Image by Oliver Lavery via Flickr My Ipod Nano is an essential companion on my training runs (I generally don’t use it in races), and I love mixing up what I listen to from day to day. Besides music, I often listen to free podcasts downloaded from Itunes (Phedippidations, Fitness Rocks, This American Life, and […]
Archives for April 2009
Marathon Training Update: Feeling the Heat
April 29, 2009 By 5 Comments
I’m about one month away from my rematch with the Vermont City Marathon, and the training has so far been going quite well. My long run max is now at 17 miles, and I’m planning two 20-milers before about a two week taper leading into marathon weekend. If all goes well, I hope to be […]
dailymile.com | A Great Site for Posting Workouts, Meeting Other Runners, and Getting Motivated to Stay Healthy
April 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Over the past few months I’ve begun to explore the world of social networking full out. For people in my 30-something age range, sites like Facebook and Twitter have suddenly exploded, and it seems like just about everybody I know is on one or the other (I’m now on both – you can view my […]
Articles on the Evolution of Running in Humans
April 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I’ve been mulling over the idea that humans have evolved to be excellent endurance runners quite a bit lately. Three of my recent blog posts have touched on the topic to different degrees: New Running Book: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall […]
Running Humor Courtesy of The Onion
April 25, 2009 By 1 Comment
Just a quick post here – I found a couple of running related stories on The Onion that are good for a quick laugh. Click on the links below to check them out: NYC Marathon Winner ‘Just Went Out There And Had FunDeriba Merga Dedicates Boston Marathon Victory To Pit Crew I’m Training To Ruin […]
Tuning Out: Why I Canceled My Expanded Basic Cable TV Service
April 25, 2009 By 2 Comments
And now a short break from my recent stream of running/evolution posts… If you’re like me, you’re probably appalled by how much you shell out each month to your cable television provider. If you take a moment to consider what you get in return for your money, and the number of unwatched channels streamed to […]
New Running Book: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall
April 22, 2009 By 5 Comments
Update 5/16/09: I’ve finished the book, and it’s phenomenal. Click this text to read my full review of Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Update 5/6/09: “Born to Run” is now out in the stores. You can order it here. My past few posts on this blog have dealt with the topic of why humans […]
Video Clip: Persistence Hunting and the Evolution of Running in Humans
April 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
***If you are a distance runner or marathoner, you absolutely have to watch this video clip – it’s amazing!*** Earlier today I posted an article about the evolution of running in humans. In that article, I discussed persistence hunting, which is a technique used in some native tribes whereby the hunter tracks and chases down […]
Watch On-line: PBS NOVA Marathon Challenge on YouTube
April 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In an earlier post I recommended the PBS NOVA documentary “Marathon Challenge” as a great show to watch for both new and longtime runners. I just discovered that Marathon Challenge can be watched on-line for free and in high-quality on YouTube: Very briefly, Marathon Challenge is an inspirational story that follows 13 formerly sedentary runners […]
How to Start Running – 10 Tips for Beginners from Someone Who’s Been There
April 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
There is a funny saying that cross-country runners like to throw around that goes something like this: “Our sport is your sport’s punishment.” Unfortunately, this quote carries with it more than just a hint of truth – most people simply hate to run. Running is hard, it takes time that could be spent doing other […]
Running Gear: Cheap, Homemade Energy Gel Flask
April 14, 2009 By 17 Comments
One of my downfalls during my first marathon experience in Vermont last year was an inability to effectively fuel after about halfway through the race (contributing to my “hitting the wall” around mile 15). One problem I have is that energy gels don’t work well for me. For one thing, the pouches are messy to […]
My Favorite Running Partner is a Dog Named Jack
April 11, 2009 By 16 Comments
Recently, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time with a new running partner. He’s really been an ideal companion because he never complains about the weather (unless it’s really hot) or how far we’ve gone (more = better), and he seems to be able to read my mind when it comes to following a […]
Great Running Movies
April 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Every once in awhile I need a little jolt to remind me why it is that I put myself through the physical and emotional punishment involved in training for and running marathons. A good movie is one thing that can accomplish this for me. When compared to other sports, the selection of running movies is […]
Going Live: Run-NH.com Website for NH Runners is On-Line
April 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment
As part of my foray into the on-line world, I’ve been working on a website dedicated to providing information of interest to runners in the state of New Hampshire. While it is still very much a work in progress, the Run-NH website is now on-line and accessible at http://www.run-nh.com/. I decided to go live with […]
The Evolution of Running in Humans: Why We Are Meant to Run
If you’ve been running for any length of time, you’ve probably received derisive comments and odd looks from friends/family regarding your running habit. “You’re going to ruin your knees” is a common one, “humans aren’t built to run long distances” is another. Well, I have news for these people – their scornful comments couldn’t be […]