Making the decision to train for a marathon is a big commitment, and it usually means undertaking a complete overhaul of your routine.
Many of us training know how important our workout schedules are and we know why we need to allow our bodies to become accustomed to strenuous activity. A big part of that transformation to ensure that you’re successful in your fitness goals is your diet. Continue Reading →
Andrew Lorenzo has carved out a big audacious marathon goal for himself.
The goal — a 2:40 finishing time — is a nearly two-hour improvement from his only previous one at the Melbourne Marathon, which he completed in October 2018.
But it represents so much more. It represents his escape from a difficult time in his life when he struggled with severe eating disorders.
Has the trail marathon bug hit you yet? While ultra-marathons have kept many trail runners busy traversing 50 to 100 plus miles of trails in a race, the trend of running 26.2-mile marathon-length trail races continues to grow across the nation. In fact, the American Trail Running Association lists over 100 trail running events and races across the U.S. for the month of January 2019 alone! Continue Reading →
When you’re training for a big race, it’s easy to develop a “no days off” mindset. It might even seem like a good idea.
After all, if you want to perform well during your race, you ought to train as much as possible, right? Not necessarily. In fact, the days you take off from running are just as important as the days you spend training. Continue Reading →
Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS), sometimes called jogger’s foot, is a relatively common cause of pain along the inside (medial) portion of your ankle. TTS can be a repetitive strain injury or an entrapment (compression) type injury.
The tarsal tunnel is a fibrous tunnel that is not structurally flexible. There is limited room for swelling inside the tunnel. This can cause nerves and blood vessels to be “entrapped” and lead to pain and other symptoms.
TTS is often caused by repeated pressure that results in damage on the posterior tibial nerve. Similar to carpel tunnel in the hand, the tarsal tunnel is located just below the medial malleolus (the large bump to the inside of the ankle). Basically, the tibial nerve branches off of the sciatic nerve and travels down the inside of the leg. It eventually runs through the tarsal tunnel, which is a narrow passageway inside your ankle that is bound by bone and soft tissue called a retinaculum. Continue Reading →
Mitch Goldstein after the Berlin Marathon
At Mile 18 of the Berlin Marathon in September, Mitch Goldstein came up with a new mantra to keep plowing forward: “There is no wall.”
“It seemed like it fit well in Berlin especially and it mostly worked, just not quite enough,” says Goldstein, who ran just barely over 3:30 in the race.
Goldstein, who ran in high school and for the last nine years consistently, has worked through various mental walls and hurdles thanks to his experience, dedication and the power of the Marathon Training Academy (MTA). Continue Reading →
Arthritis is a painful condition which can interfere with life at every turn, but this is no excuse to give up completely and avoid challenging your body with marathon training. In fact, physical activity might be exactly what your joints need right now, as these actions are proven to ward off pain and stiffness. Continue Reading →
Endurance is synonymous with difficulty. When a person is dedicated to a goal, endurance becomes a key personality factor. This also means that a person agrees to various unfamiliar degrees of difficulty. Pushing the body to its limits in a sports field is a common way for individuals to test their endurance levels. Marathons are the pinnacle of determination, endurance, and physical trial. What about those people who view single marathons as trite? What about the ultramarathon? Continue Reading →
If you’re one of the 30.3 million Americans who’s been diagnosed with diabetes, you’ve probably heard some conflicting information about exercise.
You may have heard that exercise can make it harder for you to manage your diabetes, or you may have been warned that you won’t be able to lose weight because you’re diabetic. Both of these pieces of advice couldn’t be farther from the truth, though. Continue Reading →
Ryan Hoffman heard the common Marathon Training Academy motto, “You have what it takes to run a marathon and change your life.”
He did run a marathon — seven and counting, actually. And it did change his life.
Hoffman says he has always been a runner. During his fifth-grade field day, Hoffman ran a 6:55 mile — wearing jeans. In high school, his favorite event was the 800-meter run (in shorts) and in college, he ran to keep in shape. Continue Reading →
Every year, 6.6 million people throughout the United States visit the doctor to deal with some kind of knee injury. Of the various injurious that can plague your knee joint, one of the most common is bursitis. Continue Reading →
Running and exercising in warmer weather tends to be more taxing on your body and requires more energy to remain cool.
Most running experts suggest performance impairments of between 1.6% and 3% in marathon times for every 10 degrees above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact ideal temperature (approximately 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit) is debatable and based also on humidity.
When you’re not acclimatized to running in heat, it takes even more effort to keep your running pace. This increases your risk of muscle cramping, bonking (hitting the wall), and/or being unable to maintain your goal pace (which leads to a longer finishing time). Continue Reading →
