This is what we do.
I received a text message from a prospective client asking, “If I want to average a 9 minute mile for a half-marathon, what pace should my tempo runs be?” In the log of one of our athletes, I read this post-activity comment, “My pace isn’t what I would like, but my HR was in the[…]
By Coach Maria Simone Back in 2008, I ran my first ultramarathon, the PHUNT 50k in Elkton, MD, only to wake the next morning to a sharp pain along the outside of my knee, and at the base of my hip joint. The pain made it impossible to run. Following seven weeks of no running,[…]
Do you remember a time when you exercised simply for your health? Maybe you went to the gym and did whatever felt right for the day. Maybe you ran a few miles several times a week. Maybe you took group classes to push yourself and stay motivated. There is no doubt that exercise, performed[…]
I saw her orange Newton sneakers first; then I looked up, and saw her face. I took a look at the clock – 1:50 and change and just yards to go. She was going to do it! All along, I had told Courtney, one of our athletes and my dear friend for many years, that[…]
This is the second in a two-part series focusing on tapering and recovery. In part one, we discussed the basics of tapering, which is a specific type of recovery. In this post, we will talk more generally about recovery strategies for day-to-day training and racing, as well as the various stressors of life, such as[…]
The taper is a period of training that includes a reduction in volume to allow the body to adapt to the previous periods of training stress. Tapers vary based on race distance, weekly training volume and intensity, race goals, and coaching philosophy. So, it is challenging to provide a one-size-fits-all answer to the taper question.[…]
Cross-training is an important addition to your training plan–especially for single-sport athletes such as runners. The role of cross-training becomes even more important if you are injured or have a physical limiter that makes the repetitive motion and impact of running painful and potentially harmful. That being said, as we noted in a previous post,[…]
When we train for a new distance, we usually ask, “Do you really think I can go that far?” But, as we become accustomed to the increased distance, the question moves very quickly from “how far?” to “how fast?” In this post, I’d like to focus on two traditional speed training sessions for either[…]
I remember the first time I tried swimming for exercise. It was after a marathon, and I was looking for active recovery that would offer little impact on my sore body. Swimming seemed reasonable enough. After only four laps in the pool, I began to seriously doubt whether I was in shape. How could that be?[…]
When I was training for my first ultra-marathon, I learned how important hill training and hill repeats are to develop strength, endurance and power. But, you don’t need to be training for an ultra or a hilly race to reap the benefits of hill training. Hill training and hill repeats offer benefits for all runners[…]
