As a personal trainer and running coach, when I prepare run training programs, strength training is always an integral part. Strength training has many benefits including contributing to increased lean muscle mass, strength of connective tissue, bone density, resting metabolism and cardiovascular health. Strength training can also improve balance, coordination and posture, boost energy levels and improve mood. As runners, strength training, particularly exercises focused on lateral hip stability and rotational core strength, helps us attain and maintain proper running form, which in turn allows us to run longer and faster, and reduces the likelihood of injury.

The temperatures drop; the fires roar. Winter is time to snuggle under a blanket and sip on tea. Best way to survive winter? Hunker down and stay inside until the frost melts! Growing up in the south, this was definitely my point of view. However, after more than 20 years living in Vermont, I have learned this mentality couldn’t be further from the truth.

“The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.” – Bob Marley

A few months back, I found myself under the surface of the ocean holding my breath at 80 feet, lying on some sand, just looking up at a rock cliff beside me. Utter silence, fish all around me. All I could think of was a song by The Talking Heads: “How did I get here? Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again, after the monkey’s gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground.”

We can still achieve a lot of our primary motivations for endurance sport, even without racing! But how do we do this? By choosing our own adventure! Coach Doug has more in this blog post!

Sharpening our mental training skills can have a tremendous advantage with staying in control under pressure, being more consistent in our training, performing at our best ability, and exceeding our best at our most important competitions. Coach Amy Javens talks about these skills in this blog!

Let’s face it-for triathletes, any injury is a figurative pain in the behind! Some, though, are quite literally so-and high hamstring tendinopathy is one of them. Although not as prevalent as some more common tendinopathies in the leg (as in, the Achilles tendon, or patellar tendon in the knee), high hamstring tendinopathies are notoriously stubborn, and frustrating to athletes and treating practitioners alike-something I can personally attest to (more than I’d care to admit), having been on both sides of that equation as a triathlete and physical therapist. So, what exactly is high hamstring tendinopathy? What leads to this issue? What can we do about it?

My experience with virtual racing thus far and some tips, if you'd like to try it too.

On May 17th, Joe Rich embarked on a Marathon Challenge. This was not a straight forward marathon. At the beginning of each hour – first run at 8AM, last run at 8PM - Joe ran at least 2 miles (the first run was 2.2) until he got to a full marathon. Read his race report, including nutrition, pacing, mental strategy, and his fastest split (the second to last run) in this blog post!

Congratulations on signing up for your first 5K! Whether you’re participating in a traditional race or a virtual race, it’s time to start training. Grab a friend and let’s get going. Follow this training plan and in six weeks you will be ready to run your 5K.