This One Goes Out to All My Friends – Thank You
The majority of my running is done alone. Years of training through thick and thin has taught me to respect the profound solitude that’s easily overlooked in this modern world. Although I’ve fully and finally come to terms with it, every once in a while, running with a friend, or a group of people, reminds me of how unlikely that I made it this far alone, and how fortunate I am to be part of the running community. With the lingering Thanksgiving spirit, I’d like to extend my appreciation to all the runners I’ve befriended since the beginning of my journey - whether we met on-line, at races, or from other channels. And I’d like to take this chance and elaborate slightly on the topic of running with someone. (more…)
The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Your Next PR: A Checklist
You’ve spent months logging countless miles. You’ve endured more pain and torture than you thought you ever could. You’ve also been holding back dessert and giving up your social life altogether. You’ve bled and cried. Time and again, you’ve fallen down and you’ve gotten up. However, none of these would matter if it weren’t for one thing only – the goal you’ve set for today. Today is the day you will earn that new personal record you’ve been fantasizing for months. But where the @#$& is your Garmin? And how did you forget your race bib when you were packing last night? (more…)
7 Golden Tips for Guaranteed Running Injuries
Runners are known to be nothing but a bunch of self-destructing, masochistic maniacs who willingly, on a regular basis, accept or even inflict pain to their body. After all, “no pain, no gain”…right? But pain isn’t always a surefire ticket to the emergency room. Only when you are stubborn enough to do some, if not all, of the things listed below, can you then benefit from taking running to the next level, where you are warranted to stop your running, and rest for days or even months on end. (more…)
Don’t Tell a Sole – You’re Killing Me Softly
An article has recently caught my attention during my research. In “Firm insole effectively reduce hemolysis in runners during long distance running – a comparative study“, it’s concluded that firm insoles are significantly better than their soft and plushy counterparts. Note that hemolysis is essentially the bursting, or rupturing, of red blood cells, and the subsequent releasing of their content to the surrounding environment. The author also points out that, based on the results from prior studies, running-related injuries are, to a degree, caused by ground impact force (when the foot strikes the ground). And further, intravascular (within the blood vessels) hemolysis is directly related to iron depletion (or even as severe as anemia ) – and it can consequently “hinder the performance of the athletes”. To those of you who have no interest in all this mumbo jumbo: in other words, huge impact during foot strike is bad for long distance running. This article demonstrates a comparative study to chart the correlation between shock absorption in different insoles and injury in long distance running. (more…)
Brooks Equilibrium Windbrief Boxer
Running in cold weather can be manageable, or even quite enjoyable – with the proper gear and preparation. As daytime begins to shorten, it makes sense to start thinking about layering for the finger-numbing months to come. I used to wear up to 3 pieces clothes on my lower body – a tech brief, tights, and shorts. This strategy has been quite effective in general. But as it turned out, there were some major problems associated with it. (more…)
Let’s be friends: