Monday, April 11, 2005

Books about running

I have recently read a couple of books about runners. The first is Sub 4:00: Alab Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile, by Chris Lear. Lear is also the author of the excellent Running With the Buffaloes. Sub 4:00 focuses on Alan Webb's freshman year at Michigan. It turned out to be Webb's only collegiate year as he turned pro after the frustrations of that first year. Alan Webb is one of America's top milers and is an exciting runner to watch (if you like to watch running).

The other book I just finished is Staying the Course: A Runner's Toughest Race, by Dick Beardsley. Beardsley is one of America's greatest marathon runners (who, I believe, still has the fourth fastest time by an American in the marathon). He also is a Minnesotan. This autobiography starts with an incredible rise of Beardsley as a runner and all of his successes and his passion and includes a gripping description of his famous Boston Marathon finish (2nd place by 2 seconds after 26.2 miles). But then it also deals with his addiction to painkillers after multiple accidents.

I didn't realize how many ties he had to Rush City (where I graduated high school), which was interesting reading about. That first mention of his college roommate was surprising. His high school roommate was my high school assistant cross country coach.

Both are very good books and were very interesting.

I'm still waiting for Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner to come from the library.

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