Runner's Edge PDF, The

Millions of runners use speed and distance devices, and serious participants know that the right technology can provide an edge over the competition. The Runner's Edge unlocks the mystery and potential of these devices, so athletes can use digital running technology to reach new levels and personal best times.

In The Runner's Edge, coach and speed and distance device pioneer Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, teams up with well-known Runner’s World and Triathlete writer Matt Fitzgerald to demonstrate how runners can make the most of their abilities by using the latest running technology for optimal performance management. They introduce a three-step plan for using technology capabilities to monitor, analyze, and plan training for peak performance while avoiding overtraining and minimizing injuries.

The Runner's Edge also includes sample training plans and periodization guidelines—scalable to various fitness levels—for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon runners. A special chapter for triathletes explains how to integrate swim, bike, and run training within a unified performance management system. The book also features special sections providing the perspectives of well-known coaches and experts, including Joe Friel, author of The Triathletes Training Bible, and Hal Higdon, Runner’s World columnist and author.

Complete with a consumer guide for selecting distance and speed devices and training software, The Runner's Edge is the comprehensive resource for the cutting-edge runner.

Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, is a pioneer in the development of training concepts and software designed to maximize the benefits of running with a speed and distance device. Most notably, Dr. McGregor created the normalized graded pace (NGP) algorithm and the run training stress score (rTSS). The NGP algorithm accounts for changes in grade that affect running speed and reports an adjusted pace that is more reflective of the actual effort exerted by the athlete and helps runners determine the true physiological stress level of each run. Dr. McGregor is the director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory at Eastern Michigan University and has published and presented numerous research papers examining muscle injury, nutritional supplements, performance modeling, and running physiology. 

Dr. McGregor is a former intercollegiate soccer player, triathlete, and elite competitive cyclist. He has coached endurance athletes for almost 15 years and has a doctorate in exercise physiology. He is on the science and education faculty for USA Cycling and serves as a consultant to numerous international-caliber cyclists and runners, including Olympians. 

Matt Fitzgerald is the author of numerous books on running, triathlon, nutrition, and weight loss. A prolific health and fitness journalist, Fitzgerald writes regularly for such national publications as Bicycling, Experience Life, Her Sports, Maxim, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, Outside, and Runner’s World. He is currently a senior editor with Triathlete, is a featured running expert on Active.com, and contributes to the Active Runner e-mail newsletter. Fitzgerald has written extensively on performance-enhancing drugs and how to excel without them for publications including Muscle Media and Running Times.

Fitzgerald serves as a communications consultant to a number of sports nutrition companies. He is the editor of PoweringMuscles.com, an online nutrition information resource for athletes and exercisers. In 2006 he became a certified sports nutritionist licensed by the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Outside of writing, Fitzgerald is a featured coach with TrainingPeaks, the leader in providing online training services to endurance athletes and coaches. In this capacity, he creates interactive training plans for runners and triathletes.

"Stephen McGregor and Matt Fitzgerald are masters of the science and technology of training. By following their expert guidance in The Runner’s Edge, you will become a better runner."

Joe Friel, MSc
Head Coach
TrainingBible Coaching

“In The Runner's Edge, Matt and Stephen do a terrific job explaining technology and showing you how to incorporate it into your daily workouts and training. A must-read for those looking to improve their performance."

Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathon Man

"Precise measurement is the silver bullet of training when running for peak fitness.The Runner's Edge helps even the most techno-phobic athlete learn how to use the tools available to secure this edge."

T.J. Murphy, Editor in Chief of Inside Triathlon