How to Nail the Lunch Workout
There's nothing quite like breaking up the workday with a run, but logistics can make it tough to pull off. Here's how to execute flawlessly.
By: Wes Judd/Outside, May 26, 2017
We get it: Not everyone has time for a lunch workout. When new hires move out to our Santa Fe headquarters, they can’t believe they’re allowed to ride, run, or climb for an hour in the middle of the day. That’s too bad, because even a 30-minute workout can be the ultimate fitness and productivity hack. In fact, a 2011 study in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that employees get more done when they take a break to exercise.
Learning how to properly execute the midday workout is tough—especially in an office that doesn’t have lenient lunch policies—but get it right and it’ll change the tone of your day entirely...
(Link to Article)
RRCA State Rep?
- Michael Bowen
- 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.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
MapMyRun: What Makes A Runner?
8 Running Myths You Can Forget
MOLLY HURFORD/MapMyRun MAY 18, 2017
Even seasoned runners have preconceived notions about what makes a runner a runner, but a lot of them are just plain wrong. Like “I don’t have a runner’s build” is total b.s. Everyone can be a runner — but it’s a lot harder to believe if you have misguided ideas about running...
(Link to Article)
MOLLY HURFORD/MapMyRun MAY 18, 2017
Even seasoned runners have preconceived notions about what makes a runner a runner, but a lot of them are just plain wrong. Like “I don’t have a runner’s build” is total b.s. Everyone can be a runner — but it’s a lot harder to believe if you have misguided ideas about running...
(Link to Article)
MapMyRun Blog: Prevent/Treat IT Band Syndrome
7 Exercises to Treat and Prevent IT Band Syndrome
JASON FITZGERALD/MapMyRun, MAY 13
As runners, we expect a little fatigue and soreness from time to time. But any sort of sharp pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong.
One of the most common sources of pain that can stop runners in their tracks is iliotibial band syndrome. Frequently misunderstood, IT band syndrome is often treated incorrectly.
Common treatments include ice, rest and stretching, and, while all of these have their place in treating a running injury, ITBS is best approached proactively...
(Link to Article)
JASON FITZGERALD/MapMyRun, MAY 13
As runners, we expect a little fatigue and soreness from time to time. But any sort of sharp pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong.
One of the most common sources of pain that can stop runners in their tracks is iliotibial band syndrome. Frequently misunderstood, IT band syndrome is often treated incorrectly.
Common treatments include ice, rest and stretching, and, while all of these have their place in treating a running injury, ITBS is best approached proactively...
(Link to Article)
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Outside: Life Lessons
Life Lessons from Running Legend Joan Benoit Samuelson
The Olympic marathon champ—who hopes to become the first woman over 60 to run a sub-3-hour marathon this fall—shares her hard-fought wisdom
Martin Fritz Huber May 24, 2017
Last week, women’s running pioneer Joan Benoit Samuelson celebrated her 60th birthday. A few days later, she ran the Sugarloaf Marathon in her home state of Maine in 3:12:21, winning her age group by a margin of more than seventy minutes. The 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist now has her sights on the Chicago Marathon in October, where she hopes to become the first woman over 60 to run a sub-3-hour marathon. We wouldn’t bet against her...
(Link to Article)
The Olympic marathon champ—who hopes to become the first woman over 60 to run a sub-3-hour marathon this fall—shares her hard-fought wisdom
Martin Fritz Huber May 24, 2017
Last week, women’s running pioneer Joan Benoit Samuelson celebrated her 60th birthday. A few days later, she ran the Sugarloaf Marathon in her home state of Maine in 3:12:21, winning her age group by a margin of more than seventy minutes. The 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist now has her sights on the Chicago Marathon in October, where she hopes to become the first woman over 60 to run a sub-3-hour marathon. We wouldn’t bet against her...
(Link to Article)
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Outside: Democratizing Sport
Meet The People Making Running More Inclusive
The sport still has a long way to go, but these leaders are pushing for more diversity
Martin Fritz Huber/Outside, May 19 2017
In the lead-up to last summer’s Olympics in Rio, mega-event critic and Olympic historian Jules Boykoff had a suggestion for reducing the cost of future Games while bringing a greater number of countries into the five-ring fold. In a nutshell: more runners, fewer horses. “People from around the world can run and you don’t need tons of equipment like, say, dressage,” Boykoff said at the time. “So a real positive thing the Olympics can do is to try to bring in more sports that more people can play—in other words, democratize sports.”
It’s easy to see where he’s coming from. After all, running doesn’t pose the obvious economic or geographic barriers that make more extravagant forms of recreation—like skiing, golf, or, indeed, horseback riding—the purview of the privileged few. But even as recent years have seen record numbers of road race participants in the United States, work still needs to be done to broaden the reach of the sport—particularly by challenging market and media-driven ideas about what a typical runner looks like.
