This is what we do.
You have a few months until your “A” race of the season, and you are officially in the “base” or “general preparation” phase of training. Okay, so what the heck does that mean? In a periodized training plan, the base or general prep phase is focused primarily on building an aerobic foundation upon which you[…]
5 Tips to Make Your New Year Resolutions A Reality By Coach Maria Simone Many of us will take part in the tradition of making new year resolutions to be better in some way. But, for many, the commitment to these resolutions will dwindle as the sparkle of the new year fades. In fact, most will not continue[…]
Every training session, every race is a teacher. If you are open to the lessons, you can learn a lot. My training for and racing of the Vermont 100 is no exception. Here’s how it went down. The race started at 4 a.m., which meant the timeline for pre-race eating was pushed ever earlier. I went to[…]
As we head into summer, many of you likely have some early season race results to boast or boo about. Whether you hit your goals or not, these early races offer important insights to help you tweak the rest of your season and get the most out of your training. As the post-race glow subsides,[…]
Our core is the engine that powers our movements. It is the center and starting point for all of the work that we do as runners or triathletes. Every movement you make and every goal you have is supported by your core. Want to have a strong finish? Build a strong core. What to prevent[…]
As the ground thaws and the birds start chirping, the distances get longer. That’s right, people: it’s marathon season! While you can find a marathon during any time of this year, the spring and fall seasons have many, many options. Marathons involve a long-term commitment to training – ideally four months of training focused specifically[…]
Many of us have come to recognize fitness or threshold testing as 20-60 minutes of pure burning hell. It typically involves a lot of drooling, cussing, burning sensations, and squirrely-feeling body parts. For some, vomit may be involved. These assessments are not simply meant as terrible torture devices. They provide important information regarding our functional[…]
If you care about getting faster, chances are you also care about how much you weigh. And, that’s with good reason. Weight plays a key role in our performance as runners and cyclists. Some studies have shown that each additional pound has the potential to slow runners down by as much as 3 seconds per[…]
In our third and final part of the the mental fitness series, we look at some specific mental toughness strategies you can use in training and racing. Part one looked the role of our motivations, while part two considered the ways in which our thoughts influence our behaviors. In this part, we look at how[…]
In the first segment of this 3-part series of mental fitness, we discussed the role of motivation in endurance sport. But, motivation is only one part of mental toughness and fitness. In this post, we look at the ways in which our mind can help or hinder our physical performance. No doubt many of you have set significant[…]
