Master the Art of Running: Running with the Alexander Technique

The authors have done an excellent job. Combining the theory of the technique and providing statements from people of their findings etc!

Well done - if you want to learn more about the technique and/or running this is a must!


An inspiring and imaginative approach to running.   November 2, 2000
23 out of 23 found this review helpful

So many of us think we know how to run well, but in fact run extremely poorly. This book was a revelation to me. I have run for about ten years now, and the Art of Running opened my eyes to several of my faults. It's not easy to correct them just from reading the book, but it has given me pointers towards what I should be doing to improve my technique. I like the style of the book: the personal testimonies are inspiring and show just what Alexander Technique has to offer, while the tone is light-hearted but practical without too much jargon. There's a similar book on swimming, The Art of Swimming, and the two are similar in that they encourage you to think about the activity rather than just perform it mindlessly. For any runner who is stuck in a training rut, or suffering a lot of injuries, this is an excellent and thought-provoking book which might help them towards a more fulfiling future.


Some good ideas with which to work.   September 28, 2000
karenscottbarrett@hotmail.com (U.K.)
23 out of 28 found this review helpful

The previous reviewer seems to have missed the point that it is almost impossible to improve one's running just by reading a book: has she ever tried to learn to dance better from a book? There are plenty of ideas to work with but they will only really make sense if you have Alexander lessons - to quote from one of the letters: ".. if you want to explore the ideas in these pages you will certainly need a teacher to help you". The letters are encouraging in that they show what benefits (in many areas, not just running) people have experienced from taking Alexander lessons. I do not find the book especially well written (better to dip into it than to read as a whole), but there are plenty of useful ideas in it with which to work.


a provocative and valuable reference   September 28, 2000
jonathan.males@breathemail.net (London, UK)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I enjoyed the style - a mixture of people's own stories and experiences, specific drills and training sessions, and useful philosophical background. Its a challenge to capture the subtlety of the authors' message in words, because both running and the Alexander Technique are all about personal, kinaesthetic experience. Still, there's more than enough value in this book to improve the quality of anyone's running if they put Balk's ideas into practice.