These individuals are on the front lines of that fight.
(Link to Article)
The sport still has a long way to go, but these leaders are pushing for more diversity
Martin Fritz Huber/Outside, May 19 2017
In the lead-up to last summer’s Olympics in Rio, mega-event critic and Olympic historian Jules Boykoff had a suggestion for reducing the cost of future Games while bringing a greater number of countries into the five-ring fold. In a nutshell: more runners, fewer horses. “People from around the world can run and you don’t need tons of equipment like, say, dressage,” Boykoff said at the time. “So a real positive thing the Olympics can do is to try to bring in more sports that more people can play—in other words, democratize sports.”
It’s easy to see where he’s coming from. After all, running doesn’t pose the obvious economic or geographic barriers that make more extravagant forms of recreation—like skiing, golf, or, indeed, horseback riding—the purview of the privileged few. But even as recent years have seen record numbers of road race participants in the United States, work still needs to be done to broaden the reach of the sport—particularly by challenging market and media-driven ideas about what a typical runner looks like.
These individuals are on the front lines of that fight.
(Link to Article)
CTS: Seven Steps Less Than AA
ADAPT: A 5-Step Plan for When Everything Goes Wrong
Jason Koop, CTS
If you do one single thing at a high enough intensity for long enough, every once in a while everything goes wrong. As much as you have trained and prepared, you will eventually get punched in the mouth, so to speak. Your legs will feel like lead, your effort will feel unreasonable, you will start tripping over roots and rocks, and your stomach will be in knots. If you are especially unlucky, these in infirmities will all happen at once. And for many miles. Maybe not in your next race, or the one after that, but if you remain in the ultramarathon game for a long enough time, lady luck’s evil doppelgänger will eventually find you...
(Link to Article)
Jason Koop, CTS
If you do one single thing at a high enough intensity for long enough, every once in a while everything goes wrong. As much as you have trained and prepared, you will eventually get punched in the mouth, so to speak. Your legs will feel like lead, your effort will feel unreasonable, you will start tripping over roots and rocks, and your stomach will be in knots. If you are especially unlucky, these in infirmities will all happen at once. And for many miles. Maybe not in your next race, or the one after that, but if you remain in the ultramarathon game for a long enough time, lady luck’s evil doppelgänger will eventually find you...
(Link to Article)
Monday, May 22, 2017
Outside: Being Injured...
How to Mentally Recover from an Injury
Brad Stulberg/Outside, May 17, 2017
For an athlete, being injured is often harder psychologically than it is physically. But the elites have developed a few key tools to help stay happy and sane while healing...
(Link to Article)
Brad Stulberg/Outside, May 17, 2017
For an athlete, being injured is often harder psychologically than it is physically. But the elites have developed a few key tools to help stay happy and sane while healing...
(Link to Article)
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
From Our Sponsor: Level II Coaching Certification
RRCA has created an official tiered Coaching Certification program, adding on to the original (now officially designated) RRCA Level I Coaching Certification. The new curriculum enables RRCA Level I coaches to become officially designated as an RRCA Level II Certified Coach.
Level II will mark a sophisticated understanding of the scientific, psychological, competitive, and managerial aspects of community-based running and working with individual clients. This program is open to RRCA Certified Coaches, and anyone seeking to enhance their knowledge or reinforce concepts learned in Level I are encouraged to pursue the Level II program.
Minimum Prerequisites:
RRCA Certified Coach Level I (includes up-to-date CPR/First Aid certification)
18 years of age or older with no less than a high school diploma
12 months as a Level I RRCA Certified Coach.
Coaches can start taking Level II modules but won't be fully certified until 12 full months
following their Level I certification date
Proof of coaching experience - provide a 150-word essay outlining experience and/or URL of coaching business, etc.
Program Methodology:
The Level II course will be delivered in a combination of two formats: online self-study modules with online assessments and an in-person classroom requirement.
Go to RRCA.org for detailed descriptions of the program requirements, associated costs, and more.
Level II will mark a sophisticated understanding of the scientific, psychological, competitive, and managerial aspects of community-based running and working with individual clients. This program is open to RRCA Certified Coaches, and anyone seeking to enhance their knowledge or reinforce concepts learned in Level I are encouraged to pursue the Level II program.
Minimum Prerequisites:
RRCA Certified Coach Level I (includes up-to-date CPR/First Aid certification)
18 years of age or older with no less than a high school diploma
12 months as a Level I RRCA Certified Coach.
Coaches can start taking Level II modules but won't be fully certified until 12 full months
following their Level I certification date
Proof of coaching experience - provide a 150-word essay outlining experience and/or URL of coaching business, etc.
