Best Trail Running Books

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ProductDescriptionFeatures
The Ultimate Trail Running Handbook: Get fit, confident and skilled-up to go from 5k to 50kThe ultimate guide to trail running.
Trail Running Illustrated: The Art of Running Free Paperback – Illustrated...Passionate authors and experienced trail runners
The Trail Runner's Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras Paperback – IllustratedTrail-specific techniques and must-have gear
Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running Paperback Strategies for improving race-day performance
Never Wipe Your Ass with a Squirrel: A trail running, ultramarathon, and wilderness survival guide...Trail running and ultramarathons by ultrarunner
Trailhead: The Dirt on All Things Trail Running PaperbackStronger, faster: At-home exercises to enhance
Quiet The Noise: A Trail Runner's Path to Hearing God PaperbackTrail Runner's Path to Hearing God Paperback
Running Wild: Inspirational Trails from Around the WorldMost scenic trail runs around the globe
Ultimate Guide to Trail Running: Everything You Need To Know About Equipment * Finding Trails *...Trail running combines all the health and fitness
Run Gently Out There: Trials, trails, and tribulations of running ultramarathons...Trails, and tribulations of running ultramarathons
Running-Thru: A Woman's Solo Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail Done as Training for the Triple Crown of 200's Races – UnabridgedStephanie White, from Charlotte NC
Trail Running Western Massachusetts Paperback – IllustratedBen Kimball, a long-time trail runner

1: The Ultimate Trail Running Handbook: Get fit, confident and skilled-up to go from 5k to 50k

Description

From your first 5k up to trail marathon level, this is the ultimate guide to trail running.

From complete beginners to seasoned off-road runners, The Ultimate Trail Running Handbook has all the training and nutrition advice, skills, gear and motivation you need to become a fit and confident trail runner.

There are training plans that take newcomers from 5k parkrun level all the way to a first trail marathon. And if you’re already an experienced runner, you’ll find the strength-work, injury prevention moves and training plans to take you to the next level with your best performance ever. To keep you enjoying every step, there are inspiring stories from real trail runners and the best advice from top off-road athletes, coaches and experts. Running myths are busted, excuses not to run are countered and there are great ideas to get friends and family our on the trails too.

Keeping you going strong, there are over 30 easy recipes to fuel you both in training and racing. And if you want to explore more, the navigation and route planning information makes it easy for you to create an exciting off-road adventure.

Trail running is such a wonderful way to see the world, so the final chapter covers the best races from all over the globe, with essential advice from the pros. This book arms you with the best possible chance of achieving your next trail running challenge, whether it’s a fast time on a well-loved local hill, or a destination race to be savored in New Zealand. If you’re a trail runner or would like to become one, this book is your new best friend.

2: Trail Running Illustrated: The Art of Running Free Paperback – Illustrated…

Features

  • Everything a trail runner needs to know, from training to racing
  • Passionate authors and experienced trail runners
  • Introduction by Brendan Leonard, creator of Semi-Rad.com

Running through pastures and forests, hopping over rocks, and splashing through streams: trail running is humanity’s original form of play―an activity we’ve been doing for millions of years. Adventurous runners of all ages, shapes, and sizes are leaving the pavement behind and seeking new challenges. More popular than ever, trail running is growing rapidly around the world.

Trail Running Illustrated offers clear, concise advice on how to get started. Created by two longtime trail runners with a passion for the sport, this book is your key to unlocking a lifetime of exploration and challenges, whether you’re running in your local park or through some of the world’s most remote regions.

trail running

3: The Trail Runner’s Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras Paperback – Illustrated

Features

  • Trail-specific techniques and must-have gear
  • What to eat, drink, and think—before, during, and after any trail run
  • How to develop mental tenacity and troubleshoot challenges on longer trail adventures
  • Colorful commentary on the characters and culture that make the sport special

Description

The sport of trail running is booming as more runners seek more adventurous routes and a deeper connection with nature. Not only are runners taking to the trail, but a growing number are challenging themselves to go past the conventional 26.2-mile marathon point. The time is right for a book that covers everything a runner needs to safely and successfully run and race trails, from 5Ks to ultra distances.

Like a trusted coach, The Trail Runner’s Companion offers an inspiring, practical, and goal-oriented approach to trail running and racing. Whether readers are looking to up their distance or tackle new terrain, they’ll find sophisticated, yet clear advice that boosts performance and enhances well-being. Along the way, they’ll learn:

  • Trail-specific techniques and must-have gear
  • What to eat, drink, and think—before, during, and after any trail run
  • How to develop mental tenacity and troubleshoot challenges on longer trail adventures
  • Colorful commentary on the characters and culture that make the sport special

With an engaging, encouraging voice, including tips and anecdotes from well-known names in the sport, The Trail Runner’s Companion is the ultimate guide to achieving peak performance—and happiness— out on the trails.

