Description
Featured in the book Born to Run, running coach Eric Orton offers a guide for every runner…
Natural running is more than barefoot running. It’s about the joy of running that we were all born with and can reawaken. With a program focused on proper form, strength development, and cardiovascular training, Orton will help beginners, competitors, and enduring veterans reach “the cool impossible”—the belief that any achievement, athletic or otherwise, is within our reach. Inside you’ll find:
* Foot strength exercises for runners to catapult performance, combat injuries, and transform technique
* A total-body-strength program designed for runners
* Step-by-step run-form coaching for performance and lifelong healthy running
* A training program for building endurance, strength, and speed
* No-nonsense nutrition for runners
* Visualization and mind-training tactics to run and live the Cool Impossible
* And much more…
Natural running is more than barefoot running. It’s about the joy of running that we were all born with and can reawaken. With a program focused on proper form, strength development, and cardiovascular training, Orton will help beginners, competitors, and enduring veterans reach “the cool impossible”—the belief that any achievement, athletic or otherwise, is within our reach. Inside you’ll find:
* Foot strength exercises for runners to catapult performance, combat injuries, and transform technique
* A total-body-strength program designed for runners
* Step-by-step run-form coaching for performance and lifelong healthy running
* A training program for building endurance, strength, and speed
* No-nonsense nutrition for runners
* Visualization and mind-training tactics to run and live the Cool Impossible
* And much more…
ATHLETICISM IS AWARENESS—awareness of form and technique, awareness of our effort level, and, most important, awareness of what we think. And with that awareness comes the endless potential for mastery and achievement beyond anything you thought possible.
INCLUDES PHOTOS
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JB –
E. Orton covers so much more in this book than I ever expected. I came, as we all would, for secrets to running perfectly, but was gifted with much more. E. Orton has a clear love for life, for people, and has much to say in the way of finding fulfillment. He touches tangential topics because of the power they can have in your running. It’s just a bonus that there’s true life lessons to walk away with here. Simple, practical, and certainly worth considering.
Also, it’s worth stressing that E. Orton is on point with his specific, technical running advice. This is your definitive guide to demystifying running, and achieving any goal. I encourage all to read this if they wish to strive for more.
Kp –
An excellent book for all levels of runners.
Amazon Customer –
I am an ultra runner and have read at least 50 books on running and ultra running. I would recommend this book to anyone who takes their running seriously. It’s offers so many aspects about being a runner I wouldn’t know where to start. Just buy the book follow the instructions and you will improve.
RCharles –
This is a good book and a great program. I am a long distance runner almost 50 who developed a Plantar Fascitis issue at the end of a marathon. Then pulled a “great toe muscle”. After dragging my right foot around for weeks (months?) and seeing the doctor I wasn’t getting the rehab I needed until I read the Cool Impossible by Eric Orton.
This is a training book with a motivational twist. It isn’t supposed to be Born to Run by Christopher McDowel. Eric was given credit throughout Born to Run, “Eric attempted to transform me splintery wreck into an unbreakable ultramarathon man.” Although I loved Born to Run my goal in picking up the The Cool Impossible was to discover the nuances of a well-respected coach.
The book is mostly a training book for lower body core but there is far more to it. I enjoyed the motif of running with Eric through his eyes. Part of the joy of reading about other’s running is hearing their experiences. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami or The Elements of Effort by John Jerome both reflections on Runnings. This book intends to inspire people to chose lofty goals. I’m surprised by the negative reviews since the aesthetic of the book worked for me.
I found his program laid out pretty clear and concise. I previously owned hiking poles, a swiss ball, and I bought the slant board off Amazon (not his). After working through some of the level 1 program from the book, I felt the $84.00 for two well made stability discs and two complete DVD training programs (I went level 2 and 3) from Eric Orton’s Born2Run worth while. I’ve been using them for 9 months with great success. I started with 5K and 10K, but I have biked hundreds of miles for MS (numerous 150 mile events), a 15K and a half Marathon recently. My foot has made a miraculous recovery completely thanks to the program.
