The Lost Art of Running: A Journey to Rediscover the Forgotten Essence of Human Movement

I really enjoyed this book. I really liked that it explains a better way to run. Hope I can incorporate the ideas into real practice.

Normally, I don’t write reviews but this book deserves it. I have been running on and off for over 40 years and in the last 2 my right leg started to bother me. After a doctors’ appointment and some sessions of physiotherapy it got better then worse again. I was convinced that it was related to my wrong posture while running and read several books on the topic. This one, however, addresses running dynamics with elegance and simplicity. I started following the “mantra” and results we’re almost immediate, specifically if you have a watch that provides the most important running dynamics, like vertical oscillation, pace, contact time, balance contact balance, etc.

I read to the point where he says, talking about Sentayehu Eshetu, “his first success – which was to coach Derartu Tulu, who became the first African woman to win an Olympic gold, in Barcelona in 1992.” That is utterly false; the first African woman to win an Olympic gold was Nawal Al Moutaouakil from Morocco in 1984 LA Olympics in the 400 meters hurdles. This was on page 27.

I really love the first half of this book, five stars for just that alone. It is well written and flows beautifully. The tales of his travels and his inquiry are riveting and easily applicable to a personal running practice. The book could end after part 1 though, so don't feel bad if you stop half way through. Definitely worth the time and $ still.

I love this book. So informative, historical on running too

An old man can dream, just like a young one can't he? I'll check back with ya' in 14 years!

Lots of interesting information.

This was the most interesting boring book I have ever read.Unfortunately, this book is full of 'filler'.If you had to write a guide called, 'How to make an instant coffee', and the objective was to clearly explain the steps involved in making a cup, you might start your guide like this...'First, boil some water in a pan....'If you were Shane Benzie, you would start it like this,'I was on a plantation in India when I met a guy called Raj....'OK, so the book wouldn't be a great read if it were just a list of procedures, but I feel that the book becomes quite boring as the author fills page after page with unnecessary tales of how he researched running.... His mantra could be, 'Why write an interesting and informative chapter in 4 or 5 pages, when I can do it in 30?'There is a chapter about him doing research in the Arctic.... All I can remember from this chapter is how he broke his leg and, like a superman did not go to the doctor for a week... Woaw.... But I have absolutely no recollection as to what the point was with regards to his conclusions about running technique, as each chapter is supposed to be about his journey of discovery.The book starts well, and I was pleasantly surprised, as it was a lot better than Born to Run, which was a hyperbolic, driveling yawn fest, that reminded me of a badly written magazine article.The information about technique was useful and interesting, but I really feel that this could have been far more enjoyable, more to the pont and seem a lot more informative if it had lost at least a quarter of its content, if not half. I really wanted to enjoy it and learn from it, but the constant introduction of new characters and situations gets overwhelming and repetitive. It obscures the interesting and useful information that the book contains.... I would read this book and find my eyes becoming heavy, or my mind wandering....The techniques could have been accompanied with an anecdote and the points made clearly, but in half the time, and with half the pages.I guess the publishers insisted on a certain word count, or certain amount of pages in order for it to be sold.All of Shane's points could have been made in a 15 or 20 minute youtube video. His points are important, and with his help my running has improved.... I just wish I had been able to enjoy his writing as well as his advice about running....3.5 stars. But .5 is not allowed.

If like me you need some inspiration to get outside and run this is the book for you. I'm a retired runner, plagued by self-inflicted running injuries (reading the book, i now know why), who has missed the freedom and joy running brings and who has pedalled instead. Nothing wrong with cycling of course, its helped me keep my engine up but running takes you places bikes can't, physically and from my own personal perspective, spiritually.The inspirational runners stories and elastic technique that Shane Benzie has discovered have revitalised my running spirit and reminded me what running does for me. Also nice to hear how elite athletes think about their own performance and how Benzie changed their perception of their movement......"everybody has their own Everest" is, i think the quote. Scaling mine now....step by step....

As a biologist, a poor quality ultra runner and a lover of adventure books I absolutely devoured this book. I've always known when watching others I was missing some secret ingredient in my running, where they look fluid and connected I resemble a bag of spuds heaving its way along the trails, and the explanation here just makes so much sense. Long days spent hunched over papers and microscopes have not given me the best posture and my head just forward like a turtle. But I took this out on a run and kept telling myself head up, chest up, and it felt hard but I think it is buried there inside me. With so many running fixes if it is hard first time we give up but I really am going to try to take what I've learned here. Thank you!

I started running a year ago at the age of 50. I do short distances (5k) purely for fun and fitness but suffered one bad injury and enough niggles (aching hips, next-day early morning hobbles...) to cause me to consider giving it up. But I love the feeling of freedom running on trails gives me and decided to take a look at this book to see if it could help.From the word go it made complete sense to me. I have practised yoga for years and was already familiar with fascia and its role in movement, so when Shane started talking about it in relation to running it was like a light going on. I now find it funny that I thought about fascia and elasticity in relation to my yoga but had never taken those concepts into my running, thinking of my running movement in purely mechanical terms, if at all.I immediately started introducing Shane’s techniques into my runs and the difference was instant. No more aches and pains and a lot more power. It’s going to take a while for the changes to become habit but it definitely feels like a better more natural way to run. I particularly remember the part in the NHS Couch to 5k programme I initially followed where it tells you to be ‘less bouncy’. At the time this felt counter-intuitive to me and now I know why. I’m very happy to get my natural bounce going again!I’m never going to be one of the ultra runners described in the book but hopefully I’m now going to be a happier, less injury-prone veteran hobby runner! The book is a fun read too and a fascinating insight into a world I knew next to nothing about.

