Book Review: YOU (Only Faster)

In February I read YOU (Only Faster) by Greg McMillan, M.S.

This is, hands down, the best book I've read for training plans for runners.

That's a bold statement. I used to flip through books for workout ideas, always tweaking workouts or schedules, feeling slightly bad about not following the plan to a T. When I bought YOU, I was expecting something similar, so I bought it on my Kindle app back in December and just now got around to reading it. I was so wrong about what I thought this book was going to be.

Greg McMillan does a superior job explaining training for beginning and long time runners. He offers many tools for athletes looking to dial in their speed. Before reading this book, I would recommend his online running calculator at McMillan Running to other runners looking for a guide of paces to hit during workouts. I would watch a few of his training videos, read his emails, dream about going out to Arizona to train with him some summer for vacation, but, for the most part, I didn't know much about McMillan's thoughts behind training.

McMillan offers a few basic training plans, and then he spends a few chapters telling YOU how to customize your plan. He offers his services for a fee via his website, but he tells you how he does it right in this book! I felt like years upon years of coaching advice was put into one book. I'm only upset I didn't read it sooner.

McMillan writes about the science behind training, shares stories of different athletes and their success, praises other coaches, and guides you step-by-step in training smarter to run faster. McMillan understands life gets in the way of workouts, and instead of just the basic, "Just skip the workout," or "Do the more important workout," he explains when to rest, which workout would be more important, and what to consider for the following days for optimal stress/rest intervals. This is a very important factor for all runners. Too often I've seen runners get injured because they don't follow a proper stress/rest interval. Too often I've seen some trainers or coaches give workout plans to their clients or athletes that is not suitable for them (McMillan simplifies that there are endurance monsters, speedsters, and combo runners that lean more one way than another; each athlete will respond differently to the same workout).

I loved this book so much and found it so helpful that I might buy the hard copy version. The Kindle app version was great for reading on-the-go, but I think having a hard copy so I can scan pages and write/take notes/add post-it notes would be nice. I highly recommend this book for runners looking to make their own training schedule.