FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
An expensive pair of running sneakers, bright running apparel and a flashy sports watch will not prepare you for your first marathon—but getting outside and taking that first step will.
In a new book FEET, DON’T FAIL ME NOW: The Rogue’s Guide to Running the Marathon (Greystone Books; January 2014; $17.95; ISBN: 978-1-77100-073-4 ) bar-fly-turned-dedicated-runner Ben Kaplan provides a week-by-week training program split into four sections to prepare you for your first 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon in a year. With wit, self-deprecation, and the input of experts from around the world, Ben Kaplan provides critical information on nutrition, pacing, race strategy, and staving off injuries while repeatedly crossing new finish lines. You may be sitting next to someone who calls you a loser, Kaplan says, but “the only difference between him and us is this: we can all run a marathon.”
Since music reduces the perception of effort by 10 percent and provides a 15 percent boost in motivation, FEET, DON’T FAIL ME NOW offers music recommendations in each chapter by a variety of pop and rock stars, including Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Paul Simon, and Ghostface Killah:
“Dirty Diana,” Michael Jackson: “Michael’s definitely my biggest influence, and this song’s good for crazy energy. I don’t listen to someone else’s music before I do a show—I just get out there and do it—but this song’s really special. It’s my pick for a running tune.”
—Justin Bieber
“Stairway to Heaven,” Led Zeppelin: “It changes and keeps going—it has no restrictions and keeps opening up. When I’m running through the prism of that music…I feel like I can keep going for days.”
—Lionel Ritchie
With zealous encouragement and infectious enthusiasm about running and music, FEET, DON’T FAIL ME NOW is the perfect running guide. With each chapter matching up workout soundtracks with detailed training programs like “Holy Shit, You’re Almost Through!”, you’ll be loading your iPod with the book’s many music recommendations, lacing up your sneakers, and hitting the pavement in no time.
About the Author
Ben Kaplan writes about running and music for the National Post and Forbes.com. He also teachers a weekly “Learn to Run” course at the Running Room. Born in Brooklyn, he has worked as a staff writer at GQ and New York Magazine, and has written for The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Runner’s World, and Spin. Kaplan also interviews celebrities such as Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, and Snoop Dogg. He lives in Toronto.