I did a hill workout today. If you want a humbling workout, whether you’re a runner or any other kind of fitness buff, there’s nothing like running hills to humble you. For runners, hills are a big part of training and racing. The feel of your heart pounding in your chest and your shortness of …
I ran Race for the Cure this morning in Balboa Park in San Diego, thinking about my mom. I have been running Race for the Cure for a number of years, in many different places, including on the campus of the educational testing center in Princeton, New Jersey. Few people have heard of Princeton’s educational …
On my 5-mile run around Lake Miramar in San Diego today, I thought about economy. People use different amounts of oxygen when running at the same submaximal speeds, and this difference explains why runners with the same VO2max do not cross the finish line together in races. This difference in oxygen use is called running …
I’m not sure that any other industry has as many myths as the weight loss and exercise industry. In today’s blog, I’d like to share three, from my new book, THE RUNNING DIET: Myth: Eating right before going to bed will make you fat. Most nights, after dinner, I eat a bowl of cereal. …
If you stand near the finish line of a major marathon, you’ll notice something very peculiar. Grown men and women who are the essence of vitality and the strength of human will cry as they cross the finish line. Why do they do this? Better runs are emotional runs. The runs that stir something inside …
Many new runners complain that they can’t breathe even on short runs. Indeed, getting in enough air is foremost on their minds. It’s a marvel of physiology that enough air gets into our bodies, with our nostrils being no larger than the size of a pea. Even the space between semi-pursed lips is small considering …
Dear Diary, Flying back to the U.S. from southeast Asia, I watched the movie Paper Planes. It’s about a 12-year-old boy from Australia who competes in the World Paper Airplane Championships in Tokyo. It reminded me of how my brother used to do Origami when we were kids. And how I used to throw paper …
Southeast Asia, Remembering Muriel, and Paper Airplanes Read More »
Just got back from an hour run on the other side of the International Date Line. September starts with a trip to southeast Asia—Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. First stop: Jakarta, Indonesia to speak at the Indonesia Fitness and Health Expo. Looks like someone is sleeping on the job. Airport security is not like it is …
I’ll tell you a little secret. I often get complimented on my butt. Yes, it’s true. I’ve been running 6 days a week since 6th grade, plenty of time to sculpt the perfect butt. Have you ever wanted to run outside in shorts or wear tight jeans at a nightclub but didn’t feel you …
Whether you want to run around the block or qualify for the Boston Marathon, how you train can have a dramatic effect on your performance. While running just to run will certainly make you fitter, understanding all of the training components and putting them together in a systematic training plan gives you the blueprint for …