There’s nothing like cold and wet weather to make you want to curl up with a good read!  Thankfully, I’ve managed to combine the love of running and reading by focusing on books about running.  Right now, I’m reading Born to Run which is amazing (review coming soon!).  I thought I would look to see what other books were recommended for runners and I found books that were not only instructional but also inspirational.  I almost want the snow to continue so I have a good reason to stay in by the fire and read all of them!

Here’s my list:

The Runner’s Rule Book by Mark Remy

This book goes beyond the USATF rules and hits upon the unspoken, every day running rules.  Over 100+ rules cover topics ranging from running to apparel and gear to track etiquette.  Including a laugh-out-loud commentary on the running culture, The Runner’s Rule Books is written by veteran runner Mark Remy and the editors of Runner’s World.  Especially funny is rule 1.9 about how to pass gas properly while running.

Running Within:  A Guide to Mastering The Body-Mind Spirit Connection for Ultimate Training and Racing by Jerry Lynch & Warren Scott

This book takes a look at the mental component of running and focuses on understanding the reasons we do run.  .  Instead of focusing solely on physical training, it goes one step further to explore the spiritual side of running.   It provides concrete tips to help runners race faster and it also talks about to enjoy running more.  One reader noted that this book helped “rejuvenate my running experience.”

Running Tough by Michael Sandrock

This book is an interesting compilation of the favorite, most effective training runs of great runners.  It’s organized by type of run (i.e – long run, intervals, hill workouts, etc) and includes suggestions on how to modify the runs for the everyday runner.  This is a book that can be picked up and read at various sections depending on what type of run you’re interested in.  And while it may seem intimidating to read about great runner’s workouts, the main message in this book is that success is not an overnight guarantee, but rather a result of consistent, smart training.

Once a Runner by John Parker

Soooo many runners rave about this book that I think it will be the next one on my list.  This critically acclaimed book tells the story of college miler Quentin Cassidy as he struggled to rise to a higher level of competitive running and attain his goal of the 4 minute mile.  Dealing with not only the physical challenge, Quentin also struggled with competition and school politics until he finally achieves the race he wants.  This book was so popular that they re-released it in 2009!

Ultra marathon Man:  Confessions of an All Night Runner by Dean Karnazas

This auto-biography and overly-inspiring story (apparently there is a risk that we will all want to ultra-marathon after reading this) begins with the story of Dean running down a lonely road in California in the middle of the night and ordering a pizza to be delivered “on the run.”  He details how picky some pizza places are so picky as to require an actual address for delivery.   The pizza delivery guy asks the basic question, “Why do you run?” and Dean tells us, the reader, that “everyone has a story and here is mine.”  Starting with his childhood, he chronicles how he returned to running at age 30 and his quest to finish the Western States 100, a 100 mile race through the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  This book is more than just the story of the race itself, but it details the amazing journey to get to the race itself.

Daniels Running Formula by Dr. Jack Daniels

A pioneer of running, Jack Daniels is both a research scientist and coach who applies scientific research to his advice on running.  There is no end to what this man knows about running and he is an authority on how to train.  This book explains the concepts of training and provides detailed training schedules for training for any distance.  This might be the best manual any runner could own (you can tell I’m a big fan!).

Have you read any of these?  Are there any books you recommend?  Let us know and comment below!