Program Methodology:
The Level II course will be delivered in a combination of two formats: online self-study modules with online assessments and an in-person classroom requirement.
Go to RRCA.org for detailed descriptions of the program requirements, associated costs, and more.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Outside: How to Comeback
Getting Back into Running, According to the Pros
Four of the sport's best on what they've learned from taking time off and coming back
Martin Fritz Huber/Outside Online, May 11, 2017
Every athlete knows that comebacks aren’t easy....Regardless of whether you’re returning from an injury or a voluntary hiatus, regaining your previous form can pose a challenge that’s as much mental as it is physical. Your body may be slow to relearn movements that once came with fluid ease, just as your mind wonders why the hell it’s taking so long...
(Link to Article)
Four of the sport's best on what they've learned from taking time off and coming back
Martin Fritz Huber/Outside Online, May 11, 2017
Every athlete knows that comebacks aren’t easy....Regardless of whether you’re returning from an injury or a voluntary hiatus, regaining your previous form can pose a challenge that’s as much mental as it is physical. Your body may be slow to relearn movements that once came with fluid ease, just as your mind wonders why the hell it’s taking so long...
(Link to Article)
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Active.com Thank You, Thing...
Is Barefoot Running Still a Thing?
Theresa Juva-Brown/Active.com May 10 2017
Once upon a time, you couldn't attend a race without seeing a slew of runners wearing Vibram Five Fingers, looking like they had lizard feet...
(Link to Article)
Theresa Juva-Brown/Active.com May 10 2017
Once upon a time, you couldn't attend a race without seeing a slew of runners wearing Vibram Five Fingers, looking like they had lizard feet...
(Link to Article)
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...
(Link to Article)
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...
(Link to Article)
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
CTS: Heart Rate? Good. Now Ignore It.
Why Heart Rate Is Not a Good Training Tool for Ultrarunning
Jason Koop/CTS, May 18 2017
If you are going to use interval training to accumulate time at intensity and target specific areas of your fitness, you need a way to figure out how hard you are working. In some sports this is simple. As mentioned earlier, a cyclist with a power meter can directly measure workload in watts, determine how many watts he or she can produce at lactate threshold, and then create intensity ranges based on percentages of lactate threshold power. Ultrarunners don’t have it so easy. For a long time, runners have tried to use heart rate to gauge intensity, intensity ranges based on percentages of lactate threshold heart rate or the average heart rate recorded during a 5K time trial. Others have used pace ranges based on time trials or goal race paces, or a combination of heart rate and pace ranges. Prescribing intensity based on either heart rate or pace is notoriously difficult in ultrarunning, and after trying all manner of methods, I found the greatest success in a remarkably simple, nontechnical, yet scientifically accurate method: rating of perceived exertion...
(Link to Article)
Jason Koop/CTS, May 18 2017
If you are going to use interval training to accumulate time at intensity and target specific areas of your fitness, you need a way to figure out how hard you are working. In some sports this is simple. As mentioned earlier, a cyclist with a power meter can directly measure workload in watts, determine how many watts he or she can produce at lactate threshold, and then create intensity ranges based on percentages of lactate threshold power. Ultrarunners don’t have it so easy. For a long time, runners have tried to use heart rate to gauge intensity, intensity ranges based on percentages of lactate threshold heart rate or the average heart rate recorded during a 5K time trial. Others have used pace ranges based on time trials or goal race paces, or a combination of heart rate and pace ranges. Prescribing intensity based on either heart rate or pace is notoriously difficult in ultrarunning, and after trying all manner of methods, I found the greatest success in a remarkably simple, nontechnical, yet scientifically accurate method: rating of perceived exertion...
(Link to Article)
Monday, May 8, 2017
Slowtwitch: Skechers? Really?
Is Skechers for Real?
Dan Empfield/Slowtwitch.com Mon May 08 2017
How many times have I been asked, “Is Skechers real?” Plenty...
(Link to Article)
Dan Empfield/Slowtwitch.com Mon May 08 2017
How many times have I been asked, “Is Skechers real?” Plenty...
(Link to Article)
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Setting the Stage
Eliud Kipchoge
almost did it, man. He was “that” close. When I first read the press releases
and the news media hoopla about Nike’s “Breaking2” project I was skeptical. Why
artificially set up all of the right parameters – course, equipment, pacers
(including Bernie [blank] Lagat!) to see if a guy could go 1:59:59 or faster
for 26.21876 miles (oops, sorry…the marathon is a metric distance; 42.195
kilometers)?
Just to see if
it could be done. To see if technology and teamwork can knock down another
“seemingly impossible” physiological barrier.