My thoughts on other aspects of the book such as nutrition are supplemental from a trainer’s perspective. I had a trainer once walk me through a supermarket just to point out calorie counts, processed food choices and making other better choices. My comparison might be with my music teacher tapping his foot to remind me of the beat (it’s simply a reminder of good choices). There are plenty of nutritional books on Amazon.
For me, the book wasn’t simply about lower core but a commitment to train harder for a loftier goal of healthier long distance running. I like to read running books. I enjoyed Scott Jurek’s Eat and Run (also of Born to Run fame). In fact, I found it enjoyable on multiple levels as I finished it at the midpoint of a MS 150 mile event (Jurek’s mother suffered with MS for years). I had fun with the training. I even programed my iphone to read “Sent from the Cool Impossible.” It’s a good book worth the read.
Gonzalo –
Great book, since I read this and managed to change my stride to a front landing stride, I’ve been free of injuries and faster than ever.
rajesh –
A story of which you are a part, good narration… I skipped the training schedule pages since I’m already training for ultra under someone. The exercises mentioned are good and should help every runner. I will Go through the training schedule and use it for sure post my big event this year
Del –
I purchased this book on my e-reader, but would like a hard copy to have as reference during my training. There is bountiful information here, invaluable to those of us who whether due to geography or finances are unable to have a personal trainer. It is also great that the author provides YouTube videos of the concepts he discusses in the book. Highly recommend this to anyone who aspires to improving their health, regardless of age or current conditioning. The static nature of the initial training makes the whole program a reasonable reality to even those of us who are dealing with physical obstacles.
Duuude –
Looking through some previous reviews I can see that people loved or hated the “Week with Eric” framing of the book. I found it an interesting and a different take on yet another how to run book. Is it loaded down with science as to why he recommends what he does, no. He explains things like someone would if you asked their opinion, which is what he’s giving. He offer some simple exercises done with very simple equipment, yes you can easily make and repurpose these items from things you might have just laying around the house. You can also buy them on the website if you would rather not deal with it, its no big secret and I never felt his items were pushed. The diet advice was very simple and general in nature, but there are plenty of other sources for this that might better suit your thoughts and beliefs. This is definitely not a tome to all things running and the answer to every condition you might experience. The book contains some great tips and advice that were new to me, and I look forward to putting them into practice.
TIMOTHY HOKE –
I’ve personally used the program outlined in this book and found it understandable, practical, and I saw incredible gains when consistently applying the principles and regimen outlined in this book.
I will confess that I did all the steps up to the 2nd half of the strategic running program, but had to stop there due to personal reasons. However, by the end of the 1 1/2 months of preparation phase and 3 months with the Strategic Foundation Program, my long run had progressed from 5 miles to 20 miles, I was injury free, I was rarely sore, and felt energized all the time, even after a 3-hour run.
The book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall was a revelation for many runners that the way they were going about running might be wrong; bad posture, over-striding, heel striking, overuse muscle injury, and muscular imbalance, etc. being just a few of the ailments. If you missed that book, pick up a copy as well as it is an enjoyable narrative and inspiring, albeit a little jumpy in it’s storyline (or maybe that is just how I read it).
The forward to Eric Orton’s book is written by Christopher McDougall and so The Cool Impossible is the logical next step for those who wanting to get started down the rabbit hole of learning how to run again.
Taking the first steps into The Cool Impossible by Eric Orton, it is a running book, but it is a little different than you might be used to if you’ve spent any time in this genre. It is written as a narrative with the premise that you, the reader are visiting Eric in Wyoming and training with him for a week. This might put some off, but that is how he wrote it and it works fine. The style is conversational like a coach would interact with his athlete. One recommendation that Eric Orton makes is that you should read through the entire book before beginning training. I would say read it once, start training, read it again once you’ve gotten into the Foundation running program, then refer back to it as needed throughout your training.