“Sarah Lavender Smith has long been one of trail running’s finest and most insightful writers, and her first book, The Trail Runner’s Companion, ties everything together for all trail runners, from newbies to veterans and all abilities in between. She expertly and empathetically describes how one should train, eat, drink, and think while becoming a trail runner. But perhaps most importantly of all, she tells us what it means to be a trail runner—why this journey, in her words, ‘all the way up to the summit and back down,’ is worth the effort. If you already are a trail runner, The Trail Runner’s Companion will make you want to become a better trail runner. If you aren’t yet a trail runner, The Trail Runner’s Companion will make you want to become one.” – John Trent, longtime ultrarunner, race director, Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run board member, and award-winning sportswriter

“The Trail Runner’s Companion is a must-have for all trail runners, both new and experienced. It brings a wealth of knowledge and entertaining stories to keep you engaged in the valuable content of the book. If only I had The Trail Runner’s Companion to read before my first trail race, I could have avoided so many mistakes! I highly recommend it.” – Kaci Lickteig, 2016 UltraRunning Magazine UltraRunner of the Year and Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run champion

4: Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running Paperback

Features

  •  Techniques for running over dirt, sand, roots, and rock
  •  Equipment recommendations based on terrain, distance, and conditions
  •  Safety guidelines for navigation, injury, and water crossings
  •  Conditioning programs for all levels of runners
  •  Strategies for improving race-day performance

Description

Every year, countless runners, endurance athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts discover the sport of trail running. Whether they run for peace of mind, appreciation of nature, or competition, they find a sport unlike any other.

Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running captures the excitement, intensity, and appeal of the outdoors. From training and preparation to overcoming nature’s obstacles, it’s all here, accompanied by detailed instruction, expert insights, and stunning color photography.

Inside you’ll find these features:

• Techniques for running over dirt, sand, roots, and rock

• Equipment recommendations based on terrain, distance, and conditions

• Safety guidelines for navigation, injury, and water crossings

• Conditioning programs for all levels of runners

• Strategies for improving race-day performance

Whether you are an experienced road runner looking for new challenges or an extreme athlete pushing your physical limits, look no further than Where the Road Ends, the authoritative guide for conquering the trails, terrain, and conditions of the great outdoors.

Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running by Meghan Hicks and Bryon Powell

5: Never Wipe Your Ass with a Squirrel: A trail running, ultramarathon, and wilderness survival guide…

Description

The Squirrel Wipe project is an unorthodox primer to the adventurous world of trail running and ultramarathons by ultrarunner and author of ‘The Barefoot Running Book’ Jason Robillard. The tips provided throughout the book range from practical to weird as Robillard sets out to teach others how to run ridiculously long distances through the wilderness based on his endless self-experimentation. This book goes where no other ultrarunning book dares by covering topics like testicle shaving and methods to get rid of annoying training partners. This book replicates a drunken conversation at a local pub versus the stuffy academic “how-to” tone of other similar titles.

6: Trailhead: The Dirt on All Things Trail Running Paperback

Features

  • The allure: Why trail running is good for body and mind
  • The essentials: Finding good trails, choosing the best trail running gear, handling trail and weather conditions, what you need to know about nutrition and hydration
  • Safety: How to treat (and avoid) common trail running injuries, first aid, animal safety
  • Etiquette: Right of way, preserving the trail, when nature calls
  • Company: Running alone, with friends, with dogs–or burros!
  • Stronger, faster: At-home exercises to enhance your running
  • Going long: Preparing for longer trail runs or trail races

Trailhead is a witty, fun pocket guide to all things trail running. 

Veteran trail runner, triathlete, and adventure racer Lisa Jhung offers this illustrated guide to all runners curious about running off road or wanting to run farther into the backcountry. She offers authoritative advice on everything from how to find good trails to run, how to choose the best shoes and clothing, how to carry enough water, and how to stay safe from wildlife and weather.

Trailhead includes:

  • The allure: Why trail running is good for body and mind
  • The essentials: Finding good trails, choosing the best trail running gear, handling trail and weather conditions, what you need to know about nutrition and hydration
  • Safety: How to treat (and avoid) common trail running injuries, first aid, animal safety
  • Etiquette: Right of way, preserving the trail, when nature calls
  • Company: Running alone, with friends, with dogs–or burros!
  • Stronger, faster: At-home exercises to enhance your running
  • Going long: Preparing for longer trail runs or trail races

Trailhead is a smart, entertaining read as well as a thorough resource for everyone from aspiring trail runners to those looking to get the most out of every trail run, whether in a city park or on a mountain adventure.

7: Quiet The Noise: A Trail Runner’s Path to Hearing God Paperback

Description

Many people deal with some sort of anxiety and noise or chatter in their heads. Many of these same people have trouble quieting this noise to be able to pray, or meditate and hear what the Lord is trying to tell them.In Quiet the Noise, from childhood to present day, this book follows the story of Rami F. Odeh, who began his running career at age fifteen, barely able to run a quarter mile around his block, to completing a 53-mile, 12-hour, off-road run in 2011.Quiet the Noise is about much more than running. It is more a spiritual and religious awakening that occurred once Rami took his passion for endurance events off road and into nature.How did it help him hear our Lord? Read on…

8: Running Wild: Inspirational Trails from Around the World

An inspirational collection of the most scenic trail runs around the globe, from leading figures in the world of trail running and the editors of the cult independent running magazine Like the Wind.

