What’s your favorite running book?
My favorite running book is one that was given to me to borrow [entrusted to me, I should say, because this treasure came nestled in a Ziplock bag] when I was on my mission to read about all the training systems in the world. I asked Bill Freeman, a coach and friend down in Buies Creek, NC (who - himself - had co-authored a book on Bill Bowerman and the Oregon training system) if he had any good running reads. Did he ever! He had a whole library of rare track & field biographies that he had collected before E-bay even existed. In one batch, he lent me Arthur Lydiard’s Running to the Top, an autobiography of Australian miler, Herb Elliott (don’t recall the title), and a little gem called,A Clean Pair of Heelswhich was the story of the New Zealand distance runner, Murray Halberg. I enjoyed all three, but it was Halberg that got to me. I wonder if anyone out there in the blog-osphere knows who he is? What I remember of the book is that Halberg had a withered arm (from a childhood rugby accident) but he didn’t let that stop him from becoming a gold medalist in the 5k or a world record holder. He was even knighted for his work with handicapped children after he retired. I think I may do a search right now on E-bay to find this book. If I do find it, I’ll keep it in a zip-locked bag in my own running library.
p.s.
By the way, my favorite running story of a female is the Grete Waitz chapter from Kenny Moore’s Best Efforts: World Class Runners and Races. I remember reading this line: “The main difference between me and the other girls is simply that I have more speed, more tempo. Girls training now don’t do enough speed or track training.” When I read her words, it was as if Grete had given me permission to train the way my instincts had been leading me all along - more quality, less quantity. Intensity.
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A contact in New Zealand found me copies of both “A Clean Pair of Heels” and the analogous Peter Snell book, “No Bugles, No Drums” on used bookstore shelves, so I have both in my library. The Halberg book has the spine-label and plastic wrapping which show it spent part of its life in a school library! Both are fantastic books, even though they’re written for teenagers from another age; Garth Gilmour, the ghostwriter (who also wrote the “official” Lydiard bio, if I recall correctly) does good work.
My favorite is still in print and available: “A Cold Clear Day,” Frank Murphy’s “athletic biography” of Buddy Edelen. (You’re undoubtedly familiar with Murphy’s other book, which is also engaging and thoughtful reading.) The chapter where he describes Edelen’s Olympic Trials run in 1964 is positively breathtaking.
Comment by pjm — 7/20/2005 @ 7:11 am
hi there,
i enjoy reading your web blog every once in a while and today was no exception. the halberg and snell references caught my eye just because not many runners out there know who they are or what they have done for the sport of running. you on the otherhand are sharing your knowledge of them first hand. check out my website when you get a chance. i’d love to do an interview with you for it. would you mind?
Comment by sung nam jo aka jayson jo — 7/20/2005 @ 3:35 pm
Sure, you can interview me for your website. I really enjoyed reading about Anne Audain on your page. I’ll never forget racing her when I first started the road race circuit back in the 80’s. She was like a rock star! She wouldn’t recall this, but when she told me she had purchased TWO houses with her race earnings, I knew at that moment I could actually make a living running.
Comment by Joan — 7/20/2005 @ 6:11 pm