Motivation: A great literary reference

I always love it when I find something that would be inspiring to runners in a movie or book. Here’s something that I think is fitting for both veteran and beginners marathon runners out there. I love how it speaks to our long adventure and the fact that we are seeking something - and perhaps [...]

Training and Motivation: dealing with pre-race anxiety

I have a number of athletes that are getting ready for the Marathons this weekend. With the race on Sunday, I’m thinking about what’s going through their minds. If I had a way to peek into their brains and read their thoughts, this is probably what I’d hear:
“OOOOOHHHHH XXXX!!!!”
You pick the explicative to fill in [...]

Races: Running at the top of the world

I’m not sure that I even know where to start with this one.
We spend a lot of time reading and writing about people running marathons under extreme conditions. Whether it’s running across the Sahara desert or trying to run a marathon on every continent in a week - it seems that there’s someone out there [...]

Training: pacing and avoiding going out too fast in races

A reader named Tyler wrote in asking a question that went something like this:
“I’m trying to run a 1.5 mile police training exam. I need to run the exam in 14:00 or under to qualify for my fitness test. In practice, I’m routinely running 12:00-12:30, but when it comes time to run the test [...]

Training for the White River 50 miler: Diary Week 3

To start off this training diary entry, I’ll just say that I’m feeling pretty good today physically. I’m tired after our 31 mile mixed-terrain run yesterday, but compared to how I’ve normally felt after most marathons and my last 31 mile race (when I took at least a week off to recover), I’d say I’m [...]

Race Preview: Rock N Roll Marathon Television Coverage (San Diego 2007)

If you’re traveling to the Rock N Roll Marathon in San Diego next weekend, you may be wondering if the race will be televised.
According to Ian Monahan of race organizer Elite Racing, “The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon San Diego will air nationally on FSN (Fox Sports Network) on June 16 (check your local listings for [...]

Training: Fitting workouts into an over-crowded schedule

I received an e-mail today from one of my group athletes that said, in part:
“I am struggling a bit, getting in my workouts during the non-group trainings. I totally live by my schedule and have already entered in all the group meetings/trainings onto my PDA. What I need to do now is literally [...]

Friday Fun: Champions of Everything, Everywhere II

[This story is dedicated to my friend Coach Dean Hebert who inspires so many runners in the Phoenix area and has been my personal mentor and inspiration. The Lake Tahoe Relay will be held this year on June 9th 2007, but I will be running the Rock N Roll Marathon the weekend before and unable [...]