75. Ready to Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally

75. Ready to Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally by Kelly Starrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If you are a runner, you should definitely read this book. Chances are you're leaving a lot of your potential performance on the table whether from injuries, poor mechanics, or lack of mobility. Dr. Starrett (physiotherapist and coach) gives you a road map for addressing all of that. T.J. Murphy offers a runner's perspective in the "Runner to Runner" sections.

I am not a runner or an athlete, but I'm a fan of Kelly Starrett's mobility work. I borrowed this book to see if he talked about proper footwear (there's a whole chapter on flat shoes), but found myself into the book as a whole.

It's not just about running. It's about your body's position and how you treat it in life, not just the fraction of time you're exercising. If you spend a lot of time sitting during the day, you should read this book to learn how to unglue those tissues.

The book is full of helpful photos which illustrate neutral and poor positions as well as a variety of mobilizations to try.

Starrett's book Becoming a Supple Leopard has more mobilizations and a more in depth explanation of the mechanics involved, but Ready to Run feels more approachable and applicable for a non-athlete.

Ready to Run provides recipes to improve your mobility and address various pains runners often encounter. It has sample weeks of mobility work in the back as well as an index.

He also includes lists of resources and links to videos on his mobilitywod.com site. For example, Unglue Your Sticks offers approaches for dealing with tight calf tissues. There are a lot more free mobility workout-of-the-day videos on his site. That's where I got to know him first.

It's worth watching a couple of his videos to feel his enthusiasm for the work he's doing. Also rest assured that Ready to Run is not a dry read. Starrett's enthusiasm, humor, and pop culture references come across in his writing.

A great resource to have at hand. This one's on my xmas list.


Two years ago on TTaT: Justice, Vol. 1