Overmatched by Dumbbells »

I avoided it for as long as I could, but I still ended up in the weight room. If I’m skeptical about the benefits of weight training for distance runners, at least I’m not alone. There are a lot of articles online about runners and weights, and they range from the skeptical to the hostile. [...]

The Best Way to Strengthen Your VMOs »

My running has been plagued by bad patella tracking and therefore knee pain. Poor patella tracking is typically due to weak Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO) muscles and tight quads. I have tried doing many different VMO exercises but they came up short. I did many leg extensions and leg presses and even though the VMO [...]

Video of the Week: Wildflower Editon »

In honor of how I will be spending my weekend I bring you a video about the Wildflower Triathlon. There is running at the end so I think it is fair game for this site. You can’t be a triathlete if you are not a runner.
This will be my first ever Olympic Distance [...]

Strength Training for Endurance Running »

Resistance training can aid in the prevention of injuries by building strength in muscles, tendons and ligaments. Resistance training can also balance the muscles, thereby leading to improvements in the mechanics of movement.
PERIODIZATION: Use different training programs for different periods of the year and a series of progressions, or steps, in which athletes [...]

Making It All Work: Integrating a Fitness Plan Into Life »

I’m a busy guy. In fact, I’m really, really busy. During the course of a typical day, I’m many things. I’m a full time student, a father of three young boys, a husband to one loving and patient wife, a dedicated employee, a paid on-call firefighter, a moderately consistent writer both here at CompleteRunning.com and [...]

Swimming and Running: The Perfect Combination? »

I started swimming competitively when I was about 11 or 12 years old. Since then swimming has at different times drifted in and out of my workout regimen. I have always felt that swimming was a good way to stay fit, but it wasn’t until I started running and training for the Medtronic [...]

Dragon Boating for Runners (Yes, I am serious) »

So you are 20 plus years older and 40 pounds heavier (it’s the weight training—I swear!) than your peak running days. Yet the competitive juices still flow as freely as they did when you were in your prime. Does this sound familiar? Maybe, maybe not, but it is the situation I currently find myself in.
What [...]

Bikers Versus Runners »

It’s not about the bike.
I’m not knocking the cyclists. Really, I’m not. But if you are a cyclist? Don’t read this.
I never got cycling. Tour de France was interesting and Lance is an incredible athlete, but the bikes never thrilled me. When I think about the bike races, all I can think is “Yeah, but [...]

Get Your Weight Training On! »

Runners are not the most muscle bound of athletes, but we do need our fair share to keep us bounding over hill and dale, and in good overall health. Unfortunately, as we age we tend to lose what meager muscle we may have.
Consider the following:

After middle age, men typically lose five pounds of muscle [...]