This piece first appeared in Track Coach magazine in Spring, 2005. It remains one of my favorite articles. Feel free to share with your colleagues and friends. It all started with an innocent race once around the track in sixth grade. Midway through the final curve, I felt something, something that would change my …
If you watched the New York City Marathon yesterday, either in person or on TV, you may have noticed something if you watched carefully. It’s pretty amazing, even extraordinary: People have different running styles. Woah! Can you believe it? Unbelievable! Most runners heel-strike, others mid-foot strike. Some hold their arms low, some hold them high. …
Running Technique, Riding a Bicycle, and Repetition Read More »
“There are two schools of thought,” the college coach said to me seven years ago, as I watched the 800-meter runners run 200-meter reps on the track at 800-meter PR pace in November. She was referring to how to train middle distance and distance runners — with lots of speed training or lots of endurance …
When I got a phone call on Wednesday this past week to judge the Musclemania bodybuilding, bikini, and physique competition on Saturday, I thought it was a prank call. Apart from having great legs, why would anyone ask a runner to judge a physique competition? I’ve never gotten a spray tan, after all. It took …
As you probably know, I have been deeply interested in the science of athletic performance ever since I was a kid. One of the first scientific questions I had at a young age was how a baseball pitcher throws a curveball. It’s so cool how pitchers exploit the physics of aerodynamics to make the ball …
What do you get when you cross a stick of gum with caffeine and an Olympian? You get Run Gum, the creation of Olympic 800-meter runner Nick Symmonds, whom I had the pleasure of speaking with via Skype this week. For those of you who don’t follow track and field, Nick Symmonds is a bit …
A Conversation with an Olympian and the Gum He Chews Read More »
“Watching young children run around the playground, it is evident that something special is taking place when we move on two legs. Indeed, it is a form of locomotion that makes humans unique from most other animals. There is no shortage of scientists studying running from every possible angle: physiological, biochemical, anatomical, biomechanical, medical, psychological, evolutionary, cognitive, and emotional. Not only …
I’ve been seeing a lot of nonsense on social medial lately about weight loss, so I made a video for you (I think that’s called a Vlog instead of a Blog). Enjoy! Share this with your colleagues, clients, and friends. And don’t forget to pre-order RUN YOUR FAT OFF, which hits bookstores in March!
Beginning in the seventh grade, I became fascinated with time, how fast it goes and how each year seems to go by faster than the previous year. When I once shared my perception of time with my 90-year-old grandmother, she said, “Just wait until you’re 80.” I’m still far from 80, so I can only …
I started running in fifth grade during the Presidential Physical Fitness Tests. Two of the tests were the 50-yard sprint and 600-yard run. I wasn’t the fastest in my class, but I was close. Running as fast as I could, I discovered the freedom that running confers. I decided to give up playing drums in middle …