Trail Running Books

Laughted unitl I cried. Also, very well written and educational as a bonus. This is my second (and not last) time to read this book and can't wait to share it with a friend.

I've had this book lying around for a while (re-gifted to me by a friend) and honestly never expected to read it. It being summer, though, I thought a book about racing sled dogs in Alaska would be an interesting idea. I honestly don't really like dogs and have never really read anything by Gary Paulsen, so my expectations were not high, to say the least. I loved this book, however, and found myself laughing out loud during several parts -- pretty much whenever he gets dragged behind the sled as the dogs go racing away out of control (which seems to happen pretty frequently). The book is not all humor, however, and has some rather unhappy parts as well.

My only criticism would be that the book is much too short. I would have enjoyed reading it if it were twice as long.

I read this book a few years ago, and it practically had me rolling on the floor laughing at times. Finally got it for myself to own, and it's still every bit as good. Gary Paulsen has a wonderful way with words, and is an excellent storyteller. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone.

One of the most entertaining books I have ever read. After reading one of the other reviews where the criticism was the authors lack of writing skills, for-gedda-bout-it. This book wasn't meant for your English Lit class. It's about one crazy dude's journey. It's funny, it's gritty, it's real, and if you're a dog lover, it's both happy and sad. I give it 10 thumbs up (ok, so I'm "all thumbs").

Very disappointing book. Boring, lots of padding. Poor and repetative story line. Not well written. Couldn't even read it to the end which I'm sad about as I love books and don't give up easily.

This book is a great resource for anyone with an interest in what MACV-SOG was doing during the war in Vietnam. In addition to a plethora of never before seen pictures, the book follows the story of a young man (the author) from Basic Training to Airborne and SF training, deployment to Vietnam, and, ultimately, assignment to MACV-SOG.

Fascinating, just fascinating.

This was a very informative book.These men saved many lives by doing the things that they secretly did, the recognition is well deserved.

Steve Stacy

Greco described this book best by calling it the "scrapbook of a covert organization never meant to see the light of day." (Acknowledgements, X) This is exactly what this work is. Not only does it reflect his experiences while serving in SOG, but it reflects the overall experience of running highly classified missions into enemy controlled territory.

Before I bought this book, I was somewhat apprehensive because I had already bought John L. Plaster's book "SOG: A Photo History of the Secret Wars" and I was afraid that they'd be very similar in photos and content. While some photos appear in both books, they are each their own separate works and both compliment the other very well.

I am truly thankful to Greco and Plaster and the others alike who served in SOG and performed a job against such incredible and sometimes suicidal odds. Furthermore, thank you for taking the time to compile your experiences into something that can be read and held by those who were never there.

thank goodness for an interprising soldier who saved the photos and info
from a lab fire and has now shared his secret world with the masses. It
gives another and more in depth view of cross border RECON in the Nam war.
Coupled with Plaster's SOG and Harris' Break Contact-Continue Mission, we
can mentally imbed with these soldiers as they risked all to interdict the workings of a cruel and voracious enemy. The book tells the story.
Great work Frank..

This book is right up there with MAJ (R) Plaster's earlier works. Predominantly consisting of a well-written narrative and unique, previously unpublished photographs, Mr. Greco's contribution to the history of SOG is incredible. As a historian and currently serving Soldier, this is a fantastic look into a world that the bureaucrats tried to forget or suppress, at least until the next war where they needed something like it again. Great work!

Since buying this book, I've tried to run a new trail each weekend. I've only been trail running for a couple of years and have found this book extremely helpful (and funny) in finding new trails to run without getting in over my head. This book makes it easy to find nearby trails pretty quickly and find the ones that are right for your abilities. It really helps to keep your running fun and to let you set some new goals "off the beaten path." Definitely buy this book if you live in Colorado or are planning to visit and want to experience some great parts of our state.

