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The Science of Running: How to find your limit and train to maximize your performance

Steve Magness (Goodreads Author)

4.14 · Rating details · 408 ratings · 23 reviews

If you are looking for how to finish your first 5k, this book isn't for you. The Science of Running is written for those of us looking to maximize our performance, get as close to our limits as possible, and more than anything find out how good we can be, or how good our athletes can be. In The Science of Running, elite coach and exercise physiologist Steve Magness ...more

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Kindle Edition, 344 pages

Published February 17th 2014 by Origin Press (first published February 16th 2014)

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Feb 21, 2014 Matthew rated it it was amazing

Shelves: exercise

Running literature is rife with gimmicks and fluff for 2 very simple reasons:
1. doing something works better than doing nothing.
2. the capacity and propensity to adapt to training varies widely

The first is why previously couch bound sedentary humans might see improvement from silly exercise regimens that have a low improvement ceiling. The second results in testimonials about gimmicky programming from those who tend to adapt quickly to any stimulus.

In the first section, Steve Magness provides Running literature is rife with gimmicks and fluff for 2 very simple reasons:
1. doing something works better than doing nothing.
2. the capacity and propensity to adapt to training varies widely

The first is why previously couch bound sedentary humans might see improvement from silly exercise regimens that have a low improvement ceiling. The second results in testimonials about gimmicky programming from those who tend to adapt quickly to any stimulus.

In the first section, Steve Magness provides the reader a background review of running physiology. It includes more recent research than most books in the physiology/training niche (Daniels, Hansons . . . etc.) but bridging the gap for non-scientist readers is a bit of a fool's errand. Much of what is presented is not necessarily scientific gospel- but scientific consensus is rare even in the realm of exercise physiology. I'd still refer most runners to Dr. Timothy Noakes and the Lore of Running for a mostly complete, if outdated, review of running physiology.

Training manuals tend to follow a predictable outline:
1. running woo (motivation, history, touchy feely stuff)
2. basic physiology
3. what other popular programs got wrong (whatever the current book markets as its secret ingredient)
4. secret ingredient
5. conclusion- every runner follow this exact 16 week program

Part II of The Science of Running instead provides coaches and self-coached runners with woo-free tools to design programs appropriate for a runner, rather than shoving a variety of athletes into a one-size fits all box. Magness explains how to diagnose a runner's strengths and weaknesses and then specifies which workouts will improve a weakness or take advantage of a strength (and why). Workout types are matched with the physiological attributes they improve and the resulting impacts on performance. Furthermore, suggested variations on workout types to tailor it to specific athletes, adaptations, or training seasons are included. My only knock on it would be that the examples provided will leave the majority of runners feeling intimidated by the world-class speeds shown.

My favorite training manual published thus far. ...more

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Nov 08, 2014 Jon rated it it was ok

A big disappointment, as I normally find Steve's blog very informative. Unfortunately this book is very difficult, and not because of the material.

First, it is painfully typo-ridden and misformatted, with Random Capitalization, homonyms, simple letter transpositions, and tables with cut-off contents. Second, it is disjoint on scales large and small. There's a lot of fat to cut and both the first half (which does read like a thesis introduction that grew out of control and was dumped in unedited, ...more

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May 26, 2018 Ha Truong rated it liked it

Shelves: running

More than enough for who just love to run and run for fitness. It's perfect for sport scientist and coach and who want to maximize their performance.

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Mar 25, 2014 John rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014, running-books

(originally published in Canadian Running Magazine, along with this interview: http://runningmagazine.ca/interview-s...)

The Science of Running by Steve Magness is a seminal work in training literature. If you want to improve as a runner, or as a coach, you should read this book as I can almost guarantee that you will learn something. In fact, one of the themes of the book is that improvement comes from change. Of course, you need to be consistent in your training, but the body reacts to stimuli (originally published in Canadian Running Magazine, along with this interview: http://runningmagazine.ca/interview-s...)

The Science of Running by Steve Magness is a seminal work in training literature. If you want to improve as a runner, or as a coach, you should read this book as I can almost guarantee that you will learn something. In fact, one of the themes of the book is that improvement comes from change. Of course, you need to be consistent in your training, but the body reacts to stimuli in order to strengthen and grow. If the training isn’t stimulating the body, then the body won’t change and performance won’t improve. The same goes for your knowledge as a runner or coach. You may be happy and comfortable with your training plan, but if you want to get better, you have to push the limits of your knowledge. This book will help you do that.

