RRCA State Rep?

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Pensacola, Florida, United States
Husband. *Dog Dad.* Instructional Systems Specialist. Runner. (Swim-challenged) Triathlete (on hiatus). USATF LDR Surveyor. USAT (Elite Rules) CRO/2, NTO/1. RRCA Rep., FL (North). Observer Of The Human Condition.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

What's Good For A Hundred Might Not Hurt For Less

Seven Steps to Recovery After Running 100 Miles
Jason Koop, CTS/June 27


I just returned home from supporting athletes at the 2017 Western States Endurance Run, and I’m tired. I need a recovery week and I didn’t even run the race! Congratulations to everyone who toed the start line, fought through their individual rough patches, and persevered to the finish. It was an exciting race, full of inspirational stories and great displays of sportsmanship. Now that it’s over, or when you reach the end of your 100-mile ultramarathon, it’s time to recover.


The biggest misconception about recovery after a 100-miler is that it happens quickly, and the biggest mistake athletes make is getting back into structured training too soon. To be a healthy ultrarunner and continue racing or participating for a long time, it’s essential to give your body and mind a significant break between events. For many athletes, running is an integral part of your lifestyle, which means the recovery period following a 100-miler requires patience and an unfamiliar change to your routine. It’s worth it, and here are some tips for optimizing recovery so you can continue to run strong...


(Link to Article)

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

CTS: In Time Out 'til Race Day

Tapering for Ultrarunning - How to Prevent Taper Tantrums!
By Jason Koop, CTS Coaching Director, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning”

For many athletes, tapering before a major goal event is a double-edged sword. On the one hand they are happy about the lightened training load, but on the other they are sometimes anxious or distressed by the reduction in training volume. Athletes have two primary fears during the taper process: detraining and missing out on time they could be using for additional training. These fears sometimes lead to a phenomenon we humorously refer to as “Taper Tantrums”. To avoid taper tantrums and get to the start line of your event in the best possible condition, he are some things you need to know about tapering...

(Link to Article)

Thursday, June 15, 2017

CTS: Only Four Things. Cool,

4 Things Cyclists, Runners, and Triathletes Do Poorly
Carmichael Training Systems/June 15, 2017


You’re a smart person and endurance training isn’t rocket science. To be perfectly frank, you could probably figure out most subjects if you had the time and motivation to do so. So we understand if you’re looking at a bunch of training manuals, websites, and magazines and figuring you can handle this training thing on your own. But as good as you are on your own, here are 4 important things most athletes are not very good at...


(Link to Article)

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

MapMyRun: ...Or Just A Wuss

How to Tell If You're Overtraining Or Just Sore
Ashley Lauretta/MapMyRun.com, January 12 2017

You’ve likely heard the saying, “no pain, no gain.” If you’ve gotten the impression that some soreness while working out is normal, you would be correct. But it can be a fine line between when that soreness becomes classified as pain. Walking this line correctly is the difference between pushing just the right amount and overusing your muscles. Even though everyone’s threshold for pain is different, there is an answer that’s universal...


(Link to Article)

Sunday, June 11, 2017

CTS: So It's Mind And Matter After 40

Are You Just Getting Soft? Mental Toughness and Performance Decline in Athletes Over 40
Chris Carmichael/CTS, June 10, 2017

I spoke at two book signings this week and during both Q&A sessions I was asked about the impact of age on declining endurance performance. It’s one of the most common questions I get, and I’ve written about it previously. I’ve also been reading about mental toughness and the connection between hard training and pain tolerance. Somewhere in this milieu of information I suddenly remembered Muhammad Ali’s quote: “A man who views the world at 50 the same way he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” That’s when it clicked.

Now, before I can get to what clicked I have to give some background on what we’re talking about...

(Link to Article)

Thursday, June 8, 2017

CTS: I'm Only (Not) Sleeping

Why Can't I Sleep After A Hard Workout or Race?
Chris Carmichael/CTS, June 8 2017


Here’s a scenario a ton of athletes experience, but few talk about: The night after finishing a big endurance competition or a long and strenuous workout, you lie awake in bed or toss and turn despite being thoroughly exhausted. Your sleeplessness may be compounded by feeling like you are radiating heat or you can feel/hear your heartbeat. And even if you are able to get to sleep initially, you struggle to stay asleep and fail to have a restful night. What gives? How can an exhausting event leave you sleepless?


There isn’t one simple cause for post-exercise insomnia, but there are definitely factors that contribute to it...


(Link to Article)

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

MapMyRun: Where To Be Seen Running

Run the World: The Top 20 Running Routes in America
MapMyRun/June 5, 2017


Where is your favorite place to run? We’ve identified the 20 most popular routes in the United States, according to MapMyRun data*, to see where runners like you are hitting the pavement. We even calculated some key stats on each: average finish time, gender breakdown and most crowded time to run. See if your route made the list — and find yourself a new running challenge...


(Link to Article)

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Outside: Smartphone A Waste For Elite-Beater

This 13-Year-Old Girl Is Already Beating Elite Runners
Better learn Lanie Szuch's name, because you're about to start hearing it—a lot
Katie Arnold/Outside: May 26, 2017


When Alyana (aka Lanie) Szuch toes the line to defend her title at the GoPro Mountain Games 5K trail race on June 9, she’ll face more than the usual scrutiny. Szuch is 13. The trail running phenom’s victory wasn’t beginner’s luck: Szuch was third woman in the 10K at last year’s games, the second woman at the 2015 Xterra National Championship half marathon last September, and seventh at the U.S. Mountain Running Championships in 2015, when she was only 11...


(Link to Article)

Outside: Go (Be) Pre

Running Needs Another Steve Prefontaine
It's been more than four decades since his death, and distance running hasn't yet found anyone who can match his bravado
Martin Fritz Huber/Outside


May 30, 2017, marks 42 years since the death of Steve Prefontaine, the charismatic Oregonian sometimes referred to as the “James Dean of track and field.” Like his Hollywood counterpart, Pre died in a car crash at age 24—an early exit that probably did more to secure his legend than an Olympic triumph ever would have. The site of the accident, known as Pre’s Rock, has become a repository of distance-running dreams: Fans visit from all over the world and leave behind tribute items (personal notes, track spikes, medals) for the man who once said, “I like to make something beautiful when I run. It’s more than just a race, it’s style.”


Prefontaine was never short on style...


(Link to Article)