Born to Run 2: The Ultimate Training Guide

I keep this book on my nightstand and I just keep reading it. This is THE BOOK for running nerds! Full of useful, effective and fun exercises, anecdotes and testimonials. Helped me to strip away all of my bad running habits and rebuild a rock solid form from the ground up. Detailed and precise instructions on how to train your body to run just like the Rarámuri, all wrapped up in 240 pages, with great photographic accompaniment, presented by compelling prose in true Christopher MacDougall fashion! Please buy this because I wish everyone would read it!

I’ve read Born To Run multiple times over the years and it never fails to inspire me to run more. BTR2 is a great follow up with all the practical how to information to give me the confidence to not just run more, but to know I’m doing it the right way and truly training as a real runner.

Narratives on a few of the runners in Born to Run are interspersed with updates on some of the informational themes of both Born to Run and Natural Born Heroes. These aspects alone make reading the book highly worthwhile. Training tips are scattered throughout the book along with the other content and an overwhelming amount of often full page photos. Flipping pages, this book gives the appearance of a glossy magazine. Many of the photos show only that people of various ages, ethnicities, and physical condition can all participate while maintaining a smile. Most of the photos, though, are of younger athletes in superb condition. The training tips are brought together in a 6-1/2 page chapter titled "The 90-Day Run Free Program." There is a table of prescribed activities for each of 13 weeks. For each day there are a few words directing activities, often requiring looking back to previous sections of the book for clarification. Most interesting to me were the updates on some of the informational themes. There are new stories on the theme of shoes, along with recommendations of specific models. Gone, however, is any mention of Vibram Five Fingers or any other uncushioned shoes. I found this disappointing, as my biggest take-away from Born to Run was a conversion to Five Fingers (which remain my footwear of choice, especially for long ascents or descents). There is a page of food recommendations as part of guidance on using low-intesity exercise to train the metabolism to use stored body fat instead of sugar. Here McDougall partially repeates stories from Natural Born Heroes, but leaves out mention of some of the major figures appearing there such as Dr. Timothy Noakes. A very useful feature of the new book is that it has an index. Overall, I enjoyed reading the many new stories and eventually I'll undoubtedly try some of the training tips.

Great book. Exactly what I was looking for. The quality is also good and it doesn’t feel cheaply made

I really liked the story format of this running training manual. It helps to know the why of what you're doing and how others may used to overcome obstacles. The book itself is high quality.

Never thought a book could get me excited about running because of the dream of doing so without injury! I honestly didn't think it was possible. I love the movement snacks and all the other great advice and exercises that I hope will get me back on the road without pain for good!

Wasn't as impressed with this book, as I was with the original Born to Run book. The feel of the writing is definitely different, and has a different approach to it. It's more instructional than inspiring.

Similar story to the author’s for me: told I shouldn’t run after injuring my knees in college running. Followed the program and now running 50 miles a week, injury free. Incredible!

Enjoying reading the book and following it had been really interesting.

This book sold me on running. And when I did my first run after the 5 minute fix I am now hooked for life

Practical book with a lot of exercises and a plan to help you get from where you are, to running with better form. I'm currently dealing with knee issues and using the exercises the book prescribes in hopes that they will help. Not just in healing the knee, but also in preventing the injury from coming back. I am very much a fan of the barefoot movement, having walked and exercised in barefoot shoes consistently for a year now (and on and off before that). I'm sure that helped prevent my ankles from hurting after a week of serious hiking, but apparently the knees need more than just general fitness and barefoot shoes. That makes sense, actually - it's just disappointing. Anyhow, this book is by the author of 'born to run', which made the barefoot movement more mainstream. I think the exercise part of this book makes sense. The training protocol is way too much for me personally, but I think I'll still get enough out of it to improve my hiking game. On the other hand, the diet advice doesn't make sense to me. That said, some of the recipes for trail food look very good and I'm sure I'll use them (or use them as inspiration).

It’s the “Bible” for runners! I loved it! Not only the perfect storytelling as McDougall usually is, but a step by step guide to pain free and lifelong running. Really recommend.

Whether you're lacing up your first pair of running shoes or you're a seasoned marathoner, "Born to Run 2" is a game-changer. For new runners, it demystifies the process and offers a clear, encouraging path to getting started right and avoiding common injuries. For those of us who have been running for years, it offers a brilliant opportunity to unlearn bad habits and fine-tune our natural mechanics for better performance and longevity in the sport. The real gem is the integrated "90-Day Born to Run 2" training plan on Training Peaks. It's more than just a schedule; it's a daily guide that syncs effortlessly with my smartwatch, keeping me accountable and allowing me to log my training with ease. Seeing my progress laid out so clearly has been a huge motivator. This book doesn't just tell you how to run; it empowers you to run better. Highly recommended!