Trail running is as simple as it sounds: just put one foot in front of the other, somewhere unpaved and outdoors. The opportunities it presents are endless, with a wide variety of routes that stretch over mountains, forests, and deserts, in hot climates and frigid ones, through some of the most wild and beautiful places on Earth.

Running Wild highlights the most exciting trail runs from around the world, from the heights of the Alps and the snowy expanses of the Arctic to the jungles of Latin America and the outback Down Under. Each destination is brought to life by a different trail runner, showcasing exactly what makes each location so spectacular, as well as providing practical information to keep you moving on the ground. Stunning photography provides inspiration in every chapter, revealing the breathtaking experiences that anyone can access with just a pair of shoes and the will to explore.

The trails in this book offer unparalleled experiences. They encourage novices and experts alike to get into nature, create new physical experiences, be in the moment―and arrive in a different mental space.

9: Ultimate Guide to Trail Running: Everything You Need To Know About Equipment * Finding Trails *…

Trail running combines all the health and fitness benefits of walking and road running with the outdoor adventure of such sports as hiking and mountain biking―not to mention the spiritual renewal from a day spent communing with nature. No wonder it has become one of the world’s most popular fitness activities. The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running provides all the essential information needed, including finding trails and getting started; managing ascents and descents with ease; maneuvering off-road obstacles; strength, stretching, and cross-training exercises; selecting proper shoes, clothing, and accessories; safety on the trail; and racing and other trail events.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Trail running combines all the health and fitness benefits of walking and road running with the outdoor adventure of such sports as hiking and mountain biking―not to mention the spiritual renewal from a day spent communing with nature. No wonder it has become one of the world’s most popular fitness activities. The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running provides all the essential information needed, including finding trails and getting started; managing ascents and descents with ease; maneuvering off-road obstacles; strength, stretching, and cross-training exercises; selecting proper shoes, clothing, and accessories; safety on the trail; and racing and other trail events.

10: Run Gently Out There: Trials, trails, and tribulations of running ultramarathons…

If on leaving a trailhead, you only glance at your watch to have an idea of when you need to be back, parts of this book will be for you.

If when crossing a desert valley, you wonder what it is like to run in the silence and solitude way out there, parts of this book will be for you.

If wading across a beaver pond during a run seemed the only logical thing to do, parts of this book will be for you.

If you ever thought of running fifty miles in one day, parts of this book will be for you.

If you sometimes went out after sunset for a run because you saw a cloudless sky and you wanted to run under a visible night sky, parts of this book will be for you.

If you need to be out there where running with pauses continues to be just as important as the occasional run with the stopwatch on, then Run Gently Out There is for you.

Go along with the author as he takes you on a run that is not about anyone in particular, rather it is about what makes running trails and ultramarathons become a love affair with being out there and how running becomes part of a way of living.

11: Running-Thru: A Woman’s Solo Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail Done as Training for the Triple Crown of 200’s Races Audible Logo – Unabridged

Running-Thru: A Woman's Solo Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail Done as Training for the Triple Crown of 200's Races

Stephanie White, from Charlotte NC, made up her mind to tackle the three individual 200-mile distance races known as the Triple Crown of 200’s. This includes the Bigfoot 205 mile race, Tahoe 200 mile race, and the Moab 240 mile race. 

While trying to figure out how to train for these races, she decided to do a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and learned so much about herself and life, in general, along the way. 

This is the tale of her adventure as a solo thru-hiker and finisher of all three long-distance races, the ups and downs of a thru-hike, and the challenges of such a long and grueling series of races that are set one month apart of each other. 

She goes into detail of the mental and physical challenges she faced and how she came out at the end a much more confident, driven, and grateful person. 

Enjoy the adventure from the approach trail of the Appalachian Trail to the flight home from Moab in this epic journey an average woman from NC set her mind to experience. This life-changing adventure not only showed her what genuine compassion from trail angels felt like but also how strong she was from within herself to be able to concur all types of challenges.

12: Trail Running Western Massachusetts Paperback – Illustrated

Ben Kimball, a long-time trail runner, provides profiles of fifty-one great trail runs in western Massachusetts. Geographically, this book covers the area between the Quabbin Reservoir and upstate New York, including the Pioneer Valley and Berkshire areas as well as portions of the Taconic Highlands. Elevations range from the lowlands of the Connecticut River and Housatonic River valleys to the state’s highest point at the top of Mount Greylock. The trails profiled represent a range of locations within the region as well as a range of difficulty levels and terrain types. There are options for everyone, from the beginner to the experienced trail runner looking for new options. Each run receives a two-page treatment that includes an informative trail description and a trail map, along with a scannable QR code to download each map to your smartphone. This book will appeal to the entire running community of Massachusetts and the surrounding region, including the Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River, communities along the Housatonic River corridor in the Berkshires, the many running clubs in the Boston area, and seasonal vacationers.

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