Training

Glycerol Loading for Improved Endurance »

While December is not normally the time of year one is trying to come up with strategies to “beat the heat,” it is something that may be on our minds come next summer, so now is a good time to start researching and considering your options. Much focus is placed on hydration for athletes, especially [...]

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 Twin Cities [...]

Featured Website: Sport Tracks »

Sport Tracks is a website for a handy tool to track your activities and more. It can be easily downloaded and installed on your PC. Besure to check the minimum requirements first. The site features a Demo Center, Downloads and a User Forum. Its all free but you can make a donation, if you like. [...]

You Gotta Have Heart, Miles & Miles & Miles of Heart! »

This is part four in a series about heart rate training: Part one is about Karnoven Heart Rate Training Zones/Targets, part two is about your Resting Heart Rate and part three deals with Maximum Heart Rate. ————– I have an admission to make. I am fantastically craptacular at knowing how fast I should be running [...]

How to Accurately Determine Your Maximum Heart Rate & Have An Out of Body Experience At the Same Time »

continued from parts one and two ———————————— According to a Google search on the subject, Maximum Heart Rate can be defined in the following ways: The fastest and hardest your heart can pump without going into fibrillation. Rate differs according to age. Funny but true! If you’ve ever done a real test of your MHR, [...]

The What, Why & How of Your Resting Heart Rate »

Last week, I talked about using the Karnoven Method for determining accurate heart rate training targets/zones, and promised I’d return this week with information about Resting Heart Rate (RHR) and Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). Today, I’ll talk about RHR. Please come by tomorrow for the MHR discussion. Five Things You Should Know About Your Resting [...]

Use the Karvonen Method to Determine Your Heart Rate Training Targets »

The basis for how you determine your target heart rate may not be exactly correct. In the past when I figured out the heart rates I should be training at, I used training zones like the ones listed below and described by Sports Coach Brian Mac: The Energy Efficient/Recovery Zone – 60% to 70% The [...]

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast »

During my drive for Boston last year, I distinctly remember hammering through nearly every run, thinking to myself, “If I can” t handle a six mile run at x:xx pace, how can I expect to run an entire marathon at that pace?” As race day grew closer, the aches and pains of the effort began [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

Runner’s Tool Box: Race Conversion Calculator (Predicts Finish Times Based on Other Race Distances) »

Instructions Enter a distance (a number) you have run recently. Select kilometers or miles (1 mile = 1600 meters = 1.6 kilometers, etc.). Enter the time it took you to run that distance. Enter the distance (a number) you want a prediction for. Select kilometers or miles for the race you want a prediction for. [...]

Runner’s Tool Box: Suggested Training Pace Calculator »

How do we know how fast (or slow) our training runs should be to run goal speed for different race distances? This tool, based on the studies of famed running coach Jack Daniels, can help. Directions for use: Enter the number of miles or kilometers for your goal race. Select Kilometers or Miles. Enter the [...]

Runner’s Tool Box: Split Calculator + Pace Band Maker »

In the days before GPS and Speed+Distance monitors (not very long ago!), the old-fashioned way of pacing was to use a watch, a pace band and race course mile-markers. Many runners still prefer this tried and true method of pacing—especially those who don’t want to spend money on the latest monitoring gadgets. By selecting your [...]

Running Long: Just Do It »

I guess I am something of a running masochist. Ever since I got my first taste of long runs while training for a marathon, I’ve been hooked. I loved the whole process of carbo-loading, filling up my water bottles and heading out the door for two or three hours. I got to the point where [...]

Galloway: Evil Genius or Just Plain Evil? »

Mention the name “Galloway” in a room full of runners and you’re bound to get a range of reactions. So, who is this person Galloway and why should you care? Jeff Galloway (not to be confused with this guy) is an Olympian (1972), set a world record in a 10-mile race (1973), won the first [...]

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 [...]

You Need a Coach! »

No, i’m not talking to that elite, speedy group over there bouncing on their tip-toes or the genetically predisposed lining up at the front of every race i’ve ever been to. No, I’m talking to you, the mid-packers, the back-of-packers and the i’d-rather-be-watching-the-greenbay-packers. Yes you. You need a coach. But forget the traditional coach/client model [...]

Turn Down That Stereo! »

Its 7:30 on a beautiful clear sunny morning; the kind of morning when you really appreciate being alive. The birds are chirping a beautiful melody as you walk to your car. You get into the car, shut the door, put your nice warm coffee in the cup holder, and put your seatbelt on. You do [...]

Running Physiology: A Cascade of Changes »

See the related article: “Turn Down That Stereo!” ————————- Why does it take a period of time before you feel warmed up and comfortable after starting a run? The answer begins with how your body responds to the increased demands of exercise. When you start exercising, your body must do the following: Increase the rate [...]

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