He does start, finish, and sprinkle throughout with a number of motivational gems, but at this point they are not all that memorable. Here are some of the ideas I do remember:
The Alameda 7. People from Alameda County, CA are more healthy that the national average, and they attritbute it to these 7 habits: Exercise regularly, Eat breakfast, Don't snack, Maintain weight, Don't Smoke, Drink in moderation, Get a good night's sleep. Well duh. As for the exercise -- it really doesn't matter what, or how intense. What matters is regularity and the time put in.
Weight. Your running speed is more directly related to your weight than anything else. The author mentions a number of races that handicap based on weight. The only race he mentions that handicaps for weight and age specifically is the huba buba classic 5 mile in Lafayette, LA, a race for which I could not find a link. Based on your weight and age you get a head start. The skinny thirty-somethings start last. First one to the finish line wins. Sounds like fun.
Caffeine can speed you up. An excess of it found in Olympic or professional athlete's blood test can cause a doping disqualification. That's how much it helps. Tests show that caffeine causes better fat metabolization and saves muscle glycogen, thus increasing longevity. They talk of 20oz taken one hour prior to a race. That seems like a lot, especially since caffeine is a diuretic and can cause dehydration.
Cross training. Biking (for example) helps you run faster. We all knew that. But why? Tests show that the muscles created by biking aid in running by flushing/absorbing lactic acid. The extra muscles are not used in running, but as filters, thus raising your lactic acid threshold and, therefore, your top speed. Lactic acid buildup is one of the two limiting factor in speed. (The other is VO2Max).
Well, that's about it. Not as much as I'd hoped. The author does go into a bunch of tips on how to train. But most of his advice comes from his on common sence training for himself. I find Alberto Salazar's training information much more detailed and scientific. And this book is not nearly as inspiring as I had heard.