Books/Videos
Whether you are a beginning runner looking to learn more about the sport or a "hard-core" fan Big River has a book for you. Don't forget that books and videos always make a great gift for that special runner in your life!
Our Take: Like Juggernauts, see below, this a great book for anyone who has ever been associated with high school or college distance running. This has a human element as well that will certainly touch the heart a bit. It will make you appreciate any coach or role model that has influenced your life in a positive way.
Our Take: Great read for anyone interested in the mystique of the Oregon cross country and track program. Some really interesting stories about the humble beginning of Nike as well.
Rodale Press- "Exquisitely written and rich with human drama. Duel in the Sun brilliantly captures the mythic character of the most thrilling American Marathon ever run- and the powerful forced of fate that drove these two athletes in the years afterward." Our Take: One of the quickest and best reads you'll ever find from a running book. The race itself, in which Salazar and Beardsley nearly duel to the death literally, is enough for a great book. Then throw in Salazar's heartbreaking health struggles that affectively ended his career and Beardsley's battles with addiction and this is a book that anyone can appreciate.
Our Take: Galloway has inspired thousands upon thousands of runners and walkers over a long career in the sport. He began as an elite athlete and was an Olympian at 10,000 meters in 1972 before turning his attention to the masses and helping people of all ability levels reach their goals. This one is pretty much a no-brainer if you are getting started and want to learn more from a very proven source.
longgreenlinemovie.com- Coach Joe Newton has used the sport of Cross Country Running to teach simple but important lessons to high school boys for the last 50 years. “Always do your best”, “be on time” and “it's nice to be great but far greater to be nice” are mantras, which have turned the Boys Cross Country team at the public York High School in Elmhurst Illinois into the most winning high school team in any sport in America. Along with mastery of their sport, Newton turns boys into men, who carry his teaching and his love for each of them throughout their lives. Our Take: Buy this movie. It's as simple as that. This is not just a runner-nerd flick. It was produced by Matthew Arnold, a Hollywood movie producer who went to York High School but was not a runner. He chose Coach Newton and the cross country team as the subjects of this film because he had heard how compelling their story was. He brings it to the big screen in a way that will make you laugh, cheer and cry. We certainly did. IN STOCK NOW!
BartYasso.com- "Dubbed the 'Mayor of Running,' Bart Yasso is one of the best-known figures in the sport, but few people know why he started running competitively, how it changed his life, or how his brush with a crippling illness nearly ended his career a decade ago. With insight and humor, My Life on the Run chronicles the heatstroke and frostbite, heartache and triumphs he's experienced while competing in more than 1,000 competitive races during his nearly 30 years with Runner's World magazine." Our Take: Bart Yasso is one cool dude. If you ever get a chance to meet him he will sit down and talk to you for an hour about your running, your life and pretty much anything that comes up. Then you'll see him a year later and he'll remember your conversation and he'll buy you lunch. This one is highly recommended for those of you who want to read about someone else who has gotten a ton of enjoyment out of our great sport.
Our Take: With so many folks running and trying to better their times and stay healthy these drills become an absolute must. Especially with the barefoot running movement and the theory that we need to improve our form there is no question that drills go a long way to helping us do exactly that....no matter what shoes you wear! This DVD in particular, which features Olympic Athletes in an easy-to-follow "how-to" format is the perfect video for anyone interested in being a better, more efficient runner....basically all of us!!
Our Take: Whether your goal is to finish a 5k or qualify for the Boston Marathon we could all use a stronger core!! Strengthening the core helps prevents injuries and improves your running form. This video takes you step-by-step through the same routine used by the elite athletes coached by Greg McMillan in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Our Take: Well, we at the store all read this book when we were in high school and have pretty much been hooked on the Prefontaine story ever since. This book is a great read for anyone wanting to learn about Steve Prefontaine, the man about which two Hollywood movies have been made, the man who once held every American Record from 2,000 through 10,000 meters, and the man who died much too young. A perfect gift for a young runner.
Rodale Press- "Runners World now devotes an entire book to guide the beginning runner through those challenging first days, weeks, and months. With motivating tips and advice from those who have been there, this much-needed volume presents a can't fail program that is sure to help new runners." Our Take: We were amazed with the thoroughness of this book. If you took this to a space alien and had them read it they would walk away knowing everything they needed to know about running their first marathon. It is written almost in a textbook-like format but we don't mean that to sound as if it is boring. Rather it just takes things one chapter at a time and gives each topic its just due.
Our Take: A training log is a great way to stay motivated. It gives you accountability each day and it gives you something to look back on before your big race. Reading through all of your old runs and workouts can be a huge confidence boost. If you are interested in getting the training journal as a gift then consider one of our special "Holiday Packages" that include the journal as well as Big River gear and more.
Our Take: We read this book when it first came out and people were wondering whether Webb would ever live up to the potential that he showed as a young runner when he broke Jim Ryun's 36-year-old high school record in the mile in 2001. Of course, since then Webb has gone on to win multiple U.S. Championships, was a 2004 Olympian and this past year set the American Record in the mile at 3:46.91. All of his success makes this book an even more interesting read because it gives you great insight into the mind of a champion but shows that such a mind can still be quite fragile. IN STOCK NOW! |
An Honorable Run 
Long Green Line 
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