Before I go on, I have to address what was a great disappointment to me about this book. There are typos and grammatical errors on every page. It seems as if there was no editing done whatsoever before publication. I’ve been following Magness’ blog for years, and I understand he’s no English major, but in the ephemeral online world, this is not a problem. The decision to publish a book, however, gives one the opportunity to clean all of that up. My fear here is that some will dismiss the excellent knowledge in this book based on the decidedly unprofessional presentation. I sincerely hope there is a tidied up 2nd edition.

The reason why this book should stand among, or even surpass Lydiard, Daniels and Coe, is that Magness combines the cumulative and acquired knowledge of coaches with the latest in scientific developments. Magness gets beyond the scientist who insists that the lab results are THE way to train, and bring an analysis of that data to the coach who claims his or her real world experience trumps what is done in the artificial atmosphere of the lab. He recognises the failings of many so-called important scientific discoveries, and of these big name training books: that they rely on average results to prescribe training for specific cases.

The general principles that we find in Lydiard, Daniels and Coe are sound, but they do not account for individual variation. One of the useful discoveries of science is that over time, we’ve learned that runners lay upon a spectrum of fast to slow twitch muscle fibres. Magness proposes that the training for each individual should vary depending on muscle fibre type. This is not a new idea, (John Hadd’s training is based on this principle) but it is new to see it in the context of an entire training system.

The other main idea that may rankle is Magness’ dismissal of VO2max as the prime indicator of aerobic fitness. It has been a few years since he published on his blog his literary review of aerobic training concepts, but those of us who downloaded it then will not be surprised at the stance he takes on this hollowed marker. The science says that VO2max does not correlate directly with performance. There are instances of runners increasing VO2max scores, yet having decreased performances, as well as improved performances being accompanied by a steady maintenance of the VO2max. Magness’ solution to this conundrum is to stop using percentages of VO2max as a way of setting workouts. Instead, he suggests that runners focus on what’s most practical: race paces. It makes sense: while running at 80% of VO2max may elicit some physiological changes, running at 10k pace will teach your body what it actually needs to know.

To be fair, most training books say pretty much the same thing, and this one is no different: there are several ingredients, and they must be mixed and matched appropriately to the race distance and to the individual athlete involved. However, Steve Magness’ The Science Of Running is the first that I’ve read that acknowledges the limitations of the science, as well as emphasizes the importance of individual variation. It is not a recipe book. It is a shopping list. It is left to the reader to consider the needs and appetite of the family. ...more

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Jun 22, 2015 Paul Deveaux rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fitness

This is a decent book, not a great one. This reads like a good second or third draft, not a finished product. There are typos and grammatical errors throughout the book. The most annoying thing us that the author frequently introduces concepts or acronyms without first defining them or explanation.

With that said it is a book that I will study more on the future. His command of the literature and the science cd behind running is very rare and a welcome addition to the all the fluff out there in ...more

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Oct 22, 2017 CJ Fusco rated it really liked it

Let me be frank here: Ive read many books on training for distance runners, and this is easily the best. Moreover, Ive found that when Ive integrated the concepts therein into my own coaching, its had a sizable, noticeable, and measurable impact. The only reason Im not giving it 5/5 stars is because of the frequent grammatical errors, as well as the fact that the units of measurement displayed in the sample training plans are inconsistent; if there was a 2nd edition that smoothed out these rough ...more

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Nov 27, 2014 Michelle Lines rated it liked it

Oooof. Fitness, nutrition and of course, running, are huge passions of mine...even with having that profound interest in the subject matter, this book was a tough read. I'm giving it three stars because I learned a handful of interesting theories and workout ideas that I'm excited to test out in my next big training block, but finding it took wading through a lot of seriously dry, mind numbing sections.

