Join Coach Patrick McCrann for two brand new race-specific webinars. Information and registration instructions are below; seats are limited and you are racing in about a week (!) so don’t miss out. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Marathon Race Execution Webinar: Boston Marathon Edition Join Coach Patrick from Marathon Nation for this race preparation webinar. Patrick is a […]
Weekly Results from the Marathon Nation Community Marathon Nation is a community of runners targeting the marathon distance. From total beginners just getting off the couch to bucket-listers checking off a huge “to-do” item all the way up to Boston Qualifiers…all are welcome! You can explore the community and create a FREE 7-Day Trial […]
It’s one thing to look at the numbers, another thing to look at some results. This result confirms that I am indeed significantly thinner and lighter than in previous years. The impact of improved body composition on my overall time is evident in how I felt in my race yesterday. Climbing hills–even the small ones–was […]
I just ran my first full marathon at age 42. I’ve been running consistently for about 8+ years. I’ve trained religiously and done many half marathons and many 18-22 mile long runs in the past while training without ever cramping in my calves or quads, or anywhere for that matter.
The period of time leading into your next marathon brings a lot of distinct challenges that are entirely unrelated to the race itself: tapering, traveling, eating, sleeping, etc. While important, these disparate elements don’t matter as much as the fitness you bring to the starting line and the plan you have in place to reach […]
There comes a time when you are so close to your race that there’s seemingly nothing else to do. You can’t train anymore and your taper is done. The race outfit is picked and your are glued to the local weather forecast. With less than 24 hours to go, you might feel like it’s time […]
With the Goofy Challenge mere days away, and the growing popularity of more hard core running events that let you stack up serious miles like Reach the Beach or Bay to Breakers, this article is meant to address the need for almost instant run recovery. Success in endurance running events has less to do with […]
With the New Year upon us, your peers and countless websites are undoubtedly urging you to make resolutions to be a newer and better you. While I think this annual exercise can be a useful one, the changes we pick almost never turn out to work the way we planned — sometimes this is good, […]
The holidays are upon us and if you are anything like me, you are probably a little disenchanted by the rampant commercialism of Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and friends and love to make them happy…but do any of us really need what we are giving? There’s a tiny — but […]
photo credit: OiMax With the change in Daylight Savings complete, dedicated and newbie runners alike are having difficulty transitioning to running in the dark. Night running is a different animal for sure, but it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your running fitness or race goals. With the right preparation and focus, you can make […]
While we all run at different paces and in different places, many of us share a common goal — to get faster. It might be faster than your buddy, or faster in your next race, or even faster than yesterday…but the minute you hit “stop” on your watch it’s running human nature to start doing […]
Another great question about marathon pacing! When I first wrote the pacing guidance for the marathon and half marathon distance into spreadsheets, I was very tempted to do just as you say. Over the last few years of coaching marathon runners, I have learned over time, both personally and in coaching other folks, that the […]
We’re still in beta but the race reports are starting to come in already. The 2010 road racing season is in full swing weather you are ready for it or not…
The challenge of improving run speed falls primarily to two main physical derivatives: your cadence and the length of your stride. And, either increasing your cadence or increasing the length of your stride — both of those will, or a combination of the two — will lead to an improved overall run speed. But becoming […]
The marathon is perhaps the most readily accessible human-powered challenge in all endurance sports. Successfully completing a 26.2 mile event is both a physical and mental accomplishment. Race day is, however, the result of months of training and hard work in preparation for a single attempt at the distance. As the miles and time spent […]
Courtesy MikeBaird on Flickr With the release of our recent blog post on Rethinking the Long Run, there have been a lot of questions about exactly how we structure our training to make sure that we actually do get fitter by training smarter. After all, pretty much anyone will agree with the desire to get […]
