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Daniels Running Formula Book Review - The Running Training Book You Have Got to Have

Daniels' Running Formula is the one running book I'd tell any runner to buy. It teaches you how to train, how fast to train, when to do each type of running, and how to design your own running program for any distance from 800 metres to the marathon. Below: who it suits, a chapter-by-chapter tour, how it sets training paces from a recent race result (VDOT, a score that converts your race time into training paces), how to put it to work, and which edition to buy.

I love this book. I've kept it by the side of my bed for years and worn out the pages to prove it. Most training books hand you a plan and leave you guessing why it works; this one teaches you the reasoning, so when life wrecks your week you know exactly how to rearrange it.

Why I Rate This Book So Highly

In a nutshell... this book teaches you:

• how to train
• how fast to train
• when to do what type of running training
• how to design your running program

Daniels provides good advice whether you are training for a 1500 metre-race, a marathon, or anything in between.

With this book in your hands, you can design any running program for any distance ranging from 800m/1500m to the marathon. I have personally used the principles in this book and the running program templates to build successful running programs.

And crucially, you know why you do it that way. Daniels gives you the template for your running program — and you know how to fill in the blanks. That's the single biggest reason why I keep reaching for it.

Top coach Jack Daniels overdelivers in this outstanding book. Read it and you will know a great deal more about how to set up a running program that actually works — one that makes your training more effective and more intelligent.

One honest caveat: there is no information in the book about stretching or a runner's diet. But for the training side of things, this is the book.

Who Should Read This Book?

I am tempted to say: every runner.

If you are a casual runner happy with the programs you find online, this book might be lost on you. But if you want to understand why a running program is set up a certain way — why you do the types of runs you do, and how to get the most from your training with the least discomfort — Daniels Running Formula is the book to get.

One honest warning. This is a coaching manual, not a novel. If you are brand new to running, you will not need every page. Start with Chapters 1 to 3 and Chapter 8, and come back for the rest as your mileage grows. Then you won't drown in detail.

What You Get, Chapter by Chapter

Chapter 1 introduces ten training principles. They are not ground-breaking — but they lay the foundation for Daniels' entire approach and cater for a large crowd. Not only elite runners, not only newbies, but every runner out there.

I go back to these principles all the time. Take the hard/easy principle — a hard day of running should be followed by an easier effort. I use it constantly when designing running programs and when answering questions from readers of this site.

Chapter 2 lays out the components of running performance. Daniels identifies six components; a few of them are:

• improving ability to transport blood and oxygen
• increasing aerobic capacity
• improving speed

Those components then translate into different types of running training — easy runs, long runs, threshold running, and so on. Daniels makes the point that every time you head out, you should know which body system you are training and what for.

This chapter starts building your running intelligence. A mistake many of us make is to run our easy runs too fast. Once you understand what is happening in your body at each pace, you find it far easier to slow down — because you know exactly why you are doing what you are doing.

Chapter 3: VDOT Takes the Guesswork Out of Pacing

Chapter 3 introduces Daniels' running formula. He uses a reference number — VDOT — based on your recent race times or time trials. Your VDOT defines your current abilities and the paces you should train at.

Daniels says: "When you know your VDOT, you can eliminate a great deal of guesswork from training, and avoid overtraining."

I like that he puts real emphasis on preventing injuries and overtraining. His "better safe than sorry" approach runs through the whole book.

Chapter 3 contains two important graphs. One gets you to establish your VDOT from race times; the second uses your VDOT to set the paces for each type of training from Chapter 2. I have used these time and time again — for setting training paces and for predicting race times. They are helpful and pretty accurate.

The Training Paces in Plain English

The paces are what most runners want from this book, so here is the short version. Daniels gives you five, each with one job:

• Easy pace — builds your aerobic base and lets you recover. Most of your mileage lives here.
• Marathon pace — goal race pace for marathon training. It teaches your body to hold a steady rhythm.
• Threshold effort — comfortably hard, a pace you could hold for about an hour of racing. It raises the speed you can sustain.
• Interval pace — hard reps of roughly 3 to 5 minutes, with jog recoveries. It lifts your aerobic capacity.
• Repetition pace — short, fast and fully recovered. It builds speed and running economy.

Beware the limits. Daniels caps how much of your weekly mileage may be run at threshold and interval pace — roughly 10% and 8% — so your hard days stay hard and your easy days stay easy. That one rule would save a lot of runners from themselves.

