Active.com: Juan Valdez, Patron Saint?

5 Ways Coffee Makes You a Better Runner
Kolby Paxton/Active.com May 10

Most of us make a beeline for our coffee makers immediately upon waking from our slumber. The hot, caffeine-filled beverage is a staple of the morning routine and often a prerequisite for human interaction. Coffee makes us better people—or, at the very least, better at performing the occupational processes that fill our mornings...

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Outside: Hitchhiker's Guide to Race Day

The Anxious Competitor's Guide to Staying Calm 
We've got you covered from the start of your training to the moment the gun goes off 
Rachael Schultz/Outside/Apr 21, 2017

Similar to how you meticulously plan your increase in miles or speed, it’s critical that you develop a routine to help your mind productively transition into race mode. Doing so gradually lets your mind adjust to the fact that a competition is on the horizon and fight off the inevitable anxiety that’s headed your way. “When it comes to the mental component of a competition, it’s very rare for an athlete to be able to switch it on like a light switch,” says Joel Fish, director of the Center for Sport Psychology in Philadelphia. “Most athletes need a pattern of routine that helps the body and the mind signal that it’s getting time to compete, habits that note the countdown is getting closer to actual race day.” 

Here’s what that pattern should look like...

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Outside Online: Work Hurts Badly Enough

The 5-Minute Warm-Up for Any Sport
Just a few quick moves will set up your body to perform at its best in any sport and keep you injury-free while you work
By: Michael Easter//Mar 20, 2017

We can’t blame you for wanting to skip the fitness foreplay and go straight into your sport, especially when time is limited. But the hurried approach does more than just slow your first few miles or stiffen your reps. When you drop the hammer before your body is ready, at best you’re limiting your performance potential; at worst, you’re putting yourself at much greater risk for injury, according to researchers at the University of Alabama.

Many people skip the warm-up because they assume an effective routine must also be a long one. But science tells us that’s just not the case. The right set of moves can prep and prime your body in just five minutes, says Doug Kechijian, co-founder of Resilient Performance Physical Therapy, in New York City. “An ideal warm-up elevates your heart rate and body temperature, allows you to move better during your activity, and gets your system ready to fire,” he explains.

Kechijian has worked with every type of athlete in the book, from Special Forces soldiers and NBA stars to professional outdoorspeople and amateur gym-goers. He says the majority of people dream up and then abandon complicated warm-ups. In reality, he says, most of us have the same tight areas and benefit from the same drills, so a one-size-fits-all routine is more feasible than you might think. Kechijian pulled the six most-powerful moves from his arsenal and bundled them into your new no-excuses warm-up routine. Move through the set continuously before jumping into your workout.

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Active.com: Sociophobic Runners, Rejoice!

7 Benefits of Running Alone
Dorothy Beal//Active.com

Running alone gives you the opportunity to disconnect from others while reconnecting with yourself. Consider adding a solo run to your weekly routine if you haven't already. It may be just what you needed.

1. It gives you a chance to listen to your body.
2. It can give you confidence in other areas of your life.
3. Connect with nature.
4. You control the pace.
5. There's nothing to coordinate.
6. The distance is up to you.
7. It's great mental training.

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