How to Run Faster

Type that phrase into Google and you get 43,000 hits (plus 48 videos). But who wants to go through all those agonizing drills? Here are 10 surefire ways to improve your speed.

Blowing the Cover Off Diva Night

Until last week, I thought running was about shin splints, pasta, sweat, fartleks and “the wall.” Now I’ve learned that for some of you it’s also about clothes, jewelry, hors d’oeuvres, and fine wines.

The Golden Years

In running, being over the hill just means you’re picking up steam.
If the blogosphere is any judge, the biggest news out of last week’s London Marathon was not Ryan Hall’s blistering 2:06:17, nor the fact that it was only good enough for fifth place in a race where a record six men finished under 2:07.

Do You Dress the Way You Run?

Does your running apparel correctly reflect your running status?
Ah yes, as if we didn’t have enough to worry about when it comes to suiting up and accessorizing for a race – pronating, wicking, chafing, bouncing – the list goes on and on. But there’s also the issue of what your togs say about what […]

Live From Boston, It’s Patriots’ Day!

I don’t know how many other Californians take Patriots’ Day off, but I’ll be camped out in front of the television instead of at my desk.

The Agony of De-Feet

The Boston Marathon. The Peachtree Road Race. The Fifth Avenue Mile. And now, the Glamour Stiletto Run.

Remora Runner

Back when I was a kid (you know, right around the time of the Civil War), one of the most exciting days of the school year was when the Scholastic Book shipment arrived.
For those of you who can’t remember a time before computers and Amazon.com, Scholastic had an arrangement with schools

The Way to Go

I promise not to be graphic in discussing this topic, but I will be candid. I’ll also ease into it gradually, so you’ll have multiple opportunities to click on this handy modesty link, which will take you to the Complete Running home page with no harm done.

Running With the Chowhounds

Most runners choose races based on the location, the terrain, the crowds, or the reputation. I often choose them for the food.

Back of the Pack

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my turn near the front of my half-marathon training group comprised mostly of beginners. By unfortunate coincidence, an injury forced me

The View From the Front

My lovely wife signed up for a 10-week half-marathon training program and I decided to join her. The program is organized by the local Fleet Feet store and primarily

Men in Tights: Tips

Women tend to have their body image issues during the warm weather months, but some of us guys have ours during the winter. We stave off facing them as long as possible by wearing our singlets and shorts even when the

New Year’s Resolutions, Etc.

January is a strange time of year for runners, since we are already taking care of many of the top New Year’s resolutions.
But that doesn’t mean the practice is completely without merit. I’ve generated a few for myself:

Runner’s Tan

The dog days of summer are long gone. It’s cold, dark and damp outside. Some of you may already be dealing with ice and snow. Fortunately, runners carry with them all year long the remnants of those bright, shiny rays of sunshine. I’m speaking, of course, of runner’s tan.
Yes, we run those endless miles […]

Roadkill

As I lay face-down in the gravel, bleeding, my mind searched frantically for the answer to the one question that was of immediate and critical importance to me:
What is the penalty for animal cruelty in Sacramento County?
I was eight miles into my one and only opportunity for a 20-miler. I needed it to determine whether […]

So, Am I A Peak Performer?

Short answer: not yet.
It has been two months since I completed the peak performance program at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, in an effort to determine whether a middle-aged, middle-of-the-packer could benefit from the same kind of attention and advice lavished on elite runners. I have given all the recommendations a fair trial—well, except for the […]

What Are You Running From?

If you have been following my trek through the peak performance program at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, you know I have had to fast for 12 hours, play video games using my legs, give blood, scan my bones and body fat, run a 4-degree grade at 8.5 mph with an oxygen mask over my face, […]

I’m Full of Wind

Read the entire account of Mike’s experience: part one, part two, part three, part four, and part five.
Having recovered sufficiently from my VO2 max test to understand spoken English, I sat down with exercise physiologist Mike Siemens to examine the results.
Mike explained the uses of the test: to measure work potential, general health and wellness, […]