Chapters 4 to 7: Building Each Type of Training

In Chapters 4 to 7 Daniels explains each type of running training thoroughly. Knowing how fast to run a certain session — which you learnt in Chapter 3 — is only half the picture.

Here he explains how to build up your mileage, how much rest to take between intervals, and so on. There is a great deal of valuable information in these chapters. I'd recommend re-reading them at least a dozen times — you will pick up something new each time.

And again, Daniels keeps one eye on injury prevention throughout. Sub-headings like "Don't do too much too fast" and "Don't push yourself past the proper intensity" say it all.

Chapter 8: Why Your Training Needs Phases

Another incredibly valuable chapter is Chapter 8. Many runners do the same type of training week after week. Daniels explains that when you are training for a specific event, your preparation needs to move through separate phases. He identifies four:

• Foundation/injury prevention
• Early Quality
• Transition Quality
• Final Quality

In an ideal world, each phase would be six weeks long — twenty-four weeks in total leading up to your key event. Daniels recognises that many runners do not have 24 weeks, so he gives you an overview showing how long each phase should be for shorter build-ups. This section is what lets you start building your own running program — whether it is 10, 12, 15, or 19 weeks long.

Chapter 9: Coming Back From Injury

Chapter 9 focuses on what happens when injuries strike or when you have to take time off running. It answers the key question: how do you get back to your previous level of training after a setback?

Chapters 10 and 11: Terrain and Race Day

If I had to say anything negative about this book, it would be that Chapter 10, "Utilizing your training environment", is a little unnecessary. Daniels explains how to deal with flat terrain, hills, wind, and altitude. Nothing wrong with that — it is an honest attempt to be complete — but the book would not have been any worse without it.

Chapter 11 covers preparing for competition: defining your goals, deciding how many races to enter, your race-day routine, pre-race warm-up ideas, and so on. I especially like the parts where Daniels addresses the tough moments in a race: "I remind my runners that if they find themselves feeling lousy as they run alongside a group of other runners, they should realise that those around them must be feeling at least as terrible or they would be ahead of my runners."

I use that thought often. I have run ultras where I felt terrible — and the simple realisation that I wasn't the only one suffering, and that nobody was passing me, was enough to keep me moving. He also explains what to do in those moments. One tactic that might seem odd: "When struggling... speed up." That was an eye-opener for me, and it has worked more than once since.

It works — but your race needs to be short enough. Eventually, reality catches up with you. :)

Chapters 12 to 14: The Programme Templates

Chapters 12 to 14 give you the 24-week program templates for any race from 1,500 metres to a marathon. With the knowledge from the previous chapters, you can add your own adjustments and develop your own running schedule.

This is the section I return to most. I write many of my running programs from experience now — but I always check back against these templates to make sure what I have put together holds up. It is like consulting a running training mentor on demand, any time you like.

How to Put the Book to Work

Reading is the easy bit. Here is the order I'd follow:

1. Run a recent race or an honest time trial, and look up your VDOT in the Chapter 3 graph.
2. Read off your easy, threshold, and interval paces — and write them where you will see them.
3. Count the weeks until your key race and pick the matching phase lengths from Chapter 8.
4. Choose the closest template from Chapters 12 to 14, then adjust it to your own week and mileage.
5. Re-test every 4 to 6 weeks and update your paces as you improve.

Be sensible about it. If a template asks for more mileage than you currently run, start lower and build up. The book itself tells you to.

The book is a great reference. If you also want a plan built around your own race date, fitness and schedule, I made PlanMyRace for any distance from 1500m to the marathon. Your first week is free.

Which Edition Should You Buy?

The book is now in its fourth edition. I'd go for the latest copy — it is the one still in print and kept up to date. If you come across an older edition at a good price, don't panic. The principles and the VDOT approach are the backbone of every edition. One warning: the chapter numbers in this review don't match the fourth edition's contents page (VDOT is Chapter 5 there, and the event-specific programmes run from Chapter 11 to Chapter 18), so use the contents page to find each topic.

Conclusion

Daniels' Running Formula is a must-have.

It will teach you not only how to run and how fast to run. It will build your running knowledge to the point where you can create your own programs from scratch — with confidence.

Click here for more information about Daniels' Running Formula