I am often asked how to become a better runner. The answer is simple… and complex. As Albert Einstein said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” So, in honor of Einstein (whom I share a birthday with), here is a simple explanation of how to become a better runner. Understand …
“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 …
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 …
I ran in the Summer Nights Track & Field Series last night in San Diego. 1,500 meters. Came through 800 meters in 2:36, only 1 second shy of my plan. Wanted sub 5 minutes. Finished in 4:58.66. These 43-year-old legs ain’t got the speed they used to have, but I executed the way I wanted …
There’s been a lot of talk and promotion in the fitness industry about high-intensity exercise. If you ask me, most of what is behind this talk is money. If we tell people what they want to hear—“all you need is a few minutes of high-intensity exercise per day”—people are more likely to buy. No one …
1. Stretching is not going to prevent you from getting injured. Have you ever run with a dog or watched a horse race? If you have, you probably noticed something interesting—none of these animals stretch before or after they run. Stretching before a workout seems to be something that only humans do. Whether stretching …
It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog, mostly because I’ve been busy with my new coaching position at La Jolla High School. This job is part-time with full-time hours! But it’s a great place to work. If you’ve never been to La Jolla, California, book a trip to go… it’s beautiful! I love …
I was asked today if I could share some advice in my blog about how to learn to run at the correct speed. Well, of course I can! Most runners train haphazardly, without any real sense of purpose, and then are often disappointed with their racing results. When you train with a purpose and understand …
There has been a lot of commotion lately about Tabata training. Everyone in the fitness industry is using it. It’s based on the research of Izumi Tabata and his colleagues at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Japan. The protocol they used, which was based on the training that Japanese speed skaters were …