The Memorial Day holiday here in the US typically marks the unofficial start of summer for me. During my years as a college professor it came right after the end of the Spring semester, and it marked the start of 3 months without any classes to teach and thus more time to spend with my […]
New Balance Fresh Foam 980, Pointy Shoes, and Toe Blisters
May 28, 2014 By 34 Comments
Sometimes the running gods can be cruel. Yesterday I wrote a post on how to avoid chafing while running. One of the anti-chafe products that I recommended is called Hike-Goo, and after I wrote the post I emailed my contact (Vito) to let him know that I had finally managed to try it. Vito responded […]
How To Avoid Chafing While Running: Nipples, Thighs, and Other Problem Spots
May 27, 2014 By 60 Comments
It happens every Spring almost without fail – I’ll be out for a run and I start to feel a bit of discomfort under my shirt and/or between my thighs. If I’m lucky it’ll happen on a short run and the damage will be limited. If I’m unlucky I’ll be 5 miles from home when […]
Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit Review: The Best Nike Free Yet?
May 22, 2014 By 87 Comments
I’m going to start this review with a bold statement: the Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit is the best Nike Free shoe I have ever worn. Writing that opening line is a big deal for me because the original Nike Free 3.0 remains one of my favorite shoes of all time. That shoe was lightweight, ultra-flexible, […]
The North Face Ultra Trail Shoe Review
May 21, 2014 By 9 Comments
This is a guest review by David Henry. David is a 29 year old husband and father of 3 young children. He has completed over 20 ultra marathon events as well as many other shorter races. Some of the notable races he has completed include The Pike’s Peak Marathon, the White River 50 mile, […]
Science of Marathon Running: Great Video From It’s OK To Be Smart
May 20, 2014 By 5 Comments
I really enjoyed this video on marathon running by Joe Hanson of PBS Digital’s It’s OK To Be Smart. Have a look:
Saucony Kinvara 5: Forty Mile Update
May 19, 2014 By 62 Comments
A few weeks ago I published a first impression review of the Saucony Kinvara 5 after taking them out for an initial 11 mile run. I’ve now run a bit over 40 miles total on the shoes, and I just returned from a 14 mile run in them earlier today. I though I’d share a […]
Shirt or No Shirt When Running in Heat?
May 19, 2014 By 39 Comments
Last winter I wrote a post on a topic of intense debate among runners: shorts or no shorts over winter running tights? It wound up being one of the most popular posts on this site, and it became clear that we runners have strong opinions about fashion etiquette! Now that the weather has warmed up […]
This Week in Runblogging: 5/12-5/18 2014
May 18, 2014 By 7 Comments
This week was full of learning experiences for me. A hot 14 mile run on Monday reminded me that I need to start taking hydration seriously again now that the weather is warming up. A 5K on Thursday night reminded me that course and conditions on race day can conspire to smash hopes of a […]
The 5K Bites Me Back: Humbled By Heat And Hills
May 17, 2014 By 6 Comments
About a month ago I ran a 5K in which I finished just two seconds short of my PR. To say that I was happy would be an understatement. It was only my second 5K of the year, and it gave me hope that a new PR would soon follow. I had set my eyes […]
Running History: Arthur Newton on Pacing in Training vs. Races (1935)
May 15, 2014 By 4 Comments
As Caleb Masland pointed out yesterday in his post on varying pacing in workouts, many runners tend to run too fast, too often in their training. This can lead to burnout and eventual injury. Caleb discussed how and why elites vary their training paces across a broad range, and how, in contrast, amateur runners often […]
Ask Coach Caleb: Why Should Runners Vary Pacing for Different Types of Workouts?
May 14, 2014 By 17 Comments
If you’ve ever had the chance to see how elite runners train, one thing that becomes apparent very quickly is how their approach to pace/effort is different from most amateur runners. Elite runners tend to run their workouts really hard when it’s called for, and they run really slow (relatively speaking) during warm-up and on […]
Beginner Running Tips: When Does Running Become Fun?
May 13, 2014 By 21 Comments
For the past six weeks I’ve been co-coaching a beginner 5K group. The group has been improving steadily – bodies are getting stronger, lungs are not struggling as much, early aches and pains are slowly resolving. They’ve been doing great, and most are right where we want them to be at this point in the […]
Six Things I Learned on a 14 Mile Run This Morning
May 12, 2014 By 13 Comments
I ran 14 miles this morning. That’s not a particularly unusual amount for a distance runner, but it was the longest I’ve run since last summer, and today is the warmest day of the year so far in New Hampshire. As always, the first long run in heat each year is cause for some gentle […]
Crappy Advertising at the Road Runner Sports “House of Cushion”
May 12, 2014 By 17 Comments
One of the big news stories over the past couple of weeks was the Vibram lawsuit settlement over false advertising claims made about their Fivefingers line of minimalist running shoes. Over the weekend a member of a forum I belong to on Facebook posted a link to the House of Cushion page on Road Runner […]
