Are you the kind of person who likes never ending trial and error, making as many mistakes as possible, or how about learning the hard way? If so, please avoid this book at all costs. It's not for you. On the other hand, do you enjoy gleaning the wisdom of others, making a very difficult task manageable, or being as prepared as you can be for an event that is filled with the unexpected? In that case you've found what you're looking for.
When I ran my first ultra I thought I had done my homework. I thought I was prepared. I thought wrong. My only complaint about "Relentless Forward Progress" is that it was published about 5 years too late. Had I had this information I might have avoided severe cramping, lightheadedness, and a resounding question that seemed to enter my head at the base of every hill... "What am I doing"?
Bryon has left no stone unturned. In a sport that is so complex, writing a "how to" could be about as perplexing as an ultra it's self. This book could be over-the-top, intimidating, and self-absorbent but it's none of the above. It's a no nonsense, straight forward, non PhD needing look at ultra running unlike I've ever read before.
I could go into all the details that the author covers but the list would be too long. All I'll say is if you want to learn...read it. If you want affirmation that you're on the right path..read it. Or if you're anywhere in between..you guessed it..read it. You'll learn something. I guarantee it.
Marathons have become too easy for some runners. What was once the pinnacle of achievement in a runner's life is now a stepping stone for extraordinary adventure in ultramarathoning. The number of ultrarunners--those running distances of 50k (31 miles), 50 miles, 100k (62 miles), or 100 miles--is growing astronomically each year.
Dean Karnazes' Ultramarathon Man and Chris McDougall's Born to Run have inspired tens of thousands to try these seemingly superhuman distances. But to date, there has been no practical guide to ultramarathoning. Now, Bryon Powell has written Relentless Forward Progress, the first how-to manual for aspiring ultrarunners. Powell covers every aspect of training for and racing ultra distances. Along the way, more than a dozen elites and experts, including Geoff Roes, Krissy Moehl, Michael Wardian, Dave Mackey, and David Horton, provide invaluable advice on running ultramarathons. By its conclusion, this encyclopedic volume prepares runners for going farther than they have ever gone before and, in the process, shows them that they are capable of the "impossible."
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