Mastering the Half Marathon Mini epub

The half marathon has become the fastest-growing race distance in the United States, both in terms of number of finishers and number of new races. Additionally, according to Running USA’s National Runner Survey, the half marathon is the favorite distance of both sexes. Mastering the Half Marathon is your guide to completing or even reaching personal records in one of the most popular running events. Author Cathy Utzschneider has been ranked fifth in the world in her age group and won seven USA Track and Field age-group titles since she started running competitively at age 40. In Mastering the Half Marathon, masters runners will benefit from the targeted approach that she has used to guide 46 national masters age-group champions.

This mini e-book begins with an introduction to the half marathon before moving into training workouts, plans, and tips. Included are 12-week training plans for both experienced and beginning runners. Mastering the Half Marathon also focuses on speed development, detailing information on exertion, fartlek training, threshold running, and interval running. The mini e-book concludes with strategies for race day, including pacing, and fueling during and after the race.

Mastering the Half Marathon is an abridged version of Cathy Utzschnider’s Mastering Running (Human Kinetics, 2014), which provides information and advice on topics that matter most to older runners, proving that age is no obstacle to excellence.

Masters runner and coach Dr. Cathy Utzschneider began running competitively at age 40. She has been ranked fifth in the world in her age group and won six USA Track and Field age-group titles and a silver medal at the Nike World Masters Games. She also won the 8K race at the North, Central American, and Caribbean World Masters Athletics. For the past 20 years she has trained hundreds of runners ranging from beginners to Olympians and served as Boston Marathon coach to employees of John Hancock Insurance.

As head coach of the Liberty Athletic Club, the first and longest-operating all-women’s running club in the country, Cathy has coached members to three world and six American age-group records, three world age-group gold medals, and 46 national masters age-group championships since accepting the position in 2006. She also served as president of the club for three years. In 2010, she and three other Liberty teammates set an American age-group record in the 4 x 1600-meter relay.

Cathy is certified as a level 1 USA Track and Field coach and in levels 1 to 3 in the Burdenko method of water and sports therapy. She is a national site coach for www.women-running-together.com, for which she has written training programs for the 5K through the marathon. In addition to coaching, Cathy writes a column for National Masters News, is a contributor to Running Times Online and New England Runner, and is a professor of competitive performance and goal setting at Boston College. Topics of study include exercise physiology, goal setting, theories of excellence, and human development. She also published Move! How Women Can Achieve Athletic Goals at Any Age.

Cathy lives in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

"Anyone interested in improving running—whether 35 or over 70—will find much valuable information in Mastering Running. Cathy Utzschneider combines her scientific background with all she has learned as a masters runner to bring you what you need to know and tell you how it will make you a faster, stronger, healthier runner."

Amby Burfoot-- 1968 Boston Marathon Winner, Runner's World Editor at Large

“Once a runner always a runner. This comprehensive resource for masters runners captures the many benefits and rewards that can reaped by the aging athlete who wants to stay in the sport for the long run-- the stories, the camaraderie, the personal bests inspire us all no matter what distance we choose from the mile to the marathon.  Cathy is passionate about identifying masters' unique goals and motivating them to achieve their best.  Set your own course and run your own race but never hesitate to share training tips with the growing and motivated ranks of masters' runners. Our demographic is only getting stronger and faster.”

Joan Benoit Samuelson-- First-ever women's Olympic marathon gold champion

"Mastering Running provides instruction on how we ‘seasoned’ runners can stay fit and still accomplish those athletic goals that we set for ourselves as we continue to push our bodies to perform. Bravo to Dr. Utzschneider for this outstanding book!"

Willie Banks-- Olympian 1980, 84, 88, Former world record holder, Triple Jump, Past President of the US Olympians and Paralympians Association

"Masters runners want to train hard, race fast, and compete like college kids, while simultaneously staying healthy enough to juggle the joys and responsibilities of adult life. Lucky for us, Dr. Cathy Utzschneider has provided the blueprint for accomplishing all that in Mastering Running.”

Pete Magill-- Masters Running Record Holder