Book Review: Run With Power

Run With Power: The Complete Guide to Power Meters for Running

This is a really good first effort in the nascent world of running by power. There are three potential audiences for this book:

1. Triathletes who are already accustomed to cycling by power - this book "translates" cycling power principles and training guidelines to the world of running.
2. Runners who are already accustomed to running by heart rate - this book "bridges" the zones and methodology of running by [laggy] heart rate to those of [instantaneous] power.
3. Neophytes who don't yet have experience with power or heart rate training - this book offers a "primer" on power training terms and methodologies.

The book feels a little rushed in its [successful] attempt to be first to market. That said, it ushers the great work of Dr. Andy Coggan and Joe Friel into the world of running by power, which is very valuable. It introduces some new metrics that are particular to running by power and, perhaps most usefully, it includes detailed training plans for runners of varying experience levels to train for races of varying distances.

This field is advancing rapidly and I expect there to be other books on the market soon (and probably a second edition of this one) but, for the time being, this is the definitive work on running by power and is a must-read for anyone looking to incorporate power in training, racing, and injury prevention.