My top 5 "running" books

1. Survival of the fittest (Mike Stroud)

Mike Stroud, a doctor and expedition partner of Sir Ranulph Fiennes knows a thing or two about human physiology and combines his insight with a collection of stories ranging from Artic expeditions to ultra marathons in the desert. He also humbly highlights his own normal physiology and of what can be achieved with dedicated training and commitment. The general theme of the book being, the human is an amazing machine and can achieve much more than you would think!

2. Lore of Running (Tim Noakes)

Falls just short of my no 1. It is not for the faint hearted, with the first couple of chapters getting pretty heavy...Myosin, muscle composition, central governor model etc etc. Which may be enough to put off all but the most geekiest of runners. But call me a Geek! It really does help to further your understanding if training principles, dietary requirements etc. I have to say though that some of the best bits of the book focus on some of the greatest runners that have ever lived...Emile Zaptopek's interval training, Bruce Fordyce's immense distances and performances, all truly inspirational! His training programmes ranging from 10K to half-marathon are also pretty good, some of them nabbed from the legendary Jack Daniels!

3. Feet in the Clouds: A Story of Fell Running and Obsession (Richard Askwith)

A book written by a true enthusiast. His wonderful prose almost transports you onto the fell alongside him during the notorious Bob Graham Round! He discusses the history of fell running and about some of the greats like Joss Naylor and "Scotland's" very own Angela Mudge!

4. It's Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life (Lance Armstrong)

Ok, I hold my hands up! It is not a running book, but he does talk about those junior triathlon days! On a more serious note, he discusses in great depth the high and the lows of his battle against cancer and the motivations that kept him going. A real motivator when you are having doubts! He went from professional cyclist, to having mother and daughter passing him on their bike, to winning "the tour" seven times!

5. The Competitive Runner's Handbook (Bob Glover + Shelly Glover)

It's been a wee while since i've been anything close to competitive! But it's still a relevant book to all types of runners! Not as dense as "the Lore" but a cracking book from a pair of very experienced runners. Again the book combines training plans, diet, physiology and psychological preparation all into the one book. Some of the racing strategies are particularly insightful. Such as the one second too fast at the start of a race costs you two at the end, two cost four or more, four cost .... It does give some increased motivation for even pacing, since I'm especially guilty of starting too fast!

Notable mention

Ultramarathon Man (Dean Karnazes)

A great book, but a bit too sickly for many a tastebud. His running feats are impressive and his intentions noble, and this book can really get you in the mood for running. But his "I run from the heart" and self promotion might be a bit much for some people! He is a top quality athlete but isn't in the same league as some of the other ultra runners such as Fordyce and Brag

My training 3rd -13th May

Having done a handful of 2.5K runs throughout the year and by playing 5 a-side football twice a week my fitness wasn't too bad! But any runs over 2.5K my calf muscles seemed to seize up, such that each step, either walking or running, was agony. My solution give up the 5s and focus on the running. I don't know if the micro-tears in the muscle fibres from the football was causing the problem, but it made an immediate difference!

So since the 3rd of May, i've been doing gym (mostly upper body) for 40mins in the morning and 5K runs in the evening, with one rest day per week.

My diet now consist of approximately:

Breakfast - 1 post-workout protein shake = 120 cals

Lunch - A Boots Shapers Meal = 400 cals

Dinner - Typical dinner pizza/pasta/risotto = 1000 cals

Grand total = 1500 cals

My old unhealthy diet.

Breakfast - 1 cheese roll (300 cals) + 500ml coke (200 cals) = 500cals
Lunch - Lasagna (450 cals) + 500ml coke (200 cals) = 650 cal

Dinner - less healthy dinner (1200 cals) + 500ml coke (200 cals) + Chocolate (400 cals)= 1800cals

Grand total = 2950 cals

Shocking!!! - It is hardly surprising i had put on so much weight! And that doesn't include my 3 bottles of wine per week (1500 cals) and my 3 sneaky lunchtime pints (600 cals).

So now for the good news.....

With 1lb of fat consisting of a whopping 3500 cals, it was always going to be an uphill struggle.

But, this morning, I managed to hit 15 stone(210 pounds) at my weigh in. I am sure a few pounds will be water loss..but its heading in the right direction!

So 14st(196 pounds) is my next milestone for my next "race"... the Mens Health 10K on Sunday, 15th June 2008, Bellahouston Park, Glasgow. Im looking to cross the line in around 56mins. So I have my work cut out!