Women think it’s odd that I know so much about their menstrual cycle. But I don’t think it’s odd at all since many gynecologists and nearly all of the scientists who study women’s physiology are male. What I like most about women’s physiology is how female runners can capitalize on their unique physiology to run better. […]
I often wonder how personal trainers, coaches, or people who run or work out on their own come up with the number of reps for their workouts. There’s no magic in doing 5 or 6 or 7 reps. And when training in a group, there’s little reason why everyone should do the same number of […]
With my birthday coming up on March 14, I’m taking my mid-life crisis to the road… literally. And I’m going to share it with you.
One million. That’s how many times I have seen or heard of a runner training incorrectly. I can’t stand runners training wrong all the time. It bothers me on a deep level. I’m going to give away a “secret” of training. Every runner should post this on his or her bathroom mirror. To be the […]
I did a hill workout today. If you want a humbling workout, whether you’re a runner or any other kind of fitness buff, there’s nothing like running hills to humble you. For runners, hills are a big part of training and racing. The feel of your heart pounding in your chest and your shortness of […]
I ran Race for the Cure this morning in Balboa Park in San Diego, thinking about my mom. I have been running Race for the Cure for a number of years, in many different places, including on the campus of the educational testing center in Princeton, New Jersey. Few people have heard of Princeton’s educational […]
If you stand near the finish line of a major marathon, you’ll notice something very peculiar. Grown men and women who are the essence of vitality and the strength of human will cry as they cross the finish line. Why do they do this? Better runs are emotional runs. The runs that stir something inside […]
Many new runners complain that they can’t breathe even on short runs. Indeed, getting in enough air is foremost on their minds. It’s a marvel of physiology that enough air gets into our bodies, with our nostrils being no larger than the size of a pea. Even the space between semi-pursed lips is small considering […]
Whether you want to run around the block or qualify for the Boston Marathon, how you train can have a dramatic effect on your performance. While running just to run will certainly make you fitter, understanding all of the training components and putting them together in a systematic training plan gives you the blueprint for […]
Years ago, I applied to be a personal trainer in a gym. Taking one look at my runner’s body, the owner said to me, “Go work out for a couple of months and come back to reapply.” Happy as I was with my runner’s body, I never went back. But it occurred to me that […]