How to go from couch potato to marathon runner in one year, without losing your cool.

Ben Kaplan has transformed himself from an average guy-and degenerate barfly-into a dedicated runner who qualified for the Boston Marathon. Now, the National Post running columnist shares his strategy in this guide to preparing for a marathon in one year, even if you have never run before. The book provides a week-by-week training program, along with critical information about nutrition, hydration, race strategy, pacing, and proper form, with input from experts from around the world. Kaplan also writes about music for the National Post and includes recommendations for songs to run to by musicians he has interviewed, from Paul Simon to Justin Bieber.