I bought Performance Nutrition for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald a couple of weeks ago. I have been chomping at the bit for something new to add to my running library but have gotten tired of reading about another coach's spin on tempo runs and intervals. I have had my eye on this book for a while and since I jumped into the Runners World online weight loss thread this book was the perfect candidate, not to mention it came highly recommended by some of the nutritionist types who hang out around RWOL.
Big thumbs up to Matt Fitzgerald. I was half fearing this was going to just be another guy who would tell me to eat plenty of fruits & vegetables, but this is a treasure trove of information on what your body needs in terms of racing and recovery. I thought my diet was spot on, but I am definitely rethinking some of the ways in which I eat (definitely think I was selling myself short on recovery nutrition for one, which goes a long way in the injury prevention department). I think I may also try the Western Australian carb loading strategy that he talks about (details of that can be found midway through this article).
I also came away from the book with a better appreciation of the complex role of carbohydrates in the body. It makes me want to take Dr. Atkins behind the garage and whip him within an inch of his life with my heart rate monitor strap. How irresponsible is this guy to recommend suppressing carbohydrates in the diet, whether he is addressing an athletic audience or not. Does anyone even follow that diet anymore (seems like 2 years ago you couldn't throw a bagel in any direction without hitting some idiot on the Atkins diet)?
I would definitely recommend this book - I liked it enough that I went out and procured a copy of Brain Training for Runners by Fitzgerald. A little bit of a different twist on training - hopefully all of this reading will glean something in terms of benefit.
