When I tell people that I love distance running, I often get reprimanded. "You're going to blow out your knees," people warn me. I don't know if they genuinely think they are going to save me from the perils of ACL surgery or if people just like to get on a soapbox, but it's getting old. Distance running is not inherently bad. When running injuries occur, it… Continue reading

Rants and Raves, Running

Threshold training is one of the best ways to improve performance in middle distance running. Sometimes called tempo running, threshold training involves trying to take your body right to the edge, without falling off the cliff. If you were to rate your intensity on a scale of 1-10 during a run, a comfortable jog might rank as a 6, with an all out sprint being a 10. While… Continue reading

Running

After a hard workout, you might be dreading the soreness which will inevitably ensue over the next 24-48 hours. Your instinct could be to take the next day off from exercising altogether. Not so fast! Active recovery allows you to keep the momentum in terms of your fitness AND can potentially decrease the lactic acid build-up that's partially to blame for muscle soreness. Instead of taking the day… Continue reading

Running, Strength and Conditioning

Interval training is often touted as the best way to burn fat and expend high amounts of energy during a workout. It is also great for people who don't feel that they have a lot of time to devote to fitness. A high intensity interval training session (sometimes called HIIT) can be completed in under 30 minutes. HIIT alternates between rounds of high intensity exercise immediately followed… Continue reading

Running, Strength and Conditioning

What makes for a great running playlist? Well besides the obvious stuff, like picking your favorite genre (I like rock music) or finding songs with inspiring lyrics, I like to find songs that I can sync my pacing with rhythmically. When I time my foot strike with the beat, it helps me to keep my footing even. It also enhances my focus when I match my… Continue reading

Running, The Mind/Body Connection

I hurt my foot the other day and didn't feel up to running; even walking was causing me some discomfort. I knew that it would be foolish to try to run, but I really didn't want to blow off my training altogether. Figuring that the impact of my foot hitting the ground while walking was the main cause for the discomfort that I was feeling, I decided… Continue reading

Running, Working Out Your Legs

Brrrr...it's a cold one out there today! But that didn't stop me (and thousands of other runners) from participating in this morning's annual New York Road Runner's Association Holiday 4 mile run in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. It also didn't stop me from running a personal best of 29:53 (7:28 per mile)! I'm no stranger to running in the cold, and after running the NYC marathon last month, just doing 4 miles… Continue reading

Inspirational, Running

I have often been heard to remark that indoor cardio (with machines like treadmills or stationary bikes) is, at best, a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it is nice to be able to know exactly how fast of a pace you are keeping. And it's nice to be able to adjust your intensity with the push of a button. Treadmills can also be beneficial when doing… Continue reading

Rants and Raves, Running

In life, there are things that you need to have and there are things that are nice to have. You need basic things like food and shelter--we can't survive without them. On the other hand, luxuries like cell phones and elevators fall into the category of nice to have. Sometimes we feel like we need them--but we wouldn't die without them. In running, the only… Continue reading

Running, Strength and Conditioning

There are so many different running sneakers available and so many different shapes of feet out there to fill them. The problem is getting the sneaker that's the right fit for your foot. Unfortunately, it's not always the coolest looking ones. Whether you are just starting out with running or training for a marathon, it's worth putting some time into finding a sneaker that's appropriate for your foot… Continue reading

Running