John L. Parker, Jr. is one of running literature’s great luminaries. As the author of Once a Runner and Again to Carthage, he is revered, quoted, and imitated. He also wrote this wonderfully accessible, witty guide to training with a heart-rate monitor. His common-sense approach aims to force you to take easy days–easier than you can even stand at first. And mix these in with periodic hard days, all precisely calibrated to your resting heart rate and maximum heart rate, to achieve levels of running fitness you had never before been able to attain. His program is very specific, with numerous tables and graphs for runners of all levels. He imparts his wisdom with extraordinary clarity and wit, making the whole experience one of hiring a wise, encouraging, and amusing coach.

This third edition of Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot brings Parker’s work up to date and back into print. Heart monitors are now cheaper and easier to use than ever, and any runner wanting to break his or her personal records would be well-advised to buy this book and train with Coach Parker.