How many
people in our community toil away, putting one foot in front of the other each
day? Maybe it’s “not the Olympics,” as one guy put it to me some years back
when I commented about the relative quality of an event. But what each of you
do with your training groups, your club social runs and your events is not much
different than what Nike did here. We set the stage for people to break
their own barriers. Every day. Every weekend.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Outside: And I Get Grouchy
The Five Things That Happen to Your Body When You Quit Working Out
The good news? They're all pretty simple to reverse—or prevent entirely.
Dan Roe/Outside May 1, 2017
When a planned rest day turns into a rest week or a nagging injury keeps you out of the game for longer than anticipated, you expect a little guilt over dropping your exercise habit. But we consulted the experts to break down what happens when workouts grind to a halt and what they have to say may surprise you. It's okay to take time off, but there are physiological changes that you should be aware of. The good news: while some gains do vanish overnight, most are reversible or don't take much effort to maintain...
(Link to Article)
The good news? They're all pretty simple to reverse—or prevent entirely.
Dan Roe/Outside May 1, 2017
When a planned rest day turns into a rest week or a nagging injury keeps you out of the game for longer than anticipated, you expect a little guilt over dropping your exercise habit. But we consulted the experts to break down what happens when workouts grind to a halt and what they have to say may surprise you. It's okay to take time off, but there are physiological changes that you should be aware of. The good news: while some gains do vanish overnight, most are reversible or don't take much effort to maintain...
(Link to Article)
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Outside: When Athletes Dope
When Athletes Dope, Not All Sports Are Created Equal
Why it's more upsetting when endurance athletes fail drug tests than when NFL or MLB players do.Martin Fritz Huber/Outside Online, Apr 21, 2017
Last January, in the wake of a retroactive doping violation, Usain Bolt was stripped of one of the three gold medals he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Bolt himself wasn’t accused of any wrongdoing—it was Nesta Carter, his teammate in the 4x100-meter relay, whose reanalyzed blood samples from the games showed traces of the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine. As a consequence, the Jamaican relay team was disqualified—more than eight years after blowing away the competition in the Bird’s Nest stadium...
(Link to Article)
Why it's more upsetting when endurance athletes fail drug tests than when NFL or MLB players do.Martin Fritz Huber/Outside Online, Apr 21, 2017
Last January, in the wake of a retroactive doping violation, Usain Bolt was stripped of one of the three gold medals he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Bolt himself wasn’t accused of any wrongdoing—it was Nesta Carter, his teammate in the 4x100-meter relay, whose reanalyzed blood samples from the games showed traces of the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine. As a consequence, the Jamaican relay team was disqualified—more than eight years after blowing away the competition in the Bird’s Nest stadium...
(Link to Article)
MapMyRun: Not Just Color
What to Know About Your Feet When Buying Running Shoes
Ashley Lauretta/MapMyRun Blog, March 31 2017
The most common question that running store owners get asked is, “How do I know which shoe is best for me?” That involves in-depth knowledge of your foot and a trained eye to determine how your foot moves in relation to your ankle and hips....
(Link to Article)
Ashley Lauretta/MapMyRun Blog, March 31 2017
The most common question that running store owners get asked is, “How do I know which shoe is best for me?” That involves in-depth knowledge of your foot and a trained eye to determine how your foot moves in relation to your ankle and hips....
(Link to Article)
CTS: Ultra Elites and You
Three Characteristics You Share with Elite Ultrarunners
Jason Koop, Carmichael Training Systems/2 May 2017
Despite their diverse backgrounds, elite ultrarunners share three common characteristics. You have them too. The differences just come down to a matter of degree, and you can enhance all three characteristics to improve your running performance...
(Link to Article)
Jason Koop, Carmichael Training Systems/2 May 2017
Despite their diverse backgrounds, elite ultrarunners share three common characteristics. You have them too. The differences just come down to a matter of degree, and you can enhance all three characteristics to improve your running performance...
(Link to Article)
Monday, May 1, 2017
Training Peaks: Functional Training
Functional Training For The Run
Allie Burdick/Training Peaks, April 28 2017
Running was once thought to only be performed in the sagittal plane (forward motion). However, we now know there is a frontal plane movement due to weight shifting from one side to the other, as well as transverse movement through the torso when your shoulder and opposite hip link up. Since strength and stability through all three planes of motion are clearly present, it makes sense to train them equally. This will help your body endure the stress of weekly workouts, create efficient and strong movement patterns, and lessen any imbalances that may lead to injury...
(Link to Article)
Allie Burdick/Training Peaks, April 28 2017
Running was once thought to only be performed in the sagittal plane (forward motion). However, we now know there is a frontal plane movement due to weight shifting from one side to the other, as well as transverse movement through the torso when your shoulder and opposite hip link up. Since strength and stability through all three planes of motion are clearly present, it makes sense to train them equally. This will help your body endure the stress of weekly workouts, create efficient and strong movement patterns, and lessen any imbalances that may lead to injury...
(Link to Article)
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