Running the Dream: One Summer Living, Training, and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age

I gave "Running the Dream" five stars because I couldn't put the damned thing down. I read it over one weekend and skipped my Monday morning run because I stayed up late Sunday night finishing it. The book probably isn't for everyone, but it's not going to find the wrong audience anyway. Readers already know Matt Fitzgerald is a runner who writes about serious running topics. I'd say he's most interested in squeezing additional performance out of runners who are already high performers. One way people might be misled by "Running the Dream" is in assuming it focuses primarily on the NAZ elite Hoka team Fitzgerald trains with for a summer. While the pro runners, coach, trainers, and doctors appear in the book, they are secondary characters. "Running the Dream" focuses on Fitzgerald: his training, thoughts, aspirations, interactions, where he goes for dinner, how he hopes to perform at the Chicago Marathon. He's a capable writer, so this is a minor gripe. Fitzgerald sets an audacious marathon time goal for Chicago, which is the hook. The reader turns pages hoping to find out if Fitzgerald ultimately reaches his goal. I did find myself wanting to learn a bit more about the pro runners. Do they do multiple workouts per day? What do they do in their spare time? Fitzgerald stays with Matt Llano during his stint in Flagstaff, so readers learn about Matt's life, and particularly his diet, but what do the others choose to eat? For an amateur runner in his mid-forties, the author's times are legit, but it seems he wants the reader to know about every sub-six split he registers. For me, this became abundantly clear when Fitzgerald was talking to Kellyn Taylor. He describes her as "prickly," slow to warm up to him. But when she starts opening up about a test she failed when trying to become a firefighter--she was talking about something that could impact the rest of her life--Fitzgerald immediately steers the conversation back to himself and some running workout. While the author's love of running shines through, his workouts are pedestrian for Kellyn, so she wouldn't really care. Fitzgerald does a great job of showing the passage of time and how it impacts runners in particular. He is nostalgic, and like many middle-aged runners he struggles with injuries. He knew Chicago was a last hurrah, and his description of the race ranks high as some of the best running-related writing. Fitzgerald realizes his experience of training with a pro team for several months is unique, but to his credit he points out some things any runner can take from "Running the Dream"--the main one being inspiration. I was inspired by this book to work harder and dream bigger.

Loved the personal experience Matt Fitzgerald describes as a very good late 40s runner who gets a chance to train for 3 months with elite runners at high altitude with the NAZ elites. Like an endless running camp with pro coach Ben Rosario creating a building block individual training program for Matt that is a graduated program with variety and a lot of miles but not extreme. Wonderful descriptions of fabulous runners, the killer workouts, beautiful trail runs, and Flagstaff. Matt has a goal, a a significant goal and it’s exciting to read about his progress and wonder will he succeed. Every mature runner would love the opportunity at a point when significant improvements could still be made. If you loved “Running with the Buffalos”, you’ll love this book.

I devour Fitzgerald's books as if they were the oracle on everything running. Underlines, quotes, notes, and hours spent how to translate what he writes into my own training plan. With this as my back drop, it was humanizing to find him doing the exact same thing with those whom he admired or idolized in this book. Matt as fanboy made him so real and relatable. He was as geeky, corny, and funny as we would imagine ourselves being in his presence. I sensed, we saw the real Matt in the book and his learning process.The quip by the Men's Journal promises everyone can use the techniques to get better and these were not as obvious (and were not 80/20, except his going out for a walk to make his get some low intensity work). Matt's struggle to keep to his workout plan is probably is most useful technique. His ability to keep his pac and stick to a race plan is ultimately the take away for success if your goal is a time. Going too hard in workouts put off this insight.Other tidbits, like resting while injured, asking questions when you have access to coaching, and taking care of your relationships (spouse, parents, friends), show that life happens and we don't train in a vacuum.

Matt Writes a superb account on what it’s like to be a professional runner. Going beyond the chronicle though are his insights on the process of being a professional runner. Some of them: it’s never too late to see how good you can be,Never be embarrassed for your passion for the sport, the World would be a better place if more people developed passions for their endeavors, just because you don’t have the genetic predisposition that allows you to be subsidized to devote your life To your running doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to pursue being the best you can be. A wonderful look at professional running that I recommend to all.

I”m not a runner but I do lots of long distance cycling. I picked this up since i have enjoyed Matt’s other books on sports psychology and nutrition. Those books have been an immense help to thousands of athletes. Matt is a great writer and a very good runner. All the other reviews can guide you on how good this book is if you are a runner. As an endurance guy I was a little disappointed since I felt there would be a little more on what drives these elite individuals to push past pain and to strive to reach the pinnacle of sports. He hits it in spots but I just thought there would be more. Still if run, read this.

Nicely written and follows the aurthors journey well.I felt it could have included more details of the running and sessions he was doing on a daily basis in order to put the story into more context - after all he gives enough details of what he’s having for lunch.

Always enjoy Matt’s books and having just read “inside a marathon” by Scott Fauble this was an obvious read.

Read it on my way to running 2:41 and used some of the thoughts to keep me going during the race

If you have read and enjoyed other running memoirs , then this will be up your alley. Fitzgerald is a skilled writer, so the story rolls along nicely scaffolded on a count down to the inevitable Chicago Marathon climax.What is different about this particular addition to the running experience genre is Matt Fitzgerald’s perspective. He is not a tourist just hanging out near runners, nor is he a seasoned pro telling an inspiring but not completely relatable tale of training and racing.This story being told by a fairly regular person, totally immersed in a professional environment, really lets a reader try on the author’s experiment vicariously.So, if you like reading about athletic pursuits, this is a well executed offering.

This book was nearly impossible to put down. I powered through it in two days.As a fan of Matt’s work, this was super enjoyable.I’m also a big fan of Scott Fauble’s “inside a marathon”, so this was the best of both worlds. 100% recommended