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Sep 24, 2017 Andrew rated it really liked it

Title & Author: The Science of Running: How to Find Your Limit and Train to Maximize Your Performance by Steve Magness
Publisher & Year: Origin Press; 2014

REVIEW:
The training of endurance athletes is a complex process that is not entirely understood. S. Magness

The quote I chose above perfectly characterizes this book, because The Science of Running read part text book part memoir for me, which partly made the process of reading it difficult and thoroughly enjoying. Difficult, in that ...more

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May 30, 2017 Mark Koester rated it it was amazing

Very comprehensive book about running, training and performance improves. Not for a first-time runner, but definitely a great source for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the science behind running and training to run faster.

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Dec 24, 2018 Alstin Benton rated it it was amazing

Quality Book... this book is spot on with the coaching trend of getting away from the focus being solely on Physiology and moving to the mental aspect of sport. Every great coach has found out the importance of this in athletic success

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Apr 21, 2019 Brad Cooke rated it it was ok

This book contains lots of good stuff; it's basically a thesis. However, it is rife with so many spelling and grammatical errors that it's about as readable as the average twitter post written on an iPhone. Hopefully future versions benefit from some editing!

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Sep 10, 2018 Anders Risager rated it liked it · review of another edition

I use it as a encyclopedia for running 😉

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Jan 18, 2020 Lukas rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-on-running

Reads just like it promises, like a scientific report. Very interesting and exhaustive on the subject at hand.

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Mar 30, 2015 Ankit Hawk rated it really liked it

Shelves: knowledge-lust, non-fiction-books, fitness-and-weight-loss-book

The Science of Running by Steve Magness begins with assumption that you already have lot of races under your belt. You are not a person who is reading the book trying to understand how to run my first 5k. As book progress I realized that analogy is still understated. The examples given and experienced shared could only be understood by a racer with training hundreds of kilometers per week. At least.

I am not one of the them but the book is not lost cause for me since to me the book is of insight ...more

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Mar 20, 2019 David John rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Being an aspiring coach, this book outlined a ton of great information that really changed how I look at running. From the body being forced away from homeostasis to the real benefits of hill workouts early season, I kept making all the great knowledge that filled the pages cover to cover. Thought that the training plans that were outlined were easy to follow and were made even more purposeful by the information that lead into them. This book will definitely be a great resource for me moving ...more

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Nov 04, 2017 Andreas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An fascinating book if you are interested in the bio-chemical processes that lead to adaptation of the body when you run. There is no magic formula, and somewhat surprisingly, the best coaches always seem to be a step ahead of science.

The author does a good job in comparing the different approaches and makes it clear when theory is shaky. The presentation of the material itself could have been better, I think I have read the parts I was interested in a couple of times until I understood the ...more

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Dec 24, 2014 John Doyle rated it really liked it

This is a dense but worthwhile read for young runners working hard to get faster as well as old runners working hard to slow their decline. The most interesting learnings for me came from descriptions of recent research that undermines conventional wisdom about the utility of training to increase V02 max, raise lactate threshold, or reproduce a program that worked well for another runner. The author does a good job of outlining the outcomes that runners with different physiological starting ...more

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Mar 08, 2014 David Tiefenthaler rated it it was amazing

This is an excellent book. It pits science against running norms to help serious runners and serious coaches learn the best practices for helping a runner improve. I've followed Steve Magness' blog "The Science of Running" for years, and I was hoping that this book would serve as a great resource for me. It is! A word of warning. This book is not for beginner runners. This is for people who know a good deal about running already and want to know a whole lot more.

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Jun 14, 2014 Roberto Rigolin F Lopes rated it really liked it

The science in this book states that we don't know much about running! Science always pushing butts forward, literally in this case. Nevertheless, the literature review on fatigue was entertaining. Nice to meet you fatigue! I can feel you better now, doing my best to tolerate you. After science comes training, and it was mind blowing for a curious, not serious, runner. Hands up homeostasis, we are having a daily fight!

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Jan 07, 2017 Paulo Adalberto Reimann rated it it was amazing

Biochemistry for runners

Biochemistry for runners or wannabe runners. You should not start to read not knowing a thing about biology, chemistry , reactions. The book is excellent but ain't a run in the park, if you know what I mean.

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Aug 26, 2016 Ruslan Voronkov rated it really liked it

Advanced book of running science

Liked practical aspects of training plans, there are alot of them to choose for every race distance. Too little is written abour weight training ans supportive cross-training.

Chapter about running mechanics ended too soon.

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