As she prepares for the 2004 Summer Olympics, our best hope for middle-distance gold tells young women runners where they go wrong--and shares the training and nutrition secrets that put her own career on the fast track Suzy Favor-Hamilton is the premier female middle-distance runner in the United States, whose many honors include 6 U.S. National Championships, 9 NCAA Titles, and 4 Big Ten Athlete of the Year Awards (now called the Suzy Favor award). In this book, she teams up with Jose Antonio, Ph.D., one of the pre-eminent exercise and sports nutrition scientists in the country, to show young female runners how to improve at their favorite sport. Currently there are 4.6 million women in the United States who run 100 days or more each year. In" Fast Track" they will discover: - How much, how hard, and when to train (and rest) - The pros and cons of strength training, cross-training, stretching, and other non-running exercises - How to avoid the top ten mistakes runners usually make - Why Suzy's diet program is very different than is generally recommended-and how this program has led to dramatic improvements in her running and in her life off the track Suzy's real-world experience competing at the highest level in athletics combined with Dr. Antonio's in-depth knowledge of exercise and nutrition science will make this book a 'must read' for all female runners-both competitive and recreational-who want to go faster, play harder, and minimize the risk of injury.

Suzy Favor Hamilton will appear in her fourth Olympics in 2004. She is a six-time U.S. national champion in middle-distance events. At the University of Wisconsin, she was one of the most successful collegiate runners in NCAA history. Her popularity has led to cover stories about her in Fitness and Runner's World.

Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is an exercise researcher and prolific author who has written five books and more than 300 articles on training and sports nutrition.