Running With the Legends: With the Training and Racing Insights from 21 Great Runners

Read Running with the Legends and become a training partner, student, friend, and fan of some of the greatest runners ever. You'll be informed, inspired, and entertained by the programs, prescriptions, and personalities in this book. Who better to learn from than the best?

Legends is more than a collection of biographies. It provides the closest and most complete look at how running and runners have changed from the great Emil Zatopek in the '40s and '50s to the superlative Uta Pippig in the '90s. It does so by detailing the development, training techniques, coaching, competitions, motives, and perspectives of 21 all-time great runners.

Author Michael Sandrock, one of running's most prolific writers, draws upon his own 25-year running career and his extensive interviews and research to provide special insights throughout the book. Sandrock knows what runners want to know, and here he shares a wealth of information that's sure to satisfy with each sentence and sidebar.

The runners selected range from the imposing short distance speedster Alberto Juantorena to the determined long distance marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson. And because running greatness is not limited by political or geographical borders, runners from 17 countries are represented in the book.

From special tips you can use to incredible feats that will inspire you, Running with the Legends is full of material to enhance your own running and your appreciation of those who have set the standard for excellence.

Michael Sandrock is an accomplished sports journalist with over 10 years of sports writing experience. He's a two-time winner and two-time runner-up of the Colorado Press Association Best Sports Story of the Year and has received the Colorado Society of Professional Journalists award for sports writing. Michael is currently sports editor of the Colorado Daily newspaper and freelances for several running publications, including Running Times, Runner's World, American Runner, and Footnotes.

An avid runner for 25 years, Michael is a training partner for many elite runners. He earned varsity letters in track and cross country from the University of Colorado, where he graduated with honors, and holds personal bests of 2:24 marathon, 30:23 10K, and 14:48 5K. He coached high school track and cross country and also coached track for the United States Information Agency in Africa.

Michael is the founder of the ""Shoes for Africa"" project where runners donate new and used running shoes and clothes for underprivileged athletes in several countries, including the United States.

Michael is a member of the Colorado Press Association and the Colorado Society of Professional Journalists.