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4 Articles You Should Read [2/27/14]

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Today I've got a variety of articles I'd like to share and think you'll enjoy. Key Workout(s) For The LOVE Run

I wrote this piece last fall, but you might want to revisit it if you're running a half marathon (or even Broad Street). You'll have much more confidence in your pacing and gain race specific fitness after doing these sessions!

CRAZY Drama at USA Indoor Track Championships

Wow, when a elite coach as prominent as Alberto Salazar has to be physically restrained from another pro coach you know something's up. As a passionate fan of the sport, this weekend was truly unsettling and highlighted just how corrupt/unfair things can get when you've got one company (Nike) funding nearly half of the operating budget of the sport's governing body (USATF).

How To Calculate and Predict When You'll Hit the Wall During a Marathon

Well, that might be handy! Most of us are used to just guessing or going by trial and (lots of agonizing) error when it comes to fueling for a marathon. Further, I think it's more common to over-fuel, especially if you've trained well.

Print Out This Fruit and Veggie Cheat Sheet

Want a simple way to figure out if you're actually eating enough of the good stuff? It's as simple as red, yellow, green, purple, and white (<---white). Most of us either know we don't eat enough fruits/veggies or we think we eat more than we actually are. This awesome chart makes it easy to track. Plus, you'll learn about the health benefits of each color.

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Treadmill Workouts That Make Time FLY

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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.

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Nose Breathing For ALL Runs?

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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?

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The Workout You're Not Doing: The Form Run

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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

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The One Trick Pony

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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.

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Planning For Your Fitness Peak

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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.

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Middle Back Mobility: Why You Need It and How To Get It

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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!

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3 Tips To Fuel Your Best Marathon

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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.

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Kettlebell Swing Tips and Video Analysis

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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

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Don't Race Like An 8 Year Old (no offense, kids!)

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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...

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The Pervasive Myth of Variety

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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'.