Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside With Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, And The University Of Colorado Men's Cross Country Team

Top positive review

A Good Solid Read

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013

If you've every wanted to know what it's like to train and race on a top college cross country team, this book will give you an insider's view. This book gives takes you through a fall season with the Colorado Buffaloes and follows it chronologically through the training and racing schedule. The book is concise and well written, and covers some personal trials and tribulations of some of the athletes and Coach Wetmore. As a female runner, however, I'm still looking for some female perspectives. This book briefly talked about the women's part of the team, but didn't really share any personal information about any of the athletes, and they must be pretty tough to get through some of Wetmore's workouts!!! Maybe some day, there will be more about female distance running, although I still enjoy reading about the men. Happy trails.

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

JJDahe

I did not enjoy it as much as other readers

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2016

Since I was never part of a track & field team, I did not enjoy it as much as other readers.
Sometimes the text goes on and on in minute details about the team, even though the story is very interesting.
The plus side is the training tips within the text: very good indeed.

934 total ratings, 168 with reviews

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From the United States

Missouri Mom

A Good Solid Read

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2013

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I have purchased many good (and some not so go books) on Amazon over the years. Though these good books have moved me and I have thought about writing a review to say so, this is the first book to move me to write a review. As someone who has been a runner since the age of 10, and ran cross-country and track in high school and college, I might be a bit biased towards a story of this nature. That said, the crisp writing and building narrative composed by Mr. Lear made me feel like I was training alongside the Buffaloes in the Fall of 1998. It is a rare talent for an author to give such an in-depth account of the training details of athletes, without it being tedious or reading like a how-to book. Instead, Lear uses the details of the workouts composed by Coach Mark Wetmore to tell a story and explain the method behind this successful madness. While at times I felt tired just from reading about the volume and density of training the Buffaloes were experiencing and enduring, and would in my mind will them (15 years retroactively) to just take a break, Lear also lets you hear from Wetmore and the athletes and learn why they are so committed to this program. You will also come away with a new found or revived appreciation for just how amazing a runner Adam Goucher was before injuries took a toll on his professional career, and the hurdles he had to overcome in life to get where he did.

Some will undoubtedly criticize Wetmore's training, particularly the number of hard workouts spaced so closely together. But once again, this is not a how-to book, and Wetmore, besides acknowledging the ongoing need to reassess and improve, asks for no one's buy-in to his methods other than his own athletes. And those athletes, most notably Adam Goucher did believe. Ultimately, that's what this book is about, the power of believing in yourself, your coach, your teammates, and a higher purpose to overcome tragedy and achieve your goals, be they in running or life. So I'll answer the question, "Should I read this book?," with a mantra that takes on special significance in the story of the Buffaloes: "No doubt about it."

One person found this helpful

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Cooper Parlee

A powerful and tragic book that explores the dedication of distance athletes.

Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2021

Verified Purchase

As a runner myself, I would recommend this book to any and all distance athletes (not just runners). It presents a true dialogue where many other books and movies fail when it comes to the level of dedication it takes to achieve our goals in our sports. Packed full of inspirational quotes and inherent advice, this book was definitely worth a read. Unfortunately, the ending proves a little confusing and anticlimactic.

2 people found this helpful

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Dani

A great book that every runner should raed

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

A great book that shows a cross country inside team and what is like for someone that never experience

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mjr615

Surprising Drama and Emotion

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2002

Verified Purchase

When I was in High School, most of the conventional athletes looked on Cross Country runners as lesser athletes, or worse-yet, nerds that could not do any other sports. Boy, were we wrong.
One thing that you learn from this book is that runners are athletes in every sense of the word, more so than successful athletes in many other sports. Lear is a gifted writer, making what many consider a boring,dry sport seem fascinating and, in most cases downright exciting. Although Lear was a schoolboy running sensation himself, that does not come out in his writing. Although he runs and keeps up with these college phenoms, he never brags about his own career or performance, barely mentioning his running past. Although this is a running book, the myriad of behind the scenes plots and personal relationships could be happening in any book, and there is enough action and plot twists to fill a good work of fiction. Believe it or not, this book will make you cheer, laugh and even cry as Lear describes the individual and team succeses and failures. His character development is probably his strongest talent, and based on my experinece , most successful runners are colorful characters. I had real trouble putting this book down, and like any good story, the ending leaves you smiling and feeling inspired. Needless to say, I recommend this book highly. Add a start (that would make 6) if you are a passionate runner yourself.

5 people found this helpful

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JJDahe

I did not enjoy it as much as other readers

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2016

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Andrew

Definitely an interesting read, and one of the classic running novels

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2013

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I enjoyed reading Running with the Buffaloes. I'm an avid runner and it was interesting to get a peek inside such an elite level program. The chapters are short, which is nice to be able to read small bits and pieces in a spare five minutes. It goes quickly and Lear is a fantastic author.

I did also find the obsessive training style implemented by Wetmore to be interesting, and I'm curious to know if he still advocates it so many years later. His runners were clearly very overtrained and while I understand that thats partly the point, I wonder if a small scale down could have drastically improved their rankings.

All in all, buy it!

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Lamb

Unbelievable

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

I know many people who will get this book are runners and they will love the running parts, but I am not a runner, once was but in no way to the competitive level even close to this. I am still not sure how the author made this topic so interesting. I mean I couldn’t put the book down and there are parts that are funny, incredibly sad, intense, etc. I recommend this book to everyone. EVERYONE

3 people found this helpful

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Minnesota Road n Trail

Makes me wish I would've tried out for cross

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this book. It really painted a picture of what it might be like to participate in an elite collegiate running program. The workouts seem brutal with the team riding on the edge of greatness and injury. The author does a good job portraying the thoughts of the runners and coach as the season progresses. I wish there would've been more insight to the activities of the team outside of practices and races. Some of the runners allude to the fact that their days consist of running, studying, eating and sleeping. Maybe they did have very monotonous schedules, but I remember the guys on the cross team at my college and they were pretty crazy. Then again, they weren't nearly on the same level as these guys. Overall, it's well written and is a great example of the success that can come from dedication.

2 people found this helpful

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Not as Pictured

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2023

Verified Purchase

This book was a gift for my grandson, who is a cross-country runner.
Imagine my surprise to open the package and have a book that had no cover picture, was dusty and had yellowed pages.
Not what was pictured or expected.

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