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8th out of 86 books
—
217 voters
Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross-Country Team
by
Chris Lear
Top
five
Best Books About Running,
Runner's World Magazine
Top three Best Books About Running, readers of Runner's World Magazine
(December 2009)
A phenomenal portrait of courage and desire that will do for college cross-country what John Feinstein's A Season on the Brink did for college basketball.
Top three Best Books About Running, readers of Runner's World Magazine
(December 2009)
A phenomenal portrait of courage and desire that will do for college cross-country what John Feinstein's A Season on the Brink did for college basketball.
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
July 1st 2003
by Lyons Press
(first published July 1st 2001)
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This book lacks any literary merit or even a story for that matter. This is not a book for anyone but track enthusiast. The reading is scattered with track jargon without the a glossary to aid non-runners. Even if he did spend an entire season with the team, Lear fails to bring the runners alive and really bring out their individual personalities and characteristics as people. Lear organizes the story into daily journal accounts of the team. Unfortunately, this gets tedious as he includes accoun...more
I am really enjoying this book so far. It shows the importance of trainging in order to become a good runner through one of the main characters, Adam Goucher. It is really interesting to read Wetmore's philosophy on running and connect it to my cross country coaches philosophy. The chapters in this book are really interesting because some are long, packed with information, while others are short and anecdotal. I am really excited to read deeper into this book and see how far the Colorado team go...more
Mar 20, 2010
Douglas
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sports-track-and-field
The author Chris Lear very effectively captures and conveys the unique milieu of the competitive runners' world. From the pre-season workouts through the NCAA finals, Mr. Lear experienced an entire season with the University of Colorado men's cross country team. Enjoying boundless access, he attended practices, team meetings, meets; listened in on telephone calls; read the runners' personal journals; and interviewed the coaches and team members on a regular basis. Mr. Lear presents the story of...more
Running with the Buffaloes is a good read for those who are into running and have some familiarity with college sports like cross country and track and field. Lear understands the dynamics of college athletes and does a fine job bringing the characters to life. The main character is obviously head coach Mark Wetmore and the star athlete is Adam Goucher, who is in his final season of collegiate athletics and is a favorite to be the national champion in the 5000 meters and Cross Country.
The most i...more
The most i...more
This book is a Boulder classic. I tweeted that I was reading it, and unlike most of my tweets, which go out into a great black hole of no response, this one got an enthusiastic reply. And today, while shopping at our new Alfalfa's grocery store, the cashier noticed it tucked under my arm. "Great book," he said. "I read it years ago."
The book details (and I mean details!) every day in the life of the 1998 University of Colorado men's cross-country team. It starts in the hot summer months, when it...more
The book details (and I mean details!) every day in the life of the 1998 University of Colorado men's cross-country team. It starts in the hot summer months, when it...more
This book inspired me to want to be able to push myself to the extent of my abilities. It is an insight into the lives of college athletes and the innate talent, drive, and dedication it takes to perform at that level. As I read, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about various members of the Colorado Cross Country Team specifically, their backgrounds and how each of them had gotten to this specific point in their life. The book goes into detail about runners anyone might idolize, especially when it...more
This book was actually not very good. There were a number of typos and grammatical errors in the book. The chapters were short and choppy, and in many cases the chapter titles were quite juvenile. Also, the layout was strange: there were black and white photos dispersed throughout the book, rather than one section of colored photos in the middle.
The actual story is that of the 1998 University of Colorado Cross Country team, of which a friend of mine was a member. The first thing that I can say...more
The actual story is that of the 1998 University of Colorado Cross Country team, of which a friend of mine was a member. The first thing that I can say...more
It's a quick read and I'm a running nerd, but Chris Lear's slobbering worship of the team was a little gross.
Not well written by any means but, a great read if you are or were a competitive runner as it gives a unique perspective on an elite cross country team. I grew to actually care about a lot of the runners on this team and it is realistic in that all the hard work, all the miles, all the sacrifice that goes into this sort of training doesn't always pan out. Accidents and injuries occur, obstacles present themselves out of nowhere and there is a lot more adversity to running than just running itsel...more
Interesting story about running, though on a 4th grade reading level.
Excellently inspiring running book
Laid out day by day through an entire season, this is a great story that is seen and felt as it unfolds. With an author who is also a runner, the fly-on-the-wall perspective you get is more like a fly on the shoulder of a runner, taking you on the course during workouts and seemingly during the races as well.
The runners and coaches don't seem to edit themselves too much for Lear, and when they might, he is be able to read their moods for us. Still, one of the jewels of the book is when he inclu...more
The runners and coaches don't seem to edit themselves too much for Lear, and when they might, he is be able to read their moods for us. Still, one of the jewels of the book is when he inclu...more
This book chronicles a season with the University of Colorado Men's Cross Country team and their pursuit of the NCAA National Championship. While the events of this book are now nearly ten years ago, the story is still very compelling. Author Chris Lear spent the entire season with the team, including coach Mark Wetmore and All-American Adam Goucher. It is a fascinating read that delves into the personal dynamics of a team made up of individual performances and how the team comes together during...more
If you're a super geeked out runner, then this will be a good read. If you're not a runner, then please consider something else. As a geeked out runner, I liked (not loved) this book. The author is obviously not a natural writer, he wasn't able to capture the team personality or brotherhood as well as he could have. I was interested in seeing how one of the most successful cross country coaches trains his athletes. But please keep in mind, this book is NOT a training manual!
