One Eighty A few years ago, it was stated that pro runners have a cadence (steps per minute) of 180 and so all runners should run at a cadence of 180. Additionally, it was stated that a low cadence caused injuries (due to over-striding) so another reason to run with a higher cadence was to…
Double your pleasure. Double the fun. Maybe it’s time you tried a double run. Running twice in a day (called a “double”) was once considered only the domain of elite runners. Not anymore! I use doubles in many situations, some that may even surprise you. If you fit any of the ones outlined below, give…
Tired of slowing down at the end of races? Never again! Using physiology, psychology, sports nutrition and neuroscience, you can fix the fade forever. In this article, you’ll learn techniques to apply to your training so you have more power late in your races and you’ll also learn techniques to use within the race itself…
How long should your longest long run be when training for a marathon? It’s a common question so I thought I’d provide my advice. +/- 3:00 marathoners If you plan to run three hours or faster for your marathon, then my recommendation for your maximum long run is: Maximum long run = [Marathon time] up…
Excerpt from Elite Minds by Dr. Stan Beecham Dr. Stan is pleased to provide an excerpt from his latest book, Elite Minds – Creating the Competitive Advantage. You can buy the book here. CHAPTER 6: SETTING THE EXPECTATION: I met Barbara Parker and her husband, Sean, in 2007 while working with Pete Rea and the…
Our training camp was a set of isolated cabins in the mountains outside of San Diego. Athletes would arrive for 12-16 weeks to get ready for a big race. At first, the athletes scurried about between training sessions. But, soon, I noticed a distinct change in their gait. Instead of scurrying, they began to “mosey”…
Getting ready for a season of shorter races (800 meters up to 10K)? I thought I’d put together a quick overview of how to build your next training cycle. Similar to my long distance training plan sequence article, the sequence of training plans can vary based on your training/racing history and goals. But, a logical,…
While working on my graduate degree in Exercise Physiology, I administered dozens of treadmill tests on runners and soon discovered a simple way to actually boost performance without even trying. In these tests, we had runners complete several progressively faster stages on a treadmill. During each stage, we measured running economy. Better running economy is…
“Will I achieve my marathon goal?” If I had a dollar for every time I get asked this question, I’d be retired and living on my own private island! As race day approaches, marathoners get antsy. They wonder/worry if they can hit their goal. After coaching thousands of marathoners, I’ve come up with a few…
Brett and Nick are fast runners. Both can run 5:00 pace for the marathon. Both are National Champions and both were part of an Olympic Development Team I coached a few years ago. When I set up the team, the idea was to get guys training together on a daily basis, not just on workout days…
