During times between race plans, you may wonder what training you should be doing. Not to worry. I have the answer. The time between race plans, especially important right now with all of the race cancelations, is a great time to do some prep work. It’s a time to build aspects of your fitness that…
The Coronavirus pandemic is creating many challenges. While all runners understand that running is less important than life, we still want options. As a result, the entire coaching staff at McMillan Running has come up with some tips that can help you over the next few weeks. 1. Exercise to Boost the Immune System Research…
Your race has been canceled! Yikes! What should you do! Here are a few ideas for when your race gets canceled. ALERT! Here is my video for 2020 Boston Marathoners on how to adjust your plan. Option 1: Find another race of the same distance in the near future. Training adjustment: None required except…
For many of us, qualifying for the Boston Marathon (aka achieving a BQ) is the Holy Grail. It’s like the Olympics for the common runner and as someone who has qualified for and run Boston, I can attest that it was one of the greatest marathons of my life. Having coached over 10,000 runners to…
My recent article on PodiumRunner. Easy-medium. Sub-threshold. Comfortably fast. You hear lots of phrases used to describe half-marathon pace but let’s discuss some specific ways to determine your best half-marathon race pace—and then how to confirm that the pace is possible on race day. Nail your pace, and the half marathon can be the most…
You’ve probably heard that you need to “carbo-load” before long races like a half-marathon, marathon or ultramarathon. Here’s my take on carbo-loading, including what I ate before winning the US National Masters Trail Marathon Championship. Carbo-Loading Origins Carbo-loading came into vogue after exercise science perfected the muscle biopsy. I’ve had one done and while it’s…
I met Selwyn while working on my graduate degree in Exercise Physiology. We ran for the same running group and as he approached the Masters division (runners 40 years of age and older), he asked me to help him with his training. You probably know a runner like Selwyn. He didn’t run in high school….
You don’t have to be a runner for long before you begin to hear about something called “base training.” Experienced runners and coaches tell you that you need to build your “aerobic base.” But just what is this thing called a “base”? History Lesson In the 1930s, 40s and 50s, the dominant training philosophy was repetition…
VIDEO DESCRIPTION Here’s a video I put together on running your best in Berlin. SPECIAL OFFER TRY MCMILLAN TRAINING FOR FREE You can now try McMillan training plans for FREE! For a limited time, I’m offering a 14-day free trial of my training and coaching system called Run Team. Take a plan for a…
Struggling to qualify for Boston? No problem. Here are three strategies I’ve used to help thousands of runners achieve the coveted BQ. Strategy #1: Get faster first If you’ve been close but just can’t make the jump to your BQ time, I suggest taking a break from chasing the BQ and work on getting faster…