At the start of lockdown, I read Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall, telling the story of the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico and their phenomenal capacity for long distance running. It is a classic in its field.I have just finished The Lost Art of Running and it is a great companion read. Shane Benzie tells great stories of the athletes he has observed and worked with, each one developing a specific point about running technique. The main thrust of the book is that our sedentary western lives have led us to poor posture and the loss of our natural ability to move efficiently and elegantly. Benzie takes us through examples of the world's great distance athletes and how their strong posture and elasticity enable them to move more efficiently, faster and with fewer injuries.One of the strengths of the book is how well it explains the various techniques, moving from athlete stories to practical tips. A couple of weeks after starting the book, I have been concentrating on these in my own running and already I feel more bounce in my stride and a niggling injury I have been carrying for a couple of months feels better.This is a definite read for all runners, whether embarking on their first 5k or looking to improve long distance runs.

I bought the book after hearing Shane Benzie on the Radio talking about its launch and his ideas. Even before I got it I had already taken on board one of his ideas about keeping your head up and looking at the horizon. It struck a chord with me for two reasons. Firstly, it's something that deep down I knew when I got tired I had a tendency to fold over and look at the ground. It felt wrong but also a natural thing to do so this was such a useful thing to have someone highlight. Secondly, I am also a keen swimmer and another swimmer told me that my head was too far in the water (when doing front crawl). I've never had lessons and had always focused on pushing my head under. In fact it turns out that the correct position is to have the water just lapping your forehead about where your hairline (or would be if it was still there!). This had two benefits. Firstly I reduced the drag in the water from not being straight - something not that relevant to running. Secondly, and this is relevant I think, I just felt so much more in sync with my arms and legs. I felt long and powerful. This I think is directly analogous to the author's focus on the 'head issue'. Anyway when I got the book I was able to read more about Shane's ideas and a lot of them really chimed with me. Firstly, elasticity. As an aside, I actually don't think the Shane can have heard about the fascia for the first time as he claims at a lecture)- he would surely have come across one of the most common running injuries well before this - plantar fasciitis. That's a minor quibble. I am also not sure the science on fascia has quite been settled - I think it's still an areas of debate. Having said that the idea of running smooth, having rhythm, being relaxed is surely something all runners can relate to. Secondly, on foot striking. Many years ago I actually went to a 'running school' where they espoused landing on the front of the foot. I have to say it felt really odd and in my experience a definite no no - In my experience landing on the front of the foot is something that is likely to cause injuries. I then researched the subject and found that mid foot striking is generally the consensus - this makes sense. Of course the quicker the runner the more they will land towards the front of the foot (as sprinters do) but the feedback is from pace to position and not vice versa. Thirdly, I definitely concur about running shoes - the more padding the less you feel the ground. You want structure (a clear arch) rather than excessive protection from a running shoe. The other bits I will try to incorporate - having more height in the strike (and a slight lean from the chest to enhance the strike) in order to cycle your legs neatly underneath makes sense (my cadence is 183-5 so at least I am ballpark there in other respects). This was something I had previously been trying to minimise as I was worried about losing speed but I agree it makes sense. I had a couple of quibbles with the book. One, on p.177 a female runner (Elisabet Barnes) makes a blatant sexist comment about men, "...you mostly see men attempting this fruitless strategy [starting their run too quickly] and paying for it later." As well as being sexist (you know the editor would not tolerate a comment the other way as in - 'mostly women runners make this mistake') this is garbage. I know from both running and swimming that there is no gender distinction between slower athletes trying to beat you and over pacing themselves before falling back really quickly. Secondly, on p.180 he makes a mistake about posture by saying we should not sit "we could spend the day standing" and makes favourable comments about standing desks. This is absolutely wrong - any physio, osteopath or chiropractor will tell you 'there is no such thing as a bad position' - what you need to do is alter your posture frequently - so changing from sitting to standing and vice versa. Of course walking is excellent in this respect - of course we need to stop moving at some point during the day but absolutely standing is not per se better than sitting. Standing can and has been used as a form of torture - because you will get pain in your hamstrings, lower back ,etc. Lastly I just want to highlight one thing the book left out - strengthening your core. Shane touches on conditioning but in the context of the gym (I do do gym workouts but I would agree they don't help the running). I do mostly 10k runs and the single biggest improvement apart from form has come from bodyweight HIIT training. Not only has this raised my VO2 Max but it has massively strengthened core muscles especially the hidden muscles (not just the so-called 'mirror muscles' that people in the gym use. I work a 3 or 3.3 to 1 ratio (work to rest) for about 40 mins (this is a serious serious workout). I use burpees, squat thrusts, mountain climbers, press-ups, jumping jacks, high knees, crunches, bike crunches, russian twists, dynamic planks, side planks, 'climbing a rope', jumping squats, pop squats, lunges, curtsey lunges, etc. You get the picture. Perhaps this work is only good for shorter distance runners like me but it really helps me. May be it does not work for an ultra-runner?Edit - I wanted to add one more thing on stretching/recovery. This is so important to general health but also athletic performance but only touched on in the book. I stretch every morning for about 10 mins focusing on ‘tight’ spots for me - lower back & hip flexors (tight hamstrings are often the result of tight hip flexors). I also do dynamic stretching before exercise and slower/longer stretching afterwards. Lastly, I was surprised Shane did not mention the trigger point roller . Forget foam rollers - too soft. A trigger point roller will mimic a really good sports massage and will generate release in the muscle (or is the fascia?!). Absolutely crucial for running legs...