December 2010
19 posts
9 tags
New Year's Resolutions
Here are my New Year’s Resolutions:
Lose 10 pounds
Run more short races - from the mile to the half marathon
Run with my son more
Do more speed work
Do more hill running
Re-qualify for Boston for 2012
Do more coaching to help others improve
Blog more often
What are your New Year’s Resolutions? Tell me in the comments.
9 tags
Watch Hood to Coast Movie on 1/11/11
The documentary about the Hood to Coast race is scheduled to be shown in theaters on January 11, 2011. The movie follows four relay teams as they cover the 197 miles from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Oregon, in the world’s biggest relay race.
I’ve embedded a trailer for the movie below:
You can find out where the movie is playing and purchase tickets here.
Are you planning to see the...
19 tags
Can CrossFit Endurance Get You to the Finish Line?
Recently, I’ve been reading Tim Ferriss’ new book, The 4-Hour Body. In one of the sections, Tim describes how he plans to go from running a 5K to running a 50K ultramarathon in 12 weeks, using a CrossFit Endurance training plan developed by Brian MacKenzie.
The CrossFit Endurance training program uses short, intense interval training, calisthenics, and weight lifting to build the...
8 tags
Top 10 Posts of 2010
Here are the 10 most popular posts of 2010 on How 2 Run Fast:
1. Gatorade Recover - Tastes Great, but Does it Work?
2. Are you an Overstrider? Find out in 1 minute.
3. 3 Cheap GPS Watches for Runners
4. What You Can Learn from Shoe Wear Patterns
5. Feeling Tired? You May Have Runner’s Anemia!
6. Top 10 Ways to Prevent Shin Splints
7. How to Run a 5K Under 20 Minutes
8. Torn Your Meniscus?...
10 tags
Running Safely on Snow and Ice
Many parts of the country have been hit in the last few days with snow and ice. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to stop running and stay indoors. There are a number of products on the market that can help you to run safely on ice and snow.
Last year, around this time, I wrote a post about the YakTrax Pro traction device, which slips over your shoe to give you additional...
7 tags
"A Runner's High" Wins Video Contest
Getty Images recently announced that the “Grand Prix” winner of its annual ‘Mishmash’ creative challenge was Ben Redmond for his video “A Runner’s High”.
The Mishmash challenge offered entrants the opportunity to create their own short story or video art using Getty Images’ extensive catalog of images, video footage, and music content.
“A Runner’s High”...
13 tags
The 4-Hour Body: How to Lose 20 Pounds in 30 Days...
I recently bought Tim Ferriss’ new book, The 4-Hour Body. It contains some very interesting chapters on reducing bodyfat, adding muscle, perfecting sleep, reversing injuries, running faster and further, and even improving your sex life. Since it covers so many topics, I’m going to review different parts of it over the course of several posts.
In The 4-Hour Body, Tim claims that you...
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10 Things to Think About When Choosing Your First...
If you are thinking about running your first marathon, there are several things to consider when choosing which race to run.
Time of Year - You should pick a date range that is at least 4-6 months out and during a time of year when the temperatures are between 45-55 F (7-13 C).
Location - For your first marathon, you should select a location within driving distance of your home. ...
12 tags
Book Review - Racing Weight Quick Start Guide
Matt Fitzgerald has written a new companion Quick Start Guide to his earlier book, Racing Weight. The idea behind Racing Weight is that your performance in endurance events (and many other sports) is a function of your power-to-weight ratio. The less you weigh, while staying healthy and maintaining muscular strength and aerobic capacity, the faster you will be able to run or cycle.
The...
10 tags
Book Review - My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso
Bart Yasso, Runner’s World Magazine’s Chief Running Officer, recently wrote an autobiography titled My LIfe on the Run, describing his journey from a self-described “alcoholic and dope head” in his youth to being inducted into the Running USA Hall of Champions.
Along the way, he has personally run in over 1,000 races and worked with Runner’s World to sponsor over...
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Book Review - Going Long: The Best Stories from...
Runner’s World recently published a book entitled, Going Long: Legends, Oddballs, Comebacks & Adventures, which contains 30 of the best articles from the pages of Runner’s World Magazine, dating from August 1988 to October 2009.
If you are a regular reader of Runner’s World, you may remember some of these stories, but I enjoyed reading them again. Many of them are inspiring...
14 tags
Running Hero - Ed Whitlock
Ed Whitlock is the holder of 14 age group world records from the mile to the marathon. He was the first (and so far, only) person over 70 to run a marathon in under 3 hours. His time of 2:54:48 at age 73 is the age-graded equivalent of a 20 year old running a 2:03:57.
Ed ran as a teenager, then took up running again in his 40’s. He does all his runs on a short, 5 minute loop around...
15 tags
Is There a Marathoner In You?
A lot of people say to me, “I could never run a marathon”. My reply is that, with the right training, almost anyone is capable of finishing a marathon. Some can do more than just finish. The guy in the picture to the right is a case in point.
Three years ago, Mark Kruger weighed weighed 285 pounds and had a body fat percentage of 38%. He now weighs 185 lbs and has a body fat...
10 tags
Power Your Holiday Runs with Some Tasty Treats
There are a few holiday flavors of your favorite energy bars and gels available this time of year. If you haven’t tried these or if you are looking for a fun stocking stuffer for your favorite runner, you might want to pick some up.
CLIF BAR has three seasonal flavors out at this time of year. They are in limited supply and always sell out. The flavors are Spiced Pumpkin Pie, Cranberry...
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Training for a Triathlon? Strengthen Your Triceps...
Before I became a runner, I was a swimmer. In my youth, I was ranked as high as 4th in New England in the 400 meter freestyle. In swimming, the final push at the end of the swimming stroke is done with the triceps. One of the dry land exercises that we used to do to improve the strength of our triceps is the triceps pushup.
The muscle group that does the most work in a regular push up is the...
20 tags
Strengthen Your Quads with this Simple Exercise
After having arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear in my right knee several years ago, I had to do some exercises to rebuild my quadriceps muscles. Strong quadriceps stabilize the knee joint and help to prevent injuries. They also help absorb the impact of your foot striking the ground when you run.
If you have ever run a marathon, you know that your quads are probably the muscle that...
7 tags
Last Minute Tips for Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll...
In the past, I have written up some last minute tips for friends who are have upcoming marathons. They have said that they were helpful, so I thought I’d share some last minute tips for the folks running in Las Vegas on Sunday: The weather for Sunday looks good. Cool, in the low 40’s at the start to the high 50’s by the time you finish. Just about perfect marathon weather. ...
9 tags
Calf Exercises to Build Speed and Prevent Injuries
After straining my Achilles tendon a few months ago (and aggravating the injury by running in my new Vibram Five Fingers), I’ve been working to stretch my Achilles tendon and improve the strength of my calf muscles. Strong calf muscles are key to maximizing your running speed, particularly in shorter races.
I do a simple series of heel raises, standing on a step. I let my heels hang over...
12 tags
Strengthen Your Legs to Improve Your Running Speed
This week we’ve been focusing on exercises that can strengthen your core and your glutes, like the Plank and the Glute Bridge.
I do a couple of simple, quick exercises to improve my leg strength for running. The first is a prisoner squat. You put your hands behind your head, keep your back straight, and squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor then stand up again. Repeat until...