This post highlights key take-aways from the book—several of which I appreciate because they articulate and support my views on some topics that have generated controversy in our sport.
Tag Archives | speed training
New Site and New Directions for the New Year
My news at year’s end: I’m accepting coaching clients, and more! Here’s an update on my personal, professional and athletic plans—plus, a mini race report at the end.
Four Reasons to Race
Racing four very different races in a six-week period gave me a lot of time to ask “Why?” Why do I repeatedly register for something that sort of feels like taking a test? This post recaps the races and gives four reasons why.
Why I Hired An Omniscient Hardass Coach
I’m entering a new phase in my training: being coached. I hired Matt Hart three weeks ago to dictate how I run. We barely know each other, but, like Santa Claus (though not at all jolly or fat), he knows when I’ve been bad or good.
2012 Oakland Marathon Race Report: So Good, So Bad, So Oakland
After so many trail races, it felt good to line up and take off through the heart of a city in an urban road marathon again. Over 26 miles, I went from feeling like a rock star to feeling like a Southwest jet ready to rip apart and crash land from metal fatigue.
Ten Weeks and then a Taper: Reflections on a Marathon-and-Beyond Training Cycle
I reflect on what I did right—and what I might have done better—over the past ten weeks while training for the upcoming Oakland Marathon and Miwok 100K.
Running and Racing: How to Choose the Distance, Difficulty and Destination?
As I’ve pondered running events and goals, I’ve wondered what makes one event “harder” or “tougher” than another, and is “harder” always “better”? I know I derive pleasure from the challenge that training for races presents—that is, from the thrill of competing with others and with myself to set new PRs. But what kind of […]
Your Training Plan Fell Apart and You’re Not Ready to Race. What Should You Do?
The best-laid plans of runners oft go awry. The other day I studied the American River 50 Endurance Run website and had a minor freak-out because I felt woefully unprepared, under-trained, and uninformed about this race on April 9. Then I made a list of do’s and don’ts to get ready and banish the thought […]
How to Recover from a Race that Sucked
If you identify with the symptoms of Post Personal Worst Disorder, a clinical form of post-race blues marked by dwelling on a lackluster performance and wallowing in loserdom, you might benefit from this perspective drawn from my time at the Kaiser San Francisco Half Marathon.
How to Run and Go Green: Eco-Friendly Lessons From An Earthy 10K
I have run many 10Ks but none quite like the European XC Challenge in Ventura, the inaugural event by an eco-conscious upstart company called Compete Green. I signed up to walk the talk (or better, run the talk) of this blog’s message to keep improving and to cultivate meaningful experiences as a runner by trying […]