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…
Nothing excites us more than seeing athletes reach new levels. It’s common to see our beginning runners make large gains in a short amount of time if they stick to their plan. What’s less common is to take on coaching a runner with over 10 years of experience and who already had shaved over an…
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…
Dr. Dave’s Do-Do rule says, “It’s not how much training you DO, rather, it’s how well you recover from the training you DO DO. Because, if you get injured or sick from DOing too much, you are in deep DOO DOO.” Joe Vigil, another one of my mentors, says, “There’s no such thing as over…
To be a successful marathon runner, you need to do more than just run. Sure, getting in the mileage is important. But how do you ensure your legs have the durability to go the distance? You need to be strong. Strong things are less likely to break, and in a sport where at least half…
You’ve completed a few marathons and now want to finish faster. But, it’s not like you can turn pro and run 100 miles per week. You need an efficient strategy that can fit into your current training schedule yet deliver big performance improvements. No problem. No-Fuel/Slow-Fuel long runs are a proven way to improve your…
People who want instant gratification don’t usually stick with running. Nearly all of the benefits from running come very gradually (over weeks, months and indeed, years) and that’s just the way the body likes it. As you read in my last article on the Stress/Rest cycle (stress + rest = progress), the body is designed…
The first elite runner I coached was Mary Ellen. Her goal was to qualify for and run in the Olympic Marathon Trials. I was in graduate school studying exercise physiology at the time and I don’t remember exactly how it came about or why she decided to ask me to coach her, but she did….