As I write this race report, I just flew over Seward Park here in Seattle. I’m on a one-night business trip to Washington, DC. I’ll fly in, attend a meeting tomorrow morning, meet some business colleagues over lunch and in the early afternoon, and then catch the evening flight back to Seatac. Hopefully, I’ll have time to get an easy run in tomorrow morning. Continue reading
There are few workouts that I hate more than the weekly (or bi-weekly) long run. The workout probably offers the most benefit of any workout for a runner as it makes them tough enough to handle hard, fast longer races like half-marathons. This toughness also has benefits for shorter races because it develops the leg strength and aerobic capabilities that makes really gut-wrenching running possible. Thus, for lots of runners, this workout is a weekly ritual. A few friends gather together early on a Sunday morning and form a unique support group as each runner slogs their way through the weekly long run. In most cases, this leaves them stiff-legged and sore for Monday. I’d like to propose a few strategies to make this workout a little easier for the competitive age group runner. Continue reading
Like many runners, I spend my Tuesday nights at the track running a hard set of intervals. For the last few weeks, I’ve spending Wednesdays doing recovery workouts, which includes running about six miles at a 6:00 per mile pace. My heart rate barely breaks 135 beats per minute and I’m not breathing hard at all. It’s not as if I’ve morphed myself into Geoffrey Mutai or Meb Keflezighi—I’ve just been using an Alter-G treadmill to teach my body to run faster while recovering. Continue reading
I live down the street from one of the many crossfit studios that are springing up like autumn mushrooms here in Seattle. I’m not a fan of crossfit. In this regard, I agree with Steve Magness’s strong criticism of the crossfit movement. Nevertheless, I do have profound respect for Kelly Starrett, a doctor of physical therapy and self-professed avid runner, who is at the core of the crossfit movement. This review is about two of his books: Becoming a Supple Leopard and Ready to Run, which I think belong on every endurance athlete’s bookshelf.
I’m in the middle of a crazy busy couple of weeks right now with traveling over 20,000 miles in a little over a month. Consequently, my posts may be a little shorter than usual for a while. But one post that I’ve been meaning to get out for some time is my review of Jay Dicharry’s Anatomy for Runners, which I think should be on the bookshelves of every older runner or multisport athlete out there. Because time is of the essence in my life right now, I’ll keep this review short and sweet. Continue reading
A couple of weeks ago, I started shifting over to a more polarized training pattern. Here’s a quick update on how it’s been going. Continue reading
I’m about to tell you about one of my absolute favorite workouts because it is so darn effective at making people fast at running. It’s a variation on a running workout that came out of some research about 14 years ago and it’s amazing. Continue reading
