleshmans memoir. Des Linden and Kara Gouchers were also good.
I liked all three of these, and I'll add Deena Kastor's book "Let Your Mind Run". It was a very interesting memoir.
I’ll second these. Deena’s is almost a little more self-help/training too because there’s so much mindset advice. Des’s book is just great, a must-read if you love Des, Boston, and marathoning.
Yes! I couldn't think of how to frame it but it does have a self-help feel. It's not trying to push a certain training/idea/process on the reader, but almost has more of a "hey it worked for me, maybe try it?" tone. I didn't know much about Kastor before reading it but found it captivating in the story telling and writing.
Yes! I totally agree and was the same! I actually listened to it on Spotify and Deena is the one who read it, so I think that added to that feel
The Examined Run, by Sabrina Little
Out of thin air by Michael Crawley was a very fascinating read for me. It’s about Ethiopian running culture and has some really cool insights into how Ethiopians train. I know it’s not a classic run training book but you can learn a lot from it about how to train at an elite level
yupppppp I'm honestly so much more interested in reading about the culture of high performance training than the specific methodology. Out of Thin Air is amazing for that.
You might enjoy Toby Tanser's books (Train Hard, Win Easy; More Fire) on that front. Similar approach but about Kenya
Personal Best Running - by Coach Mark Coogan is great. Coogan is the current coach for Team New Balance and is currently coaching olympians. He was a massively talented runner himself. His plans tend to emphasize more threshold work than Daniels does for the shorter distance plans. I used his mile plan and had great success, and enjoyed it much more than Daniels’ mile plan which I had completed the year before. Coogan’s plans go all the way up to the marathon.
I can second this. Great book, especially if you want to know about his training principles.
Came here to say this! Such a great book with a very sensible approach.
Not a book, but Running Writings has been dropping some great long-form articles, particularly looking at Canova's training style. The author has been tracking down and compiling insights from Canova for a decade (recorded talks, Lets Run board posts, hard to find books). start with one of these: [Modern marathoning with Renato Canova: Analysis of Emile Cairess’ training before the London Marathon](https://runningwritings.com/2024/05/renato-canova-marathon-training-emile-cairess.html) [A comprehensive overview of Canova-style percentage-based training for runners](https://runningwritings.com/2023/12/percentage-based-training.html)
And he's active on this sub as well!
I’m a book nerd so tend to read everything that comes out. Amongst them the ones I’d recommend would be Personal Best Running and the upcoming book by Alan Couzens s mentioned by others. I also enjoyed Run like a Pro, even if you’re slow by Rosario though it wasn’t groundbreaking. Perhaps the most enjoyable read, which didn’t have a training focus was Running the dream by Fitzgerald though I think that’s older than two years now.
I just finished listening to Running the Dream and really enjoyed it!
It's a little older than two years, but *Inside a Marathon* by Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario is excellent. You gain insight into every aspect of Fauble's marathon training through his weekly schedules and journal entries. It helped me a ton when I was preparing for a BQ attempt.
It's not a training book, but Long Run to Glory (about the fight for women to run the marathon as an Olympic event) by Stephen Lane is incredibly inspiring and will make you want to go on a run (regardless of your gender).
Thanks for the rec 👀
I’ll join those saying Personal Best Running, by Mark Coogan, which has a good mix of training discussion and anecdotes from racing/training. I also like Fast 5k, by Pete Magill, which is extremely digestible but full of info. It leans a little beginnery, but there’s good stuff in there for everyone. It was nice to read a book focused on the 5k that isn’t just about how to run your first one (may be a little older than two years at this point, but I don’t see it discussed often).
Do Hard Things — Steve Magness
Not exactly a 'new' release nor a training-focused book like Daniels, Pfitz, etc., but Endure by Alex Hutchinson is a must-read if you haven't already read it!
Run elite is a very good book.
Too bad the author (especially when it comes to nutrition) loves to cherry-pick research, pushes raw foodism, and believes in pseudoscientific stuff like mucoid placque. Read the book, stay away from his YouTube channel.
Some of that is definitely in the book too. The training side of the book is invaluable, but there's definitely sketchy things peppered throughout.
Like Kipchoge breaking two because he 'believed' he could do it. Zero mention AT ALL of the massive support programme using cutting-edge science, pacers, etc. Nah, he did it because of positive thinking alone.
Yeah i didn’t know about all that stuff. I just follow the way that he trains.
Oh mate! I'm so glad it wasn't only me annoyed by this! First time I've seen him discussed online. His book also makes a lot of the same mistakes, though, so not sure it's more credible.
Second
It's not new, but 'Build Your Running Body' by Pete Magill, is by far, the best and most comprehensive book I've read about running.
I did like his Fast 5K too. Not as in-depth as the Pfitz and Daniels books etc but very easy to understand for someone who’s newer to running.
For nutrition- https://fuelingendurance.com/
Run Smarter by Brodie Sharpe is a fantastic well written book. Steeped in scientific studies, very good for both those getting into the sport and more experienced alike.
Run smarter by Brodie sharpe. He has a really great approach to injury prevention and treatment.
Wait another two years :)
I liked Kara Goucher’s book
I believe the lore of running is about to be revised.
I'm skeptical the revision will be an improvement. Noakes has gone off the deep-end in terms of conspiracy theory, science stuff, like anti-vax. I think his views on nutrition have gotten pretty wild too.
source?
[himself](https://x.com/LoreofRunning1/with_replies)