Book review: A field guide to ultrarunning

Hal Koerner’s: A Field Guide to Ultrarunning

By Hal Koerner

As a champion with two Western States 100-miler wins and a running shop owner, Koerner brings both personal athletic credentials and a knowledge of the running industry to his subject. Koerner offers a clear picture of the experience you will have switching from road running to ultras and what kind of training time and gear you will need.

There is good information on specificity in training. Koerner suggests using hill work to replicate goal race courses, and reminds ultrarunners that while the trail setting of ultras is a big allure, many races, such as Leadville, are almost half on roads. He also suggests that speedwork should remain a component of training and that the best place for it is on dirt roads or trails.

Koerner integrates this advice into easy-to-read schedules for race training with perhaps a little bit of a bias towards higher mileage than some experts. The book also includes gear advice, which is detailed and informed by Koerner’s professional experience. Some of this is skewed a little towards the speedier runner, (Koerner suggests hand bottles rather than hydration packs, which may leave some slower runners on some races thirsty between aid stations), but it is all based on his practical experiences.

Beginner ultrarunners looking for a single volume resource on training and gear will find this very useful. Perhaps the only real thing it lacks are photos to inspire readers to take up this increasingly popular, slightly crazy sport.