Editorial Review
More women than ever are discovering the unique benefits of running -- forstress relief, weight management, endurance, and self-esteem. Women'sbodies are not the same as men's, and though we can train just as hard andwith the same passion for excellence, we have certain special concerns.Finally, there is a comprehensive guide exclusively for women whoexperience the pure joy of running, or want to.It's the simplest, fastest, most accessible way to fitness and good health known to woman. You don't need a partner, equipment, or even much time. Now, Claire Kowalchik, former managing editor of Runner's World magazine, answers every question about the overwhelmingly popular activity that builds endurance, melts fat, and even prevents illness. In this total running book for women, you'll learn:
- How to get started and stay motivated
- What to eat for optimal nutrition
- How to run during pregnancy and after menopause
- Why running is the most effective form of exercise
- How to prevent and treat injury
- What to wear -- from sports bras to running shoes
- How to prepare for everything from a 5K to a marathon
Authoritative and friendly, The Complete Book of Running for Women is a sourcebook for both beginners and long-time runners. Along with wisdom drawn from the author's personal experience, you'll find advice from the experts: coaches, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, doctors, and other women runners. Including question-and-answer sections and a complete list of resources, The Complete Book of Running for Women tells you everything you need to know to be off and running toward better health and richer living.
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Customer Reviews
Helped me a lot to get started ... 
2008-08-12
Very informative and well written for a beginner like me, contains lot of useful information. I would recommend it to other beginners.
Good book for beginners, nothing to offer veterans 
2008-07-31
I was extremely disappointed in this book. It was marketed not only towards beginners but also seasoned runners. If you have been running for any amount of time, this book has very little to offer. If you are a beginner or just looking to start running, this book may be helpful. It seems to be written to help women feel motivated and empowered to run, but not as a training guide. This book does cover many topics, but does not go into any detail or provide supporting information. If you need help getting started, finding motivation, or just some general info then you may want to check this book out.
Considering the author is a former editor for Runner's World, I was surprised that in several places in the book she demeans the stereotypical female-runner body type saying that it is unattractive and not what women should aspire to attain. I have been an avid runner for 8 years and was slightly offended that a book on running would speak so negatively about having a thin physique, especially since I know many high-mileage runners that would like to gain weight but can't. Basically, if you already are, or want to get more serious about running, this book is not the appropriate resource.
No response from seller 
2008-06-19
Never received email or any contact from seller. Didn't know if they received my order, nor when i could expect it. Aside from that, product arrived in good shape and as described.
Informative 2008-05-21
This book clearly lays out basic running information, of course. It also taught me some surprising and important things about biological differences in men and women that I haven't seen in other books. A good reference to women runners.
Liked the book, but still left Joggers out in the cold 
2008-05-13
I purchased this book here as a guide to hopefully 're-learn' how to run, the mental part of the sport as well as the physical. I used to run 5Ks 10 years ago, and decided to start again, and hoped the book would help the emotional part of getting back into shape, and this time without the shinsplints and wrong shoes and diet that plagued my first foray into running. As a book written by a woman for women, I hoped that it might contain specific information and advice geared for the female body, and to that end, it does succeed.
While most of the writer's insights and advice are - yes - common sense, sometimes seeing it in writing makes it New again, so there I would give kudos to the writer. Her references to the many types of races, how to race with children, spouses, how to prepare for a race or how to train more efficiently are also helpful, as is the never-saw-it-like-THAT way that running can help the aging female body.
However, there is definite distinction made in this book between a Runner and a Jogger, and if you are the latter (as me), or cannot immediately go out and do 'and easy 5 Mile run', then this book might not exactly help in the 'help me at least get out and MOVE' area. She pretty much alludes that this is a book for RUNNERS. I run because I enjoy it, it is good for me, and it's a great way to stay in shape. I have no need to have a 'best time' for a mile, ten miles, marathon, etc. I'm competitive, but not to the point that I will dedicate my entire life to the next schedules race. Maybe I have the wrong attitude about it all, but it still seems rather elitist at times, which is a shame since interdisposed with all the running mantras are alot of really good advice points.
Even though this seems - to me, at least - to be a self-help book for women who want to run, really, unless you are either a former 10K+ runner or marathoner, or have the luxury of living in a safe area where you can run over hills and along stretches of roads (gee, kind of like the cover of the book), it reads as a 'welcome back' for the mid- and long-distance runner.
