Running Trends of 2021

For many of us, saying goodbye to 2020 was welcomed with open arms - but of course, while being masked and from a 2-meter distance. From natural disasters to an international pandemic, some of the best ways to release stress and anxiety would normally come from exercising and racing. Unfortunately, due to lockdowns and strict health protocols, most fitness centers were closed and most road races w...

Essentials for Mountain Biking

Aside from hiking and running, another way to explore and admire trails are with a mountain bike. While mountain biking is thrilling, it is often referred to as an extreme sport due to it carrying an element of risk. One way to reduce your risk is to make sure you prepare yourself by bringing with you the common essential items. With proper planning, you can enjoy your ride safely.Mountain biking ...

Speed Exercises to Run Faster

Running requires a lot more than just a pair of running shoes and a healthy mindset. To have success with running, from either a standpoint of progress in fitness or performