Over the past ten years or so, there’s been a gentle tide change in the way that coaches approach training for long-distance running. While it’s most often talked about in terms of running, it has application across all endurance sports, so this change definitely affects duathletes and triathletes as well.
Year: 2014
Most Coaches Overtrain Multisport Athletes
There, I said it. I know that there will be many people who will applaud and many others who will scowl at the idea. But it’s something that needs to be said because I think it’s an epidemic and does a real disservice to our sport.
Fun Time Trial Training Video
I love YouTube videos of folks doing insane things with a portable video cameras. Base jumping into caves in Mexico, flying the Red Bull Air Race, or ripping through a downhill mountain bike run– thanks to products like GoPro cameras, we can now get an inkling of what’s it like to do some crazy stuff. I hinted earlier that I bought a Garmin Virb camera to liven up my posts, so I thought I would post a video of what it is like to ride my absolute favorite time trial workout. If you’re interested in extreme videos, read no further. But if you’re interested in my world, here’s a taste.
How to Apply the 36-Hour Recovery Rule
Back in 1998, while I was pouring over my latest issue of Owen Anderson’s Running Research News, I came across a really interesting study on recovery that fundamentally changed the way I did some workouts for years to come. Continue reading
Hip Flexors, Poor Knee Lift, and the 90 Strides a Minute Myth
Let me say right up front that I really like Inform Running. In fact, having regular access to their facilities and brain power in the U.K. is probably the only thing that could make me want to live in a place with weather that is even more miserable than my home of Seattle. Today, they took on the Pose (and by association, the Chi) running methods. I’m so glad that they did– someone has to dispel the myth that there is one perfect running form for everyone. But, in typical Inform Running style, they did it with some real hidden gems that might help a lot of folks gain better running form. Here are two key lessons from their excellent post earlier today.
Muscle Tension and Restoring “Pop” to Your Running
Over the summer, I’ve been filling in as the track coach for my team’s track workouts. Every now and again, I have been adding in plyometrics, which I think are pretty essential for distance running. I usually get some skeptical looks (particularly from the Ironman crowd) so I thought I would explain my thinking and also talk about my views about how to use plyometrics to get free speed in your running.
Why Hire a Coach and (More Importantly) How to Be a Client
I have had a coach on and off for the last 10-15 years now and I have some pretty strong opinions about how to get the most bang for your buck out of the coaching experience.
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The Joys of Running Super Slow
Right now, I’m in a cycling build. But that means that I still run easily just about every day. Perhaps “easy” is an overstatement– these runs are positively lackadaisical. I think my pace topped out at about 12:00 or 13:00 a mile (which is almost half my running pace in a 10K race). All of this is fine by me because I’ve learned how to run slow to great effect.
Getting Faster More Safely with Sports Rotation
When I was a young guy still in my thirties, the first coach I hired was Rick Niles after reading his book Time Saving Training for Multisport Athletes. In retrospect, some of the ideas that I learned are even more applicable to older multisport athletes.
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Quick Summary of my Racing So Far this Year
As I’m starting this blog a little late in the year, I thought I’d post a quick “catch up” post with my racing so far for 2014. As I’ve described in a separate post, I like to do a ton of racing. If anything, 2014 has a bit of a let down with a nagging case of plantar fasciitis– otherwise, I would have done a lot more! Continue reading
The Athletic Time Machine 
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