On Injuries and Their Origins

It was with the best of intentions. I signed up for Pilates with Elaine thinking that it would be a great way to make my core stronger. I’m trying to eat better, keep my miles up, and I really want to get stronger. That’s a lot of work, so I thought I’d outsource my strength [...]

Life on the Sidelines

“Running shouldn’t hurt.” With that one statement, my running life changed. I was sitting in my RRCA coaching certification course and our instructor, an exercise physiologist and noted running coach, told us that running isn’t supposed to hurt. In that room sat seasoned ultra-marathoners, Iron Man triathletes and others who have run myriad races and [...]

On Relativity

You know that saying, “There is always someone better than you”? It’s so like that in running, too. And it’s true that there is always someone worse than you, too. My relative place in running kept coming up this week. There was a discussion about increasing group participation, the Olympic Trials, my obsession with data, [...]

Running in Nature – Winter Hazards

Previously, I posted some of the fun and exciting things you can encounter while running in the winter.  However, it is not always a barrel of laughs.  The onset of winter means most deciduous trees will have dropped their leaves – usually all over the trail upon which you are trying to run.  In his [...]

An Old Year, a New One, and New Runners

This past week was a busy one. I’m trying to run 30 miles in a week for the next month or so, and this was my first week trying to do it. I’ve found that I like it better to stay around a certain mileage until I adjust, and then jump up another 5 miles [...]

Kate and the Year of the Half Marathon

This year, I’m going to do half marathons. Well, I’ll do other stuff too, but the focus is the half marathon. It’s a middle distance race that’s just out of my comfort zone. I have no interest in marathons. Too many variables, too much training time. 5Ks and 10Ks are great, but they don’t feel [...]

Woodpeckers make great running partners

Alright, maybe they don’t.  Woodpeckers are, however, easier to identify on the run than are the juncos in my last post.*   I have been seeing and hearing them frequently as of late, so in the spirit of sharing here are two running-friendly finds: The red-bellied woodpecker does  have a red belly, but the red on [...]