Ok 2008-05-06
More women than ever are discovering the unique benefits of running -- forstress relief, weight management, endurance, and self-esteem. Women'sbodies are not the same as men's, and though we can train just as hard andwith the same passion for excellence, we have certain special concerns.Finally, there is a comprehensive guide exclusively for women whoexperience the pure joy of running, or want to.It's the simplest, fastest, most accessible way to fitness and good health known to woman. You don't need a partner, equipment, or even much time. Now, Claire Kowalchik, former managing editor of Runner's World magazine, answers every question about the overwhelmingly popular activity that builds endurance, melts fat, and even prevents illness. In this total running book for women, you'll learn:
- How to get started and stay motivated
- What to eat for optimal nutrition
- How to run during pregnancy and after menopause
- Why running is the most effective form of exercise
- How to prevent and treat injury
- What to wear -- from sports bras to running shoes
- How to prepare for everything from a 5K to a marathon
Authoritative and friendly, The Complete Book of Running for Women is a sourcebook for both beginners and long-time runners. Along with wisdom drawn from the author's personal experience, you'll find advice from the experts: coaches, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, doctors, and other women runners. Including question-and-answer sections and a complete list of resources, The Complete Book of Running for Women tells you everything you need to know to be off and running toward better health and richer living.
This book changed my life 2008-05-03
I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend. I can honestly say that it changed my life. It has everything a woman could need know about running. It got me from the point of not being able to run 5 minutes to running my first 1/2 marathon (and certainly could have gotten me to a marathon if I had any desire to run one). It has fantastic nutritional advice, great training plans, and advice for every situation a woman runner could find herself in.
The book is easy to read - I read it in a couple sittings the first time through, as thought it were a novel. The essays and stories are powerful and helpful. It is well edited and organized.
If you are a beginning runner, or if you have been running for year and you are looking for a new running guide, this book will be a great purchase. A number of friends have purchased it on my recommendation and they all say that it was a fantastic purchase.
A great resource for women runners 2008-04-25
I can't say enough good things about this book. I picked it up from my library a few weeks ago and ended up buying it because I think it will be such a good reference book for me in the future.
The number one thing that sets this book apart from the other running books I've seen out there is that it's written by a woman for women. Kowalchik knows what she's talking about, and she's been there. She includes chapters on safety, nutrition, running through pregnancy or menopause, and what to wear in any season. She also includes the training schedules she used to get ready for 5Ks, 10Ks, halfs and marathons. The graphs and information in this book makes it worth the buy.
A MUST READ FOR EVERY WOMAN RUNNER! 2008-04-05
This book was a birthday gift last year, and I loved every page (except for the few parts that don't quite pertain to me...running while pregnant, running during menopause). I have since recommended it to others and have given other copies as gifts. I even keep it handy as a reference material and resource.
The book is written in such a tone that it's very easy and enjoyable to read, and the author gives a ton of practical information for runners of every level -- from nutrition information to training schedules to advice about running with your dog.
The three areas I found most useful: 1) Nutrition information. I am 90% vegetarian, and I learned that my protein intake was far beneath what it needed to be in general, let alone for a runner. She provides recommendations/alternate food choices for vegetarians and just gives a lot of useful general nutrition info. (If you are a strict vegetarian and need a lot of diet information, you prob need another book. But if you want a good foundation, this will do it.) 2) Training schedules. She has everything from a 5k to a marathon, and she provides Gold, Silver and Bronze training schedules that allow you to choose the training program that fits your goals and time constraints. 3) History of women in running. I was fascinated (and horrified) to learn that women were not officially allowed to run marathons in the U.S. until the 70s, and the women's marathon didn't become an Olympic event until 1984.(It was considered bad for our reproductive organs. For the few women who did compete in marathons prior to the 70s, their times were not even recorded...not even for the woman who broke a world record in 1963.)
Overall, the book is an inspiring read while providing a wealth of practical information in an easy-to-read package. And the history of women in running chapter is prob just one of many reasons I decided to sign up for my first marathon for this fall.
The Single Best Running Book for Women 2008-02-09
In all respects, this book is a thoughtful and thorough reference piece for any new or experienced runner. After months of struggling with stomach pain after long runs, this book was the only one to offer me any sort of meaningful insights to the source and remedy for my stomach pain. I have shared this book with friends, who are new and old runners, and everyone that I have recommended this book to has appreciated the guidance and information detailed in the book.
