I decided to run the Rock Cut Hobo Run series for my peak training week for my first 50 mile race. This would involve three back-to-back races.
I knew it would be much more motivating to run an actual event rather than gutting out two back to back long runs myself.
The trails in Northern Illinois also seemed very similar to what I would experience at the North Face Endurance 50 miler in Wisconsin. Continue Reading →
photo credit: John Young Twitter page
By Henry Howard
About nine years ago, John Young was not sleeping well so his wife encouraged him to undergo a sleep study. At the doctor’s office, he stepped on the scale and was shocked to see that he weighed 195 pounds.
That weight is incredibly unhealthy for someone who stands 4-foot-4-inches tall. Continue Reading →
flat bart
Bart Yasso started running in 1976. He joined Runner’s World in 1987 (and still loves his job).
He’s friend to millions of runners around the world.
In fact, I tried to friend him on Facebook today and got notified that, “Bart has reached the friend limit. He can’t receive friend requests at the moment.” Facebook caps the number of friends at 5,000.
Bart was with us for episode #19 (five years ago) and we’ve since bumped into him at the Little Rock Marathon and Modesto Marathon.
His book, My Life on the Run, was the first running book I picked up after taking the plunge. Interesting side note to the book . . . Continue Reading →
These are not my feet, btw.
My injury became the inspiration behind The Marathon That Got Away.
Thankfully my tendon hasn’t bothered me for the last two weeks and I’m ready to slowly ease back into running.
I’m thankful to Angie (my wife) and my physical therapist friend Dr. Ben Shatto for helping me diagnose and deal with this injury before it got serious.
Here’s what I’ve been doing Continue Reading →
We were recently interviewed on the Real Food and Beyond Podcast about running, podcasting, and FOOD! Our thanks to B.J. Tucker and Lisa Fallon Mindle for having us on the show.
Here are the other great podcasts we’ve been on over the years. Continue Reading →
Looking for a BQ or PR? This flat and fast course will fit the bill, while the cost is affordable especially given the swag and post-race food.
By Henry Howard
The Erie Marathon routinely shows up on lists touting the “best Boston Qualifier races.” In fact, organizers use that as a draw for BQ hopefuls: the race is held each year on the last day for qualifying for the next Boston Marathon.
The course — which is accurately described as flat and fast — is two loops around Presque Isle State Park in northwestern Pennsylvania. For most of the course, one lane of traffic is blocked off and the other lane is for the runners. Continue Reading →
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If you’ve been running for a while you may have faced the disappointment of having to miss a race due to injury or illness.
You may have been fighting injury over a long period of time and came to the realization that the race wasn’t going to be a good idea. Or you may have had an injury or illness that came out of nowhere.
In either case, it’s very hard to know when to skip or DNS (did not start) a race and deal with the disappointment of not being able to do something you’ve been training for and looking forward to.
Trevor faced this recently with what would have been marathon #10 at the Tupelo Marathon. A couple weeks before the race he started experiencing Achilles soreness, a lump, redness and discomfort.
This got progressively worse until he was feeling discomfort with every step. This is annoying for a 4 mile run but potentially dangerous during a marathon. Continue Reading →
The term shin splints, also known as an anterior compartment syndrome, refers to pain along the shinbone (tibia), the large bone in the front of your lower leg.
Shin splints can be excruciatingly painful to the point that you may struggle to walk or run. They are typically caused by inflammation in the anterior muscle of the lower leg known as the anterior tibialis muscle.
This is the primary muscle needed to lift your foot. Shin splints are often considered an over use injury and unfortunately, are relatively common in runners.
Discover the common causes for shin splints and implement these strategies to prevent and self-treat shin splints. Continue Reading →
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Here’s part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Jeff Brown the lead psychologist at the Boston Marathon and author of the new book The Runner’s Brain.
In this episode we ask brain questions sent in by Academy members. I know you’ll love it!
Topics covered include: how to mentally prepare for a race, overcoming the post-race blues, mental toughness, how the elites think, and dealing with start line nerves. Continue Reading →
Robert Wadhams has shed weight, embraced fitness and found motivation along the way from a personal trainer, online community and beat-up ribbon.
By Henry Howard
Robert Wadhams was a big man living in a small box.
Figuratively, of course. Wadhams spent his time eating unhealthy food and playing video games. His weight had ballooned up to nearly 400 pounds. “Without realizing it, my life began to revolve around food,” he says, rattling off a what-not-to-eat list of pizza, fried foods and more that were his dietary staples. “That was pretty much my downfall.”
Wadhams, however, made major changes to improve his health, get into running and eventually finish half marathons, a marathon and a triathlon. His story continues today as he recovers from two surgeries and has his eyes set on even more daunting challenges. Continue Reading →
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Jeff Brown is the lead psychologist for the Boston Marathon and a member of Runner’s World scientific advisory board.
He’s assistant clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and McClain Hospital.
His new book is called The Runner’s Brain – How to Think Smarter and Run Better, due out in October of this year. Continue Reading →
By Henry Howard
It’s no secret that the sun’s powerful rays are not only challenging to outdoor athletes during the summer but can also lead to skin cancer.
Outdoor athletes’ substantial exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation increases their risk of developing basal and squamous cell carcinoma, the two most common skin cancers, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Many marathoners also tend to have more small moles and large atypical moles, which are increased risk factors for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, the foundation reports.
The American Cancer Society estimates that many of the 2 million cases of skin cancer diagnosed annually could be eliminated by properly protecting one’s skin and avoiding indoor tanning. Continue Reading →
