After months of cold weather running, the summer heat and humidity feel like a shock to the system. When you are out running, they literally are. Your cardiovascular system works harder to pump enough blood to the skin to keep you cool. Faster rates of fluid loss can affect muscle function. Overheating can send a signal to your brain to shut down the run. Each year, no matter how many years you have been running, you need to adjust your training for running in heat and humidity as part of the ...
Training Tips
Selecting a Home Treadmill
A home treadmill is a luxury. However, for many runners, it is also an invaluable training tool. A home treadmill allows you to get in your runs regardless of the time of day, weather, or childcare options. You can run through snowstorms and heatwaves, before or after a long commute, or while your baby babbles in a nearby bassinet. During the COVID-19 pandemic, home treadmills offer an safe alternative to gyms or running outside in crowded areas. For some runners who prefer to be ...
How to Safely Increase Your Weekly Running Mileage
One of the simplest ways to improve as a runner is to run more. When executed smartly, increasing your weekly running mileage will make you a stronger, faster runner. When done incorrectly, ramping up your mileage will cause overuse injuries, lead to overtraining, and mentally burn you out before you even toe the starting line of your goal race. The key is to focus on a smart, sustainable approach to increasing mileage - and here is how to implement that in your training. Why Increase ...
How to Effectively Use Cutback Weeks in Your Training
Running is a balance of stress and rest. The harder you work, the more rest you need. Rest allows your body to recover. When you recover, you can handle higher bouts of concentrated stress. As you adapt, you can handle faster paces, higher mileage, and bigger workouts - and get sustainably faster in the process. Without appropriate recovery, your body breaks down, leading to overtraining, performance plateaus, burnout, and overuse injuries. Rest days allow you to handle a higher ...
Postpartum Running: My Experience at Seven Months Postpartum
Postpartum running varies significantly for every runner - and for every pregnancy. This post is not intended to be prescriptive. Rather, I want to share my experience of postpartum running at seven months after having a C-section. Motivation and Enjoyment I seldom struggled with motivation in the past. In the recent postpartum months, I enjoy running just as much as ever, if not more. It does not matter if the run is on the treadmill, with the stroller, or alone outdoors. ...