There’s just racing, there’s racing with a plan, and then there’s being able to adapt what you’ve got to meet where you’re at. In terms of experience level, know that anyone can register and show up on time for the start of an event. Few will actually have a plan based on their training, as […]
There comes a time when you are so close to your race that there’s seemingly nothing else to do. You can’t train anymore and your taper is done. The race outfit is picked and your are glued to the local weather forecast. With less than 24 hours to go, you might feel like it’s time […]
This was to be my first “real” race back post the bike crash of May 2011, when I broke my hip. I had qualified in 2009 with a 2:59:42, so my dream goal here this weekend was to go sub-3. At the end of the day, I fell short by about a minute but I […]
With the Boston Marathon mere days away, there are few things left to remember (including the sneakers above!). As you get ready to face the journey from Hopkinton to downtown Boston, you have undoubtedly spent time planning out how you will pace your day.
The Virtual 5k is on! Please register online and run virtually with me, this Sunday, to raise money for Aussie Flood relief. This event is being organized by Kate Major, a professional triathlete, and several of her peers. Even if you can’t make the real-world event, you CAN play along online.
There is, however, another path to marathon success. It’s not some crazy supplement or short cut – you still have to train and race, but the good news is that the marathon finish line might not be as far off as you originally thought. Instead of just focusing on the miles, you can look to […]
Running, or rather road racing, is currently one of the most popular activities in the United States. It’s cheap (only need shoes!), it’s accessible (just go outside!), it’s social (join a club!), and it good for your health (in moderation!)…in short, running has the deck stacked in it’s favor when it comes to rapid growth. […]
A well-executed marathon is the intersection of three key variables: fitness, strategy, and race execution. You could also argue that a solid dose of good fortune can also help, but experience has shown that even perfect temps and a slight tailwind can’t compensate for not being in shape, having no plan, and making poor in-race […]
With the Goofy Challenge mere days away, and the growing popularity of more hard core running events that let you stack up serious miles like Reach the Beach or Bay to Breakers, this article is meant to address the need for almost instant run recovery. Success in endurance running events has less to do with […]
With the New Year upon us, your peers and countless websites are undoubtedly urging you to make resolutions to be a newer and better you. While I think this annual exercise can be a useful one, the changes we pick almost never turn out to work the way we planned — sometimes this is good, […]
The holidays are upon us and if you are anything like me, you are probably a little disenchanted by the rampant commercialism of Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and friends and love to make them happy…but do any of us really need what we are giving? There’s a tiny — but […]
I had a successful second marathon, finishing in 4 hours and 12 minutes. I set a personal record. I didn’t qualify for Boston (needed 4:05) but was very happy with my day after just 10 weeks of training on a tougher although very beautiful course in Grand Rapids. I trained for this second marathon using […]
Today was the 1st vDot test I’ve taken in a while, since the last one was done during my half marathon build up. Looking back, it’s been about 2.5 months. To be honest, I knew I could improve my time from my last test (19:20), but since I’ve been on the road to recovery after […]
When we think of treadmill running, most of us instinctively look down on it as a second-class form of running. But there are times that even the strongest opponent to the treadmill will line up and start pushing the buttons for a workout — could be weather, could be travel, could be anything…and here you […]
If marathon training is hard, then training for a marathon though the winter is downright difficult. Instead of just worrying about mileage, you now have to take the weather, daylight, and countless other factors into account. If you are training for Disney or a similarly timed event, you have little choice but to get tough […]
I took your advice and did 8 miles total, with the 10K at steady half-marathon pace (it’s a new pace for me, about 0:45 faster per mile than I’ve run HMs before I joined MN.) I focused on keeping an even 180 cadence even on the hills, and made a new PR for that particular […]