Gear
Here is a quick look at what you will need to follow this training program:
$12 The Cool Impossible. Yep, probably need this.
$15-$20 An exercise ball, they are sized by your height so choose accordingly
$5-$80 Wobble board, Stability disk, and ski polls
$200-$600 GPS watch and heart rate monitor (I used the Suunto Ambit2 GPS w/ HR strap, great product). You could also use a cell phone with a HR strap, but I don’t like running with my phone.
$80-$150 Zero drop shoes. Zero drop is defined as .00 difference between the forefoot of the shoe and the heel, if there is a difference it is measured in millimeters.
An exercise ball and the wobble board/stability disks will be used for the strength training. I made my own board and stability disk out of scrap materials I had laying around so I had very little cost. For those who don’t have access to materials or who aren’t handy, you can purchase the board, disks, ski polls, and videos as a bundle from Eric Orton’s website, or purchase something similar from a fitness store. What I constructed perfectly matches the product that Eric Orton sells, but what I do wish I had was those videos. However, it is possible to learn the strength drills through the book alone, it just requires carefully performing the drills and referring back to the pictures and descriptions in the book. One note I will add is that Eric Orton throughout this book says that who you buy equipment or shoes from doesn’t matter, just make sure if fits within the parameters he outlines.
Progressions
The concept of progressions is essential. If we think of our training as a succession of building blocks, each block being necessary in order to add another one, then we need to exercise maturity in not jumping ahead in the program, whatever program that is.
The book and your training will progress in this way:
Correcting mindset, e.g. training vs. working out
Building strength from the feet up
Learning how to run with the correct form
Putting that new running form into practice in a 4-6 week “performance” phase
Begin the two-part strategic foundation running program which takes 20 weeks total (5 months)
Mindful nutrition
Mindset
To start off Eric makes the statement that being an athlete is a choice. Making that choice involves undertaking the mindset of an athlete training, not just someone “working out”. An athlete is aware of everything and how it affects him; his mindset, running form, eating habits, etc. Running well without awareness is almost impossible since as an activity it is complicated enough that if done improperly it will break our bodies down. However, it is simple enough that once we learn how we should move and become aware of how we are currently running, we can start to correct those biomechanical faults and get on the path of proper running form. Done correctly this will open up the potential for a lifetime of injury-free running, and run beyond what we thought was possible. This I found to be true.
Building Strength
Just like a house which requires a solid footing, the body needs strong feet in order for the rest of the body to not fall apart from the demands we place on it while running. Eric Orton starts with the feet because they are one of the most ignored aspects of running and therefore need the most attention starting out. Weak feet lead to incorrect form, incorrect muscle recruitment, and muscle imbalances. He also addresses the core and upper body, again focusing on runners who tend to have specific weaknesses. The stability disk, wobble board, and fitball will play the biggest part in the strength phase. Don’t skip this step!
Learning To Run
Most people think that they don’t need to learn to run. I know I thought this, but Eric Orton points out that no one thinks that way about swimming, golf, tennis, baseball, etc. We all recognize the importance of a coach who breaks down our golf swing and makes adjustments until we have mastered the basic swing. There may be some advanced variations, but they are exactly that, a variation off of that basic swing.
Eric Orton takes you through the five key principles of running form, provides drills for practicing good form. An additional benefit is that as you are practicing and referring back to the book, you begin to catch Eric’s advice or corrections in the book. “If you feel this, then that is going on”, etc. You may have to experience it before those coaching tips make sense, but it falls into place as you do it. Which points to the value of reading the book as you train in order to truly pick up on the full value of this book.
