Archive | Guest Perspective

What Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Running

photo-1431578500526-4d9613015464Pat Flynn does it. Barack Obama has a tumblr page dedicated to it and Oprah has even been known to dabble.

They know the secret to running a successful business and it’s not just dominant thought, connections and amazing sales copy.

You can mastermind all you like and have the best social media presence in the world, but if you want to stay on top of your A game, you need to look after number one.

Running, whether it’s for just 15 minutes a day or endurance training for a marathon, will give you more benefits than you think. Continue Reading →

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Jordan McDougal’s Tips on Nutrition, Training

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Jordan McDougal grew up in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York state. Before he was 10 years old, McDougal was running track and cross-country. He advanced to running on a scholarship at Liberty University. He has now advanced to ultra marathons, Spartan events and mountain racing.

“Growing up in the Adirondacks I played just about any sport available, and skied and raced snowshoes in the winter, which was really my introduction to mountain racing I guess,” he says.

McDougal, who is North Face sponsored athlete, has won several of the North Face Endurance Challenge events including one earlier this year in Washington, D.C. McDougal finished the 50-mile event in 6:44:55, beating the runner-up by nearly 45 minutes. Continue Reading →

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Gunhild Swanson’s amazing finish at Western States

Sun Mountain 50 miler 5-16-15 3The 70-year-old woman’s record almost never came to be. Here’s how she beat the odds to get into the 100-mile race and then overcame a serious error to complete her historic run.

By Henry Howard

Gunhild Swanson’s dramatic finish at this year’s 100-mile Western States Endurance Run almost never happened.

The jubilation that erupted in the final stretch of the race — as Swanson closed in on the finish line, then crossed it 6 seconds before the 30-hour cutoff —almost never happened.

But the 70-year-old Swanson did cross the Western States finish in time, becoming the oldest woman to ever do so. Her remarkable run set off a boisterous celebration at the finish line and a video that went viral. Continue Reading →

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15 Tips to Self-Treat Achilles Tendinitis

Fit man gripping his injured calf muscle on a sunny dayAchilles tendinitis tends to affect runners more than any other group or athletic population. There is typically a high correlation to the amount of activity and volume performed in relation to biomechanical abnormalities and training errors which lead to Achilles tendinitis or tendinopathy.

The Achilles serves as the conjoined tendon for both calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Achilles tendinitis (also called tendonitis) is a serious condition for any athlete as it typically means a significant reduction in training volumes and modification to training routines. A complete stopping of sporting activities may be necessary in severe cases.

Learn the potential causative factors for Achilles tendinitis and how to self-treat this condition so you don’t lose too much time with your training. Continue Reading →

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Olympic Trials Hopeful Balances Family, Training and More

riley_cookRiley Cook’s running journey started at the urging of his mother. Now, he and his spouse work hard to make it all work while never forgetting to enjoy the journey.

By Henry Howard

The parents of Riley Cook were both runners, each completing multiple marathons. In fact, his mother once ran a 2:59 marathon.

When Cook was 13, his mother saw some running talent in him and took him to his first race, a 5K. At that race, Riley finished in 20 minutes without any training.

“She saw in me some natural talent in my youth and encouraged me to run,” Cook said. “From that race day forward she was convinced I could earn a scholarship to run if I trained and ran in high school, and encouraged me to strive for that goal.” Continue Reading →

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A New Challenge: Trail Marathon

nfecswi2014110[1][1][1][1]North Face Endurance Series tests runners on tough terrain in picturesque settings. MTA members and blog readers can receive 15 percent off entries into any race distance by using the code below.

By Henry Howard

The North Face Endurance Challenge Series presents six challenging courses to runners of all experience levels. In fact, runners can do any regular race distance from a 5K to a 50-miler. Continue Reading →

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Review: Summer Breeze Half Marathon

SummerBreeze_finishWhen I discovered that I had an off day on a Saturday when planning a recent business trip, I did what any runner would do: Scour race calendars for a suitable event.

Since the trip took me to Denver it was easy to find races. 5Ks, 10Ks, trails, half marathons, marathons, etc. After some research, I settled on the Summer Breeze Half Marathon in Arvada, Colorado, a suburb to the west of Denver. The race was put on by All-Out Multicourse Productions, which organized and directed a terrific event. Continue Reading →

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Using Running to be a Positive Role Model

1966841_10153012674421458_2388242113758593571_n“What’s that mummy? Can I have some?”

I’ll bet I’m not the only mum who has an inquisitive child.

In my case he’s two-and-a-half and he wants to know everything – what am I doing, what am I holding, more importantly, what am I eating.

I’ve learned I have to be a positive role model. I want to be the person that I want my child to become.

That doesn’t happen by stuffing my face full of chocolate, lazing around on the couch and thinking the wet weather is a great excuse to watch movies all day.

Many years ago that would have been my first idea. But when I moved to New Zealand I found I was drawn to the active lifestyle and since then I have been a runner (I’ve been an Ironman triathlete too but those days disappeared long ago!). Continue Reading →

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12 Strategies to Prevent and Self-Treat Muscle Cramping

RunningInjuryOnCalfMuscle cramping and spasming can significantly derail your best intentioned race plans.

A muscle cramp or spasm is a sudden, involuntary, and typically severe muscle contraction.

Thankfully, it’s very rare for a muscle spasm or cramp to permanently damage the muscle. However, the cramp or spasm can produce mild to excruciating pain. The pain can be very short lived or linger for days after a severe episode.

Unfortunately, muscle cramping can affect your performance. Common causes of muscle cramping include overexertion, prolonged immobility, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. Continue Reading →

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Review: Summer Night Half Marathon

summernighttrailHMAfter the sun set, 500 runners sporting headlamps embarked on a journey through a heavily wooded park on their way to an amazing post-race spread.

By Henry Howard

Last August, I had to record my first — and to date only — DNS (did not start) for a race, due to an ITBS injury. The race was a half marathon on a trail in Eagle Creek Park, roughly 15 miles north of Indianapolis. (In 2011, Trail Runner Magazine named it the “Best Urban Based Trail Marathon” in the country.)

After healing, I made plans to avenge that setback by completing two trail races this year at the same park. That brings us to June 6 and the Summer Night Trail Marathon. The event started after sundown in the sprawling park — mostly single-track trail — that is usually closed at that time of day. Continue Reading →

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For the Love of the Run

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Champion ultra runner has come a long way since her first 50-miler, which was full of snow and thorny bushes. Now, she finds peace of mind during long trail runs.

By Henry Howard

Jen Edwards first ran cross-country in high school “to stay in shape for basketball.” But she found out that she really liked running and wound up running in all three seasons — cross country, indoor track and outdoor track — while attending high school in Ohio.

After moving on to Kenyon College (Ohio), she continued to run cross-country and track. Then, at the encouragement of a friend, Edwards decided to move up from the 5Ks and 10Ks to a full marathon.

Since her friend was from Minnesota, they ran Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth between her sophomore and junior years. “It hurt like heck but it was really fun,” Edwards chuckles.

And like many runners, shortly after the race, she was thinking about the next one. Continue Reading →

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Review: Horse Capital Marathon

4065870663_872e599455_zWhen a marathon race website indicates “rolling hills” for the course, participants should be prepared for hills, hills and more hills.

That was the lesson I learned at the inaugural Horse Capital Marathon and Half Marathon, held May 16 in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Boston Marathon qualifier was the first race held in the area in 35 years. I wonder if Lexington was any flatter back in 1980. Continue Reading →

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