Taper week can do some crazy things to runners. Some people feel nervous and anxious about the big day. Without as much running scheduled to ease the mind, nerves can get a bit frazzled. We worry about losing fitness and gaining weight, we obsessively stalk the weather forecast, and we stress about making sure every […]
Race Strategy
Not So Safe and Effective
I have finally figured it out. I know now what caused the race-ending stomach pain at the Richmond Marathon in November. And it wasn’t just the acidic, burning cauldron in my belly that sidelined me. I didn’t even mention the lightheadedness and the palpable pounding of my heart in my chest at mile 14. I […]
Fireball Anti-Cramp Gels
I don’t get cramps very often when I run or race, but when it happens, it can quickly turn a nice run into a miserable suffer fest. I started doing a little research online about what works to stop them. Pickle juice, mustard, salt, water were all touted as cures, but I wasn’t really sold […]
- 5K
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Making Strides with Strides
My 5K training plan calls for most of my easy runs to finish with four 20 second strides. The idea behind strides is that you are not too fatigued from your easy run to run fast with good form. It’s a dose of speed work on your light days that is short enough that you […]
- 5K
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Shut Up, Nancy!
I’m skipping track this week. My schedule called for my speed work to be done today on a Monday and for Tuesday to be easy in preparation for the 5K race on Saturday. I knew if I went to track it would be a lot of shorter, faster segments and at this point, I need […]
The Lowest End of Healthy
I am the type of runner that gains weight while marathon training. Out of the 5 marathons I’ve run in the last two years, I gained weight for 3 of them. Not a lot, but 4 to 5 pounds. Once I started really trying to figure out how to get better at the marathon, the […]