Today during my commute to and from work I listened to Episode 184 of Steve Runner’s Phedippidations podcast (you can download it directly from Itunes by clicking here). In this episode, Steve tells the story of how he managed to successfully complete the 2009 Boston Marathon with only 5 weeks of training, but really, the […]
Archives for 2009
Garmin Forerunner 310 XT to be Released July 20
My Garmin Forerunner 310 XT preview post has brought in a good chunk of the traffic that this blog has seen in the few months since I started it. I’m still not exactly sure how I managed to get that post listed at the top of Google for the search “garmin forerunner 310”, but it […]
Marathon Strategy: Should I Push the Pace or Hold Back
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Yesterday I completed the first of two planned 20 mile training runs leading up to my running of the Vermont City Marathon (VCM) on May 24th. It was a beautiful day, the run went very well, and I was able to maintain close to an 8:30min/mile pace throughout. With the exception of the last two […]
Running with an Ipod: Free Audio to Listen to While Running
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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 […]
Marathon Training Update: Feeling the Heat
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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
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
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
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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
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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
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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
***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
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
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
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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 […]
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 […]