It’s been 4 weeks into the new year and athletes have had a chance to assess their goals and where they stand at. If they find that they are not where they want to be, or if they have a challenging goal, athletes turn to a coach to help them get to their goals. The world of finding a coach can be overwhelming and confusing. I’ve gone through this 3 times and each time it is agonizing! After sifting through…
When I first started running, the allure of the medal was heavy. Never having received a sporting award in my life, the medal signified entry into some elite club. I signed up for the Disney Princess Half Marathon solely because I loved the tiara medal so much. I went all the way to Little Rock, Arkansas for the HUGE medal. I proudly displayed them in beautiful medal hangers. Until one day … I just lost the thrill of collecting medals….
Before I became a runner, I was obsessed with ab exercises like crunches (that didn’t give me a 6 pack anyway). But as I became a more well informed runner and triathlete, I learnt about the value of core strength. When I asked experienced runners and coaches what else I could do to improve my running, their answer was yoga/pilates to strengthen my core. Benefits of a Strong Core A strong core can improve running posture. While running longer distances,…
If you’ve resolved to take up running, not only is it hard to take that first step to run, but to stick with running long term is a commitment in itself. Many people start running and then drop off because it is daunting (I can’t keep count of how many times I did that myself!). Running is a journey, not a destination. You don’t have to run X miles, or at Y pace to be a runner, you just have…
When I first started running, I ran on the treadmill exclusively. Yes, I had taken a mad leap by signing up for a half marathon as my first race, but I was like a beached whale, 190lbs, size 16, nursing my almost 1 year old (we all know what nursing does to certain parts of the body!) – very very conscious of my body. And so I was definitely not going to be running out on the streets huffing and puffing…
My favorite and most common place to run is a 3 mile FLAT gravel loop that has a 5 mile FLAT out and back on the road. Hills are hard. I don’t like hills. Sure, hills build character. But I don’t like hills. I usually pick races that are not hilly, even though I run my uber hilly hometown race Georgia Half Marathon and Thanksgiving Half almost every year. And of course, Boston Marathon with it’s (in)famous hills is next…
These past few weekends with both my minions being sick have left me feeling like I’m running hard and fast to catch up. I may also have a tad too much on my plate on a normal day – lots of chauffeuring the minions and volunteering at school and other events. That is easily manageable except when work piles up and I’m playing catchup again. No big deal, I’ve learnt plenty on how to carve an hour or two here and there (lunch…