Running For Women

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.

As best-selling author John Gray pointed out, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. There are obvious differences between women and men in anatomy, physiology, hormones, and metabolism. So why do most running books take a one-size-fits-all approach to training? Finally, here’s one that doesn’t. Running for Women provides comprehensive information on training female runners based on their cardiovascular, hormonal, metabolic, muscular, and anatomical characteristics. In this authoritative guide, authors Jason Karp and Carolyn Smith answer the questions and tackle the topics women need to know: • The impact of the menstrual cycle on hydration, body temperature, metabolism, and muscle function • The most effective workouts for endurance, speed and strength, lactate threshold, and VO2max • How and when to train during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause • Preventing knee injuries, stress fractures, and other common running-related injuries • Avoiding the risks of the female athlete triad—disordered eating, osteoporosis, and menstrual irregularities • How to use sex differences to your advantage Based on the latest research on estrogen, metabolism, and other sex-specific performance factors, Running for Women will change the way you fuel, train, and compete. If you are serious about running, this is one guide you must own.

An updated guide specifically aimed at the growing population of women runners considers the challenges and problems faced by women when running, from clothing, injuries, safety, and nutrition to running during pregnancy and menopause, and includes expert advice on nutrition, weight loss, body image, and more for women of all fitness levels. Original.

GET FIT, GET FAST, AND GO FARTHER WITH OLYMPIC RUNNER KARA GOUCHER’S COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO RUNNING FOR WOMEN KARA GOUCHER is crazy, madly, head-over-heels in love with running, and she wants to help you feel that love, too. Whether you’re just getting started or already a seasoned runner, this is the book that will take you to the next level. Kara Goucher’s Running for Women contains her expertise, tips, and tricks targeted specifically at female runners to help you become a better, happier, healthier, and more fulfilled runner. She’ll teach you how to: • GET STARTED WITH THE RIGHT GEAR • BUILD A SUCCESSFUL SUPPORT TEAM • FIND THE RIGHT TRAINING PROGRAM FOR YOU • OVERCOME PSYCHOLOGICAL SETBACKS • BALANCE RUNNING WITH FAMILY AND WORK • AND MUCH MORE Designed to fit your busy lifestyle, Kara Goucher’s Running for Women is packed with quick tips, pearls of running wisdom, and sample training schedules and nutrition plans, as well as sections dedicated to running during and after pregnancy, managing the special challenges of the female athlete’s body, and maintaining a balance between sporting and family life. Kara Goucher’s Running for Women is the ultimate guide for women who want to train for the gold or simply discover their personal best.

A fun, easy, and economical route to fitness and health: “This book will give women everywhere the guidance they need” (Grete Waitz, nine-time winner of the New York City Marathon). Women’s fitness pioneer Kathrine Switzer has been on her feet for over fifty years. She knows how running or walking is the fastest, easiest, and least expensive road to fitness for women of any age. For women over forty in particular, it’s vital to fit an exercise regimen into their busy lives, and ensure they can stay active and healthy for many years to come. No matter how inexperienced or old you are, Switzer will guide and ease you into a new exercise schedule, making the time you give yourself the best part of your day—and your future life. Recommendations for shoes, clothing, injury prevention, nutrition, motivation, and finding the time in your life will keep you exercising safely and comfortably. For women over forty, Switzer’s expert running and walking programs are specifically designed for you, enabling you to keep healthy and enjoy life to the fullest for decades to come. “For many over-forty women, this book will be a passport to the best years of their lives.” —Joan Benoit Samuelson, Olympic gold medalist and US marathon record holder

In 1967, Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to officially run what was then the all male Boston Marathon, infuriating one of the event's directors who attempted to violently eject her. In what would become an iconic sports image, Switzer escaped and finished the race. This was a watershed moment for the sport, as well as a significant event in women's history. Including updates from the 2008 Summer Olympics, the paperback edition of Marathon Woman details the life of an incredible, pioneering athlete, and the lasting effect she's had on women's sports. Switzer's energy and drive permeate the pages of this warm, witty memoir as she describes everything from the childhood events that inspired her to succeed to her big win in the 1974 New York City Marathon, and beyond.

An inspirational collection of true tales shares the experiences of twenty women who run for very personal reasons, from first woman Boston Marathon participant Katharine Switzer and sixty-four-year-old competitive speed walker Shirley Matson to amputee and spokesperson Sarah Reinersten and breast cancer survivor Louise Cooper. Original.

Real Women Run is an innovative feminist ethnography that consists of a series of linked essays and presentations about women who run at the intersections of queer, feminist, and running identities. Faulkner uses feminist grounded theory, poetic inquiry, and qualitative content analysis to examine women’s embodied stories of running: how they run, how running fits into the context of their lives and relationships, how they enact or challenge cultural scripts of women’s activities and normative running bodies, and what running means for their lives and identities. During a two-and-a-half-year ethnography with women who run, Faulkner engaged in an intersectional qualitative content analysis of websites and blogs targeted to women runners, a grounded theory poetic analysis of 41 interviews with women who run, and participant observation at road races. Real Women Run speaks to the call for a more physical feminism. This ethnography sees women’s physical and mental strength developed through running as a way to embrace the contradictions between a deconstructed focus on the mind/body split and the focus on individuals’ actual material bodies and their everyday interactions with their bodies and through their bodies with the world around them.