VDOT Coach Leah Rosenfeld shares some useful feedback on staying focused in the age of social distancing. With so much changing everyday it can be difficult to stay motivated, but I’ve found that routine, community, and play help keep me on track, even when I’m not allowed on one ;). Staying in a routine is [...]
On a very warm/humid day VDOT Coach Nick Hilton took home his second victory at the Disney Marathon with a negative split. We asked Nick how he adjusted his strategy and managed the conditions in the race so well: Knowing that it might be warm and humid in Orlando, and since I live in a [...]
By Dr. Jack Daniels @dreambigrunner [Editor's note: Many runners training for the Boston Marathon are faced with challenging conditions in the winter so they either embrace the treadmill or only use it when they really have to. Another challenge for some Boston qualifiers is the ability to mimic the course terrain in training or find [...]
By Dr. Jack Daniels @aperturebysd Step Count Workout Start with about 10 minutes of easy running, a few strides and some stretching, and then proceed as follows: Counting each right foot landing as one step, run hard (H) for 10 steps (about as hard as you would run in a race lasting about 10-12 minutes). [...]
[Editor's Note: Thanks to Coach Jim Partridge for submitting a question for Jack. Q: "In early marathon training, like 5 months before, which is better to focus on? VO2Max or Lactate Threshold work? (assuming ~50mpw volume mostly easy miles)."] Credit: @bibwearingdad By Dr. Jack Daniels The answer to this depends on what running has been [...]
(Photo: Renée Haip) Editor's Note: We received an email from a high school coach whose team trains/races at 2,570 ft but has to go to 4,650 ft for their State meet. High School Coach: I have not been able to find anything reputable that suggests little change in elevation (roughly 2,100 feet) makes any kind [...]
By Matt McClintock View Part I (The Taper and One Final Workout) here. PacingProper pacing is the single most important factor in running a successful marathon. Runners at all levels, from the everyday and sub-elite runners I coach to the highly specialized and trained athletes I race, make the same mistake of going out too [...]
By Matt McClintock In December 2018, I ran my first marathon at the California International Marathon which served as the United States Championship for 2018. While walking away with an Olympic Trials Qualifier in 2:18:03 was on the low end of my expectations for the race, the entire experience, from training to racing, provided me [...]
By Amanda Rego When people hear that I race the 1500m they automatically label me as a "track runner." Little do they know, 90% of my training is done on roads or trails. Yet, ask most marathoners how many track workouts they’ve done and most would answer "zero." Why is it that track athletes can [...]
By Mike Sweeney Seeking a BQ means running faster farther. It means balancing work, family, life and running. It means digging deep on race day and accomplishing something many never dare to dream of. For years, I believed speed came from speedwork. Sure, total volume mattered, but it was the speed that helped you get [...]