The Lore Of Running by Tim Noakes – what a good book this is. I bought it a couple of weeks ago but have only just started to dip into it. It’s allure is its astonishing detail and breadth. Noakes is a research scientist and physician, and he sees most things from the detachment of a scientific perspective. For instance, novice runners profit from not thinking about running while they’re doing it, while experienced runners are better off concentrating on the act of running while doing it. A simple principle, but talking of "disassociative versus associative strategies" sounds much more interesting.
There are also quaint touches, like the quote from the 1920s training manual advocating gradual improvement: "Nature is unable to make a really first-class job of anything if she is hustled".
Hard to disagree, especially when you run races like I do.
tinkle tinkle tinkle…….
