I don't like telling people what to eat. Okay, that's not exactly true. I love telling runners how they should fuel before, during, and after their runs. But the rest of the time? There are a lot of ways to eat for health, longevity, flavor and fun (don't forget the last two!) and who am I to tell you what to do with your free will? And the other part is a well-known secret in the fitness industry. But it doesn't get clicks, so you might miss it. Most fit people are really boring when it...
12 days ago • 4 min read
There's no shortage of advice out there on how to get good at running. From the overly simple ("just run more"), to the overly complicated ("train on a treadmill just below lactate threshold while getting your blood drawn and your VO2 Max measured"), it can feel a bit overwhelming if you are stuck in your running progress. The truth is there are some basic truths about how to train to improve at endurance running. Nail the basics consistently and you'll improve more than the vast majority of...
19 days ago • 4 min read
We are conditioned to think fatigue is a bad thing. When you are bone-tired after a hard workout, or you are dragging yourself straight to the couch after yet another stressful day of work, you're bound to wonder if it's all worth it. Fatigue isn't fun. Of course, fatigue isn't fun because it's an indicator of all sorts situations we want to avoid (too much stress, overtraining, illness, and more). It's there to tell us to slow down. But, when used wisely in your training, fatigue can be your...
26 days ago • 3 min read
Late spring can be a confusing time of year for runners. If you have already run your big spring race, hopefully you are taking some time to recover mentally and physically. But after that,training for fall racing is still a good 6-8 weeks away or more. Some runners are grateful for the break from intense training and let running take a backseat to all the other things going on in life. At first, the free time and rest are welcome, but there usually comes a point when not running starts to...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
As you might know, I live in the mountains. My house sits on a ridge about a mile up from the river. Unless I want to run back and forth on the same 2-mile stretch over and over, all my runs are going to have some hills. And it's always uphill to get home. You would think that I would love hills at this point. (mmm, can't say I do) But they definitely made me a stronger, more resilient runner. Even if you are not training for a hilly event, you should be training on hills once or twice a...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
I've openly talked many times about how I used to get myself down to some mythical "race weight" before each marathon. I would exist on as little as 1500 calories a day while running anywhere from 60-90 miles a week. (That is heartbreaking for me to even type now.) I got so thin that I was one pound away from being clinically underweight before I finally gave up and ate. To my surprise, I actually got faster as I gained back weight. I weighed exactly the same weight for my first marathon and...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Boston Marathon weekend is almost here! 💛💙 If your social media feed is anything like mine, it's filled with Boston-bound runners and last minute tips. I’ve run the Boston Marathon twice and both races were some of the most memorable experiences of my life. Not because they were my fastest races, but because it truly lives up to all the hype if you are lucky enough to go. If you're headed to Beantown this weekend, or hope to be one day, check out my tips to make sure you get the most out of...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
It's been said that the 5k is harder than the marathon. Okay, that was me. I said that. Sure, the distance itself is easier, but if you are trying to race 3.1 miles as fast as possible, it feels like lighting your lungs and legs on fire from the get-go. Especially if you are a marathoner. We're just not used to going that hard that soon in a race and holding on for dear life. But, let me tell you, dedicating myself to one or two honest 5k training cycles a year absolutely made me a faster...
2 months ago • 4 min read
If you were going by social media standards, a "good runner" would probably look like this: impossibly smooth selfie videos while running by the sea in Bali sub-3 hour marathon, sub 1:25 half, sub-20 5k, sub-40 10k effortlessly gorgeous race photos, every single time I mean, I want all of that for you. I really do. But we both know none of those things are even remotely realistic for the vast majority of runners. Social media just makes us feel like that's the standard. Yes, I've knocked a...
2 months ago • 4 min read