Loved it, good narrative, well told. It really gives you some insight on what training with a Big 12 cross country team would be like.
I probably am rating this a star higher than necessary because I run in Boulder, and most of the places mentioned (and some of the runs) are familiar to me. Gotta make it a point to go to the Village Coffee Shop though...over 20 years in Boulder and I've never been, mainly because if I pass it, I'm in the middle of a run rather than at the end.
I probably am rating this a star higher than necessary because I run in Boulder, and most of the places mentioned (and some of the runs) are familiar to me. Gotta make it a point to go to the Village Coffee Shop though...over 20 years in Boulder and I've never been, mainly because if I pass it, I'm in the middle of a run rather than at the end.
I run on a college team. I am far from good, but I think that's what makes this book better for me. It's a great look into one of the best teams, and it allows the normal runner, like me, a glimpse into what makes an amazing runner. It allows the reader to connect with the team and see that national class athletes aren't really different then us regular people. For someone with an interest in cross country the book is interesting, exciting, sad and inspiring.
If I were a high school cross country coach, I'd gather my perspective team in the spring and tell them to read this book over the summer before practice begins. Come fall, few would accuse the coach of pushing them too hard. A non-runner probably won't appreciate this book at all, but a competitive runner -- one who's competed at the high school or college level, or even in local races -- gets the message loud and clear: If you're going to win, you're going to have to work -- hard.
Mark Wetmore'...more
Mark Wetmore'...more
This book follows the CU cross country team for one season, as they try to win nationals. It's pretty heavy on descriptions of workouts and how individual team members feel at practice. It reads like it's written by a 22 year old boy and it was. But I like it - the team camaraderie and the grit it must've taken to get through these runs is inspiring. A good read if you want to get amped up about your own running!
I read this book when I was in the height of my running and training for marathons and 1/2 marathons. If you have an interest into the training, thoughts and actions of student athletes of an elite running team, this is a book for you. There are highs and lows in this book, but overall it will motivate you to become a better runner; understand what it is that makes an elite runner. It is a fun book to read.
This is an awesome book for anyone who loves running. The author follows around the University of Colorado Men's Cross Country team during a challenging season. Lear recounts all their trials and tribulations, from practices, to races, to their personal lives. Although this book is non-fiction, it reads like a riveting novel. I became completely attached to all of the characters.
Interesting stories, way too many runners to keep track of, writing is slightly better than a high school newspaper reporter.
John Feinstein has a special skill to jump around to a bunch of different stories and keeping the reader engaged- also while constructing a straightforward and unsentimental book.
The guy who wrote this book just has a bunch of fragmented little journal entries about the team. Often he includes meaningless parts about one of the twenty runners, goes over their times (even i...more
John Feinstein has a special skill to jump around to a bunch of different stories and keeping the reader engaged- also while constructing a straightforward and unsentimental book.
The guy who wrote this book just has a bunch of fragmented little journal entries about the team. Often he includes meaningless parts about one of the twenty runners, goes over their times (even i...more
The 4-stars are not rating the quality of writing; this is a reporting on the CU XC team, not a fictional work. However, as a runner, I can re-read this book over and over and be moved by the sacrifices the team makes, and by the events that transpire throughout their season. Not for everyone, but runners and other endurance athletes will enjoy it.
Jul 04, 2011
John Sturdivant
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Runners and Athletes
Recommended to John by:
Katie Fether
I really liked this as a portrayal of a collection of individuals coalescing into a team in pursuit of a goal. Also, the descriptions of training are inspiring and motivating. Lastly, as a summer resident of Boulder CO, I'd been told to read this book about a dozen times, and I see why. It adds a whole new layer of fascination and interest when I run the same routes that the CU team runs in this book. A must read of you are a runner in Boulder.
I found probably this book interesting because I'm a runner. The author follows the 1998 Univ of Colorado cross coutry team through the season. The team struggles through many obstacles including multiple injuries & the death of a teammate.
Excellent book. As a coach I learned plenty from this case study. Wetmore's training holds the promise of turning a mediocre runner into a speedster-- if it doesn't break you! Interesting to contrast with the Bowerman book.
This book is one that, while i am no long distance runner, brings you into the world of those that are. Simply put it's a heck of a story and I think about the characters in that book often. It is non-fiction.
Fun read!
So interesting to hear every detail of a few months in the lives of these elite college athletes. They run fast, and they run a lot. And he makes it sound so easy!
So interesting to hear every detail of a few months in the lives of these elite college athletes. They run fast, and they run a lot. And he makes it sound so easy!
Inspiring on the "look at what can be achieved if you set your mind to it" level. Uninspiring on the... these guys go 2 minutes faster than me at my best, every mile, for dozens of miles.
A great book that captures the inner culture of a running team, the ups, downs, and tragedies. Wonderful portraits of the coach as well as the players.
I think I was expecting more from the book. I did enjoy it but it felt repetative especially the training days. I liked the description of the races especially of the NCAA Championship.
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“In many ways, a race is analogous to life itself. Once it is over, it can not be re-created. All that is left are inpressions in the heart, and in the mind.”
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