Author: emjhc
Setting: Sunday brunch. You just finished a long run and your best friend walks towards you straight from her favorite yoga class. You are exhausted and ready for a nap, but she looks fresh and almost glowing. “Please come and do yoga with me,” she says. Your Answer? “No. I can’t do yoga. I’m not flexible.” This is a typical reaction of a reactionary runner. We can run for hours, but the thought of wasting precious time on Downward Dog can be frightening and potentially maddening. (How do you even get your heels on the ground in this pose?!)…
There comes a point in every runner’s life when “Running is fun” becomes “I wonder if I could go harder, better, faster, stronger…” And while there are many ways to get faster, run longer, and train smarter—books and the internet and run clubs, oh my—one of the best ways is to enlist a running coach to help you reach your goals. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to finding and working with a running coach. First, ask yourself what you hope to get out of working with a coach. “Before you start looking for a coach, you need…
There was a time in history when women didn’t run. (“Don’t run,” they said, “your ovaries will fall out.” Um, okay.) Things changed in 1967 when Katherine Switzer became the first woman to officially participate in the Boston Marathon. Women actually rule the world now. According to Running USA, in 2015, 57% of all road race participants were women. (In 1990 it was only 25%.) And as more women lace up their running shoes, the industry, especially the road racing industry, is responding. Women-only races such as the popular Nike Her Women’s Half Marathon Series, New York Road Runners…
You are ready to invest in your training and achieve your goals. Avoid race day mistakes that can ruin the glorious finishing moment you’ve long dreamed of. 1. Overcommitting yourself when choosing your clothing. The phrase “There’s nothing new on race day” is often repeated and for good reason. Stick to what you know! Don’t get caught up in what other people are doing. Make a plan and stick to it. Wear your trained gear, eat your usual pre-race breakfast, and run at your trained pace. 2. Forgetting to charge your electronic devices This GPS watch will be useless…
Feel like you’re in a funk? Blame it on the time of year. As many as 20 percent of Americans suffer from some form of winter blues (so nope, you’re definitely not alone). Here are five ways the gloomy weather messes with your spirits. You Feel Down. Fewer hours of sunlight means it’s entirely possible that you wake up before the sun rises and leave work when the sun has already set. Talk about a buzzkill. There’s a reason all the darkness gets you down: Light has the ability to fire up your brain’s serotonin levels, just like an antidepressant…
One minute you’re happily zooming along, delivering killer presentations at work, letting loose at girls’ night out. Heck, you’re even loving the butt-kicking new boot camp class you just started. Things are good. And then, suddenly, bam: You feel stuck. Your job is the same old same old day after day. The weekends are a laundry list of chores and obligations. You have to force yourself to do your workout, and every minute of It is a slog. Don’t despair. We’ve got the ultimate guide to busting your six biggest ruts and firing up your mojo. Read on and recharge!…
All your friends are doing it — just check out the brag shots on their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts. Want in? Whether it’s a 5K, 10K, or half-marathon, we have a plan to get you through the finish line strong. We promise that you’ll soon be boasting about your medals, too. Why you should try it: Running can provide the impetus for a healthier lifestyle or help you overcome a training plateau. “Incorporating a 5K race into your calendar is a great motivational tool. He’ll see a big change in his level of fitness in just over a month,”…
The Importance of Cross-Training “A runner needs to cross train to keep their body in balance,” says Leanne Kemp, who has run two marathons and several other distance races. “I discovered my love for hiking when we moved to southern Utah. My running has improved greatly because I hike. Hiking allows your body to take a break from the pounding, and build up strength and endurance. I get the same high when I get to the top of a mountain as I do when I get to the end of a race.” Push Through It “My husband is an…
Let’s do a fun experiment here. Head to the nutrition section of your running store and take a quick look at fitness trackers. Is your heart rate increasing? The number of running gels, gums, drinks, and tablets on the market these days is incredible, so it’s no wonder this is the case. And of course, each package claims to contain the best fuel ever. “As enthusiasm for running increases, so do the opportunities to refuel,” says Pam Nisevich-Bede, RD, M.S., a sports dietitian at Abbott. “Sometimes these issues arise as new science emerges, but mostly it’s because runners just want…
Why Runners Need Yoga Years ago, I accepted certain realities about my running abilities: My legs weren’t going to sprout an extra 5 inches; I was always going to run ragged, huffing and puffing on my way to nailing a PR. These were cold, hard facts … or they were until I tried yoga for the first time, looking to rehab some piriformis (aka butt) issues. After a few sessions, not only was that pesky pain a thing of the past, but I noticed other improvements, particularly in my breathing. “Yoga and running go together like peanut butter and jelly,”…