You were in-shape, life happened (aka priorities shifted), now you're out-of-shape and wondering if there's a way to safely ramp up for the big race. Let's get started!

Is there such a thing? Well, maybe. If you're an outdoor runner like me, it can be a huge mental struggle to slog through a basic easy run. But breaking the run into little chunks is the way to go. And that's what I've got for you today - 3 workouts, easy, medium, and hard - that fly by so you don't lose your mind.

Three HUGE tips to stay "motivated" when circumstances are likely to get in your way.

I was recently asked for some clarification regarding my nose breathing post. In it, I detail all of the benefits of breathing solely through the nose. (There are a lot) The question I received was essentially: should one breathe that way all the time if one is running “easy pace”? In other words, if you're running easily, are you better off breathing solely through the nose?

Most of us skip right to the jam out session without much technique work to support it. We lace 'em up and “just run”. And that is totally cool if that's all running is to you, a little jam-out session. But even for the person who doesn't want to run farther, faster, or with less injury risk, I think you'll enjoy your basic jam-out that much more if your running skill is better. Here's a great little routine you can practice

Here's the problem with running as your only fitness activity. To a large extent, it neglects 2 of the 3 fitness bases. Not only that, I'd say over time it ERODES those bases. That's right, if you're like the average person (seated most of the day) and only run, then your basic movement patterns AND whatever strength you have will get worse over time.

Every year, around January, I find myself in pretty good shape and I think to myself, “But I'm not training THAT hard.” The secret, I'm convinced, is the Fartlek workout.

A loyal reader recently asked a great question regarding the use of a heart rate monitor during a race. Why was he slowing down prematurely if he kept his heart rate steady?

Setting personal best times, beating the competition, and accomplishing goals that once seemed unattainable are just some of the outcomes that are possible when you are in peak condition. Once you've acquired a taste for the feelings associated with being in that sort of shape it can be hard to have it any other way. Here are some questions to consider when thinking about your goals for 2014.

I've had several clients over the years who've sought my help because they were prone to these types of muscle cramps and I've noticed a few patterns I thought I'd share with you.

Restriction in the upper/middle back, or thoracic spine (T-Spine), is one of the most common areas of the body to tighten up. And it's insidious, too. That is, the tightness evolves slowly month by month and yet you may not even realize you're tight there. Instead, you'll feel your shoulders get cranky, your neck get stiff, your elbows become prone to tendonitis, and even your wrists can pay a price. Carpal tunnel anyone? And we didn't even talk about the lower body yet!

If there's one thing people love, it's being told what to do. They want the guesswork removed, they want to skip the trial and error, and to just know what they should do. As a coach, it's very easy to fall into the trap of thinking I know best and therefore I know what's best for YOU, too.

In my experience, however, a better approach is to encourage you to continue to experiment. I'll gladly share some strategies that have worked with others, but remind you that you are an “experiment of one”. Let's figure out what works for you.

Here's a four workout progression spread over 8 weeks leading up to a half marathon. If you're racing sooner than that and you like to try this, just jump in.

I've got a couple of great reads for you today on a variety of subjects, but they're all geared toward one thing: helping you perform better on the roads or in life!

I wanted to go a bit in-depth here and breakdown my swing so you can see what respectable form looks like. Since I spend LOTS of hours in a gym I see all sorts of attempts to swing a kettlebell and it just isn't very pretty much of the time. Additionally, instruction can sometimes be spotty at best. Again, fantastic exercise, maybe even the best single exercise you can do, but please own your technique

His fate was sealed 4 miles into the run. While he was feeling great. This happens ALL THE TIME to a majority of runners, but the effects are most pronounced in the marathon. Running one soon? Pay attention to the following 5 tips...

This week I want to introduce you to a simple move that “should be easy”... if you have good motor control over your hip muscles. Many folks who end up with knee pain have lousy hip mechanics and thus, their knee pays the price. Those of you dealing with knee pain or who are interested in preventing knee pain, this is for you!

Find out the answer to this common question: “I know I should workout, but... how can I get more motivated?”

As an experienced coach I can say with certainty that to get the BEST results, variety is the last and smallest piece of the puzzle - DESPITE what marketers would lead you to believe! Variety is truly the icing on top, yet the cake is made with 'precision' and 'progression'.