Running is as much of a mental game as it is a physical one. If you are not trained mentally as well as physically for a race or event, you might be in trouble. Our minds can fool us into thinking we are getting tired, we are not running that fast, there’s a pain developing in our leg, we need to stop and walk, we need to slow down, we
February 13th, 2016
Let’s Try Again…..Starting to Run (For Real This Time)
(Originally Posted on Medium.Com) Okay, so my title has two meanings. The first is that my last article talked more about running consistently but less about how to begin running, so I am trying to supplement that article since it’s title was misleading (just a little). The second meaning is because many of us have vowed to begin running either fail to keep going or keep putting it off (maybe
January 18th, 2016
How to Start Running and Stick With It.
(Originally published 1/18/16 on Medium.com) How to Start Running and Stick With It. For many, this is the time of year to make New Year Resolutions, and for many, this will only last for a few weeks or maybe 2 months tops. Whatever the reason, if running consistently in 2016 is one of your goals, I commend you for such a goal. I have some advice to help you
November 17th, 2015
Richmond Half Marathon 2015 Review – A New PR Under Odd Circumstances
Just three weeks after running the Marine Corps Marathon, I spontaneously signed up for the Richmond Half Marathon the Monday prior to the race. I had originally planned for MCM to be my last race for 2015, but I was a little disappointed with the outcome of Marine Corps Marathon, despite getting a personal record and shaving 7 minutes off my Chicago Marathon time from last year. I know I
October 29th, 2015
Marine Corps Marathon – OORAH! Mission Accomplished! Race Review
Last year I ran the Chicago Marathon, and that was my first one. I think at that time, I thought maybe that would be the only one I’d do. That distance is not a walk in the park. But, as the months went on, I began thinking I might want to try another one. And so here we are, talking about marathon #2, the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in Washington,
October 6th, 2015
The Final 20 Mile Run Report
Going into the final longest run before the marathon, my legs were feeling pretty achy. My one leg ached with such a weird pain that I wondered if I was beginning to have a stress fracture. I got a leg massage last Friday, and I found out that I had some very tight and sore deep calf muscles. The massage probably helped things in preparation for the 22 miler I
September 26th, 2015
The Second 20 Mile Run
Last Sunday I had the second big training run, and I planned to experiment with hydrating and fueling to see if I could rid the problem of nausea in the late miles that I experienced last year and a little bit on this year’s first 20 miler. Earlier in the week I was reading some articles about hydrating during long runs. Usually there are two schools of advice. The first
September 16th, 2015
Review – Bird In Hand Half
The Bird In Hand Half is a race I did not think I would be able to run this year. It had sold out the day that I went to register, but I got placed on a wait list and got off the wait list in August. This race is popular due to the uniqueness of running with the Amish and the very cool custom-made horseshoe medals. If you are
September 11th, 2015
First 20 miler for MCM completed
On 9/6/15 I ran the first of three 20+ mile runs as part of my marathon training. The day before I had some soreness in my ankle, as well as the Achilles area in the other leg. I’ve dealt with the latter off and on since May. So I iced, rolled, and took Advil the day before. My goal was to go at an easy pace and finish in about
August 26th, 2015
MCM Training Update
The anticipation is building for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. I am now in the high intensity months where there are lots of runs and longer distances to cover. This is only the second marathon I have ever done, so I am still not that used to distances 15 miles and over. This time last year, I was training for the Chicago Marathon, and I was dealing with a