Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Aug 20, 2009
By Vickie Leff
Yippee! Training is over and you can finally run your first marathon! It can feel a bit overwhelming on race day, so here are some tried and true tips you can use.
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Aug 19, 2009
By Brian Beatty
I have a healthy respect for anyone that can complete a marathon. While managing 26.2 miles is certainly respectful, my admiration lies primarily with one's ability to accomplish the training. The discipline and time commitment required for marathon mileage is significant. Unfortunately, as more time gets committed to running, there is less time available for other activities and the rest of life. Yes folks, even during heavy training, there is more to life than running.
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Aug 18, 2009
By Brennan Liming New Year's Day is a great time for resolutions, but if you're planning to run your first marathon in 2010, you better not wait until January 1st to start training. With autumn upon us, the countdown to a Spring 2010 marathon is quickly approaching. While an on-line promise of 16 to 18 weeks for marathon success may sound appealing, it's not that realistic if you're currently not running on a regular basis. But don't worry, autumn in North Carolina is the perfect time to start gearing up for the 16 weeks of training you'll need to make it to the finish of your first marathon.
For first-timers, beginning from little or no activity to running any kind of mileage may lead to injury as your muscles are not accustomed to the pounding running incurs. And, no matter where you begin, marathon training is tough on the body. If you are able to gradually build your mileage approximately 10% per week over a longer period of time rather than jumping head first into a program, your potential for injury decreases significantly.
Plus, getting a jump start on training will make the marathon seem not so colossal of a task. It is often said that running is 90% mental and 10% physical. If you can push that mental hurdle lower, you are on the right track. Adding one mile to your long run per week is a good place to start. Once you are able to conquer 5, 10, then 15 miles, you are on your way!
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Aug 17, 2009
By D.C. Lucchesi
Whether you're a first-time marathoner or you keep standing reservations in the shadows of the John Hancock Tower, you very likely keep tabs on any sources that might give you an edge to either thrive - or survive - your upcoming 26.2 mile affair. There are magazines, websites and entire books devoted to the subject of marathon training, with marginal variation in their method. And those know-it-all running buddies of yours seem to always have some tried-and-true advice to offer up. Well, here's your chance to pull a fast one on them. Here's a list of marathon tips that sound so legit, my editor required me to put a warning label on it: do not try this at home!
Avoid long lines at the porta-potty
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Jul 23, 2009
By D.C. Lucchesi
Charlie Engle knows about maintaining momentum. As an adventure racer and ultra-distance athlete, you can't run across the country or another continent without being able to keep your focus on a finish line that could be weeks or even months away. But one of this Greensboro resident's current challenges may never have a finish line: maintaining the public's interest in H20 Africa, the charitable component of his historic run across the African continent. Even in the heat of summer training and racing in the Carolinas, the lack or absence of water is never a consideration. But to many in the heart of Africa, it is a striking reality. Engle's epic run and Africa's enduring water crisis are documented in the new film Running the Sahara. The film, narrated and produced by Oscar-winner Matt Damon, is being showcased primarily at major marathons until the end of the year. An advance screening in Charlotte gave us the opportunity to talk to Engle about the film and the effort to access water in Africa.
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Apr 27, 2009
I am a woman, I am a runner. Much of my experience being a woman has overlapped with the power I get from being a runner. When I run I feel beautiful, powerful, and real. The pieces of myself that I share throughout the day are all assimilated back into one beautiful tapestry . . . one amazing piece of reality . . . one experience that is mine and mine alone. The physicality of it provides me with a powerful reminder that my body is capable, strong, powerful, and MINE. Every time I run, I make a statement to the world, "I own my action, my body, my thoughts, and my experiences. I am not an object to be sexualized, diminished, or dominated. I am real. I am human. I am spirit manifest within this strong, healthy, and beautiful physical body. Honor that which rests within me."
And this is where Leigh's story hits me.
Leigh is a new Girls on the Run council director. I had the privilege of meeting her at one of our recent Girls on the Run trainings in Charlotte, NC.
Over the course of two days, women from across the nation descend on Charlotte for a two-day, very intense Girls on the Run training. Participants take back tangible tools and systems to efficiently deliver the Girls on the Run program. What remains with me are their stories. Frequently wrapped into and around a woman's story are her struggles in battling our culture's obsession with bodies, sexuality, and power.
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Apr 24, 2009
With each footfall during running, the chain reaction between our body, the ground, and gravity begins from the ground up. This means that core stability starts at the foot and moves up through the knee, hip, pelvis, and then the spine. If there is a weak link in the chain, stability above that link cannot happen. For example, if the hip is weak, strong abdominals are not enough to compensate. Our abdominals require a stable pelvis to complete their task of keeping us erect while providing rotation of the spine to keep the opposite arm and leg moving forward.
Gluteals are the dominant controlling musculature of the hip. The deeper gluteal muscles (gluteus medius and minimus) control the lateral (side to side) and rotational positioning of the pelvis on top of our legs. By controlling the pelvis, the glutes are also controlling our center of mass. Running is a motion dominated by a forward direction, but it also contains lateral and rotational components. These components are often neglected in training, thus fostering an imbalance and further exploiting any weaknesses. This results in inefficiencies, numerous injuries, or sometimes just the inability to maintain good running form, especially later in a run.
# # #
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Apr 22, 2009
We only get one pair. We hope they never go flat. No, I'm not talking about your new tubular race wheels. Of course, I'm talking about your feet. How you care for them now will determine greatly how and if you are able to perform.
Simple Solution #1
Replace your running shoes more often than the recommended 400 miles.
Simple Solution #2
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Mar 25, 2009
What better way to bring a family together than to train for a marathon?
hat's exactly what Bob and Peggy Jackson thought when they registered their family of five for last year's Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco. On October 19, 2007, the proud parents watched as their daughters Melissa, Margie, and Mary crossed the finish line in the first race the entire family completed together.
"I started running marathons in my late 20s when the kids were young. My wife and the girls would follow me in the car when I was training and bring me drinks and snacks," Bob said.
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Feb 05, 2009
For years, I ran exclusively in New Balance shoes. I loved the wider toe box of the regularly sized shoe since I don't have exceptionally wide feet that require a larger width shoe, but still like the comfort of a roomy toe box. Some time back, I switched brands and have been decidedly not loyal to any particular shoe. So, I was excited to get my 1063's and see if they were as comfortable as the older models I owned previously.
As soon as I slipped my foot in the shoe, my feet remembered their "old friend". Not only did the New Balance 1063's have the roomy toe box I used to love, but they also fit snugly on my heel, which has always been a problem for me with more than one other major brand shoe. The 1063's come with New Balance's patented NLock lacing system to help keep the shoe secure. More importantly for me, they also came with their "Sure Lace" a computer knit lace with a reciprocating wave pattern that will not untie under high performance or inclement conditions. They also help adjust tightening of the shoe around the foot. All around, the 1063 was the best fitting shoe I've ever had. All that remained was the actually road test.