I recently started trail running within the last year, and found this book to be very insightful, easy and entertaining to read. The format is straightforward, and they offer a witty "Norm"al guy view of all the trails. This is helpful for me because I probably can't handle (yet) some of the runs shown. Trails are rated from easy to extremely difficult (the "Norm"al guy didn't run those). I would suggest this book for ANYBODY who enjoys running - trails or not!

Great book with great information. As a novice trail-runner, this book removed a lot of the "unknowns" of the trail-running experience for me. But it's also easy to see that the Trail Runner's Guide has a complete package of information for the experienced trail-runner. The authors have done a superlative job of compiling and editing the most useful and applicable information for all skill levels. The diversity and cross-section of trails covered is also fantastic. Excellent work.

The first book of its kind to offer trails to run on. Many books are available for hiking trails. They put alot of work into this book, it is very thorough. I have run several of the trails they recommend and all the info they provided was very accurate and helpful. I am very excited about this guide book. I hope it inspires people to get out there and enjoy the beauty of Colorado trails.

This book has excellent information for the novice or seasoned trail runner. With it's topography of the trails, the newest runner can pick a trail that is not too difficult. Beautiful photographs.

A recent resident of Venice, California, I looked out to the Santa Monica mountains from my second story window and wondered where the running trails were. I've bounced around LA over the past few years, running in Griffith Park, Fryman Canyon, Porter Ranch, among other routes, but these new mountains drew me to them.

How to find my way? I ran one morning at Will Rogers Park and asked someone about the trails that lured me away from the traffic and the people. The runner said: "Get Stan Swartz' book!" Thus armed, I searched a book store and found it quickly. It was exactly what I was searching for, similar in style to the wonderful book I had purchased years earlier which depicted all the trail running possibilities within New York City.

Now, eight weeks after placing third in my ritualistic 10K at Descanso Gardens, I leaf through the book almost every morning, wondering which route I will take on the weekend, building up my confidence with each page turn.What I find fascinating is that the descriptions of the routes, the distances, and benchmarks, the terrain, ALL MATCH THE REALITY. I know I am on the right trail; I know when I am half way through; I know when to turn left or right; the topographical maps give me an idea of the ups and downs. Now that I have completed several of the runs alone among this spectacular landscape, I inhale the spiritual aspect of running imbued by George Sheehan and combine it with the practical information provided by this book.

I look forward to trying out as many of the runs as I can, venturing out even to the longest ones at 13 miles. When I can, I will join the other runners on Sunday mornings. The three authors have given me a great gift: the ability to explore historical terrain with the eyes of a contemporary "critter"...a trail runner who feels at one with the wondrous varieties of Nature described so completely by those who have gone before me. Thank you.

This is a great guide to trail running in general and to the trails of Washington. It will appeal to the hardened veteran, the novice, or even the armchair runner. Walkers and hikers will also find it a good resource. General trail running information, equipment, cautions and rewards are discussed in the front section of the book. The trails are regionalized for quick access. Through use of maps, elevation charts, photos, and difficulty ratings it is easy to tell at a glance which trail fits your time frame and energy level on any given day. Rather than a bland description, a bit of history, geology and humor is included to make each trail more personal and enticing. The photos give a great preview of the beauty of each trail. If this book doesn't help you get off of the asphalt and enjoy the beauty and spirituality of the wilderness I don't know what will.

As someone who has run a number of the trails described in this book I would say it's a "must have" for anyone who wants to explore some great trail runs in Washington state. The author does a wonderful job of describing the trails, rating their difficulty, highlighting points of interest and even suggesting alternative activities at the same location (e.g. shorter nature trails) for our non-running family and friends!

All the trails I run are covered in this book, and there are dozens described that I can't wait to explore. As an additional bonus there are numerous tips from the author on what type of gear and supplies are useful to a trail runner and tips and tricks to get you "there and back again."

This book is a great guide to the non-paved alternatives in beautiful Monterey. I like the aquarium and all, but...! The guide covers 17 routes which range in difficulty from warm up to real "sweaters". It would also help condition those not too familiar with trail running. The greatest part is that many of the runs are connectable, which gives you a great deal of variety (even though the author frequently uses them for laps). It's the only one of its kind - I highly recommend it and getting out there!

Monterey Trail Runner's Guide is an excellent and superbly presented "where to" book for anyone with interest in outdoor exercise and the picturesque Monterey Peninsula. Veteran runner Jeffrey Van Middlebook aptly describes seventeen gorgeous trail runs, all the better to encourage fellow runners to escape the noisy, smog-laden cities and experience nature while staying fit. Four Monterey Peninsula parks are highlighted: Point Lobos State Reserve, Jacks Peak County Park, Mission Trail Park, and the Garland Ranch Regional Preserve. With its locator map and general terrain descriptions for each park or reserve, and augmented with tips on weather and trail conditions, parking information, mileage, difficulty ratings, and directions to the trail head, the Monterrey Trail Runner's Guide is very highly recommended for outdoor running and jogging enthusiasts with endurance!

I don't run and I don't jog, but I do hike fast. If you like dayhiking more than backpacking, but still want to see cool trails, this is a great guide! He is an excellent writer who keeps the reader intrested and doesn't ramble off onto "memory lane" like a few other guide writers.

Before I went on my trip to Washington, I was completely and utterly clueless about this area. I am a very experienced hiker and I knew that Washington not only had the best hikes but also the most difficult. Finding this book was so helpful. I not only knew exactly where to go but I knew all the little hints and shortcuts . Please, if you are interested in hiking in the WA area, take my word for it and get this book. It is a lifesaver.

Trails, Trials & Triumphs is the inspiring and informative story of Tony Rowe's (2004 National High School Cross Country Coach of the Year) Raging Red Line, from Daviess County High School in Kentucky. In his nearly 30 years of coaching, Coach Rowe led his team to 7 team state championships, with numerous individual champions, all the while coaching with a bigger goal for his young men...to develop into productive members of society grounded upon the concepts of faith in God, discipline, selflessness and teamwork. This book provides an excellent overview of the history of the "Raging Red Line", along with coaching tips, inspirational stories, and great lessons learned from the Coach himself. As a member of Coach Rowe's original Raging Red Line teams (1977, 1978 & 1979) I am proud to be a part of the Daviess County tradition, and highly recommend this book for any one interested in running, coaching and/or developing young men....thanks Coach Rowe

This was a great book. Coach Rowe is one of the best XC and Track Coaches in Kentucky. Great read about his methods of coaching coupled with stories about each season. It's a very easy read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend it.

This book offers up a fantastic, old-school approach to trail running. There's a great section on the history of trail/adventure running, a fairly simplified section on what gear you need and how to train, and a lengthy section describing the 100 best trail runs in North America. The 100 best runs are mostly fairly long (20+ miles in length) and the ones that I have done myself really are the best runs in Washington and BC.

This is NOT a training book or a beginner's book, but it is a great how-to book that gives you what you need to get out there and do some fun, epic runs!

I moved to Manhattan two years ago to begin my first post-collegiate job. I ran competitively in college and thought that running would be the easiest, not to mention most convenient, way to stay in shape once I had entered the working world. However, I ran into one problem...well, maybe two, or three, or four. It's dark before work and it's dark after work. It's too cold, too hot, and/or too cozy under my covers. Without my college teammates expecting me at practice, the motivation to get out and run was less than lacking. Walking past the Barnes and Noble in Lincoln square, I noticed a copy of The Chelsea Piers Fitness Solution in the window. I had heard of Chelsea Piers, but never really took the time to explore its offerings. So, I went into Barnes and Noble and browsed through the book. Needless to say, I bought a copy. I've also done some research on the Chelsea Piers website to find classes for the sports that seem to best match my personality and found out that the Field House at Chelsea Piers offers evening adult gymnastics and rock-climbing classes for all levels. So, it turns out you don't have to be a kid to enjoy exercise and make physical fitness fun! I definitely recommend this book for anyone who's sick of the treadmill and is ready for a change to make this year's New Year's resolution stick.