Putting It Into Practice
While performing the strength training and running form drills, Eric Orton wants you to start running and work towards four half hour runs per week, for four to six weeks. This is for both the novice and veteran alike. For the novice, this makes a lot of sense. But if you are a veteran I would just suggest that you put aside thoughts that you are beyond the basics. In reality, we are talking a month and a half at most. That really isn’t a lot of time and I think you will find the time spent is well worth it and will make you a significantly better runner. These runs are slow runs where your main focus is on your running form and preparing for the foundation program. He advises that you govern yourself and your intensity here by breathing only through your nose. If you can’t breathe through your nose then your run is too intense, back off until you can. This allows time for your body to adapt to the strength training and new running style which places different demands on your body with potential for a lot of soreness early on. After two or three weeks that soreness will go away. By running at a low intensity you will have shorter recovery times from these runs.
I can’t say enough how important this step was for my growth. Before I found this book I was beginning to run, but I was trying to run full throttle all of the time. I didn’t understand that my all or nothing approach was actually holding me back from developing as a runner. Once I slowed down my progress exploded.
It is through this phase that I would say you don’t need to invest in a GPS watch or heart rate monitor, (usually they work together, or you can use your phone with a running app with a heart rate monitor that you purchase separately). I’m not sure if this is by design, but as it is you can match your investment in equipment to your actual progress. You can give the program a shot, if you find that you are consistent and are progressing through the program, you can then get the watch and HR monitor before you start the Stategic Running program.
Strategic Running
Having a plan is key to success. Fortunately, Eric Orton provides a running schedule that is catered directly to your fitness level. How does he accomplish this? He does this using two tests. You perform these tests immediately prior to beginning the strategic running program so that you know your exact fitness level. The first test is your 1-mile time. The second test is your average heart rate when running as fast as you can sustain for 20 minutes. You then have two charts supplied in the book, along with a running schedule that calls out runs based on these charts. The two tests are used to assign heart rate zones (HRZ) and speed zones (SPZ).
To be honest, I balked at the heart rate monitor and the running schedule when I first went through the book. I tried for awhile to keep running without jumping into this. However, I finally decided to give it a shot. My progress accelerated. Ironically, that didn’t mean that I was doing intense running all the time. I would say that only 20% of the runs were speed intervals, hill running, or higher HRZ’s.
The Strategic Running Program is split into two phases. The first is focusing on endurance, so slow runs, in lower HRZ’s punctuated by the 20% of higher intensity.
The second phase is bringing in a greater emphasis on strength and speed. This is where I had to stop due to personal reasons, but the gains I had made up to this point were beyond what I thought I could ever do. The second phase runs get shorter, but are more intense.
The plans are geared towards a 6-day running week. However, he placed in asterisk next to days that you could skip if you wanted to do 3-4 days of running per week. You can also choose to run less each day as well. So, where many runs would get up to an hour long you could easily modify the runs to 30 or 45 minutes. By taking ownership of your training you can make it suit your life and goals.
Mindful Eating
To be honest, this is the chapter I paid the least attention to and have little to say on it. Overall I would say my family has a fairly sensible diet and so I skimmed through this chapter. Likewise the chapter on visualization. That’s just me, others may find both these chapters beneficial.
On another note, they way I ate did change. I ate more. In some of those long runs I was burning 3500 calories (estimated by heart rate, duration, effort, etc.). It wasn’t unusual for me to come home after a 3-hour run and consume half a dozen eggs, toast, and anything else I could lay my hands on.
You will also need to plan on learning how to stay nourished and hydrated during long runs if you are running beyond 12 miles. I would suggest to keep your learning just ahead of your ability. E.g. if you are only running 3 miles, then don’t worry about it, focus on the program. As your run times and distance grow, then you can start looking at what you will need to do. Eric gives guidance on this as well, but I had to augment through trial and error and further research. Which gets back to Eric Orton’s main theme:
Athleticism = Awareness. Eric Orton is getting you started on this path, but you have to take your training upon yourself, put in the effort, and become aware of how your body is performing.
Summary
This program is accessible to both the novice and veteran runners. I experienced many great gains and PR’s while using this program. If you were to get the book for the coaching advice alone, I would say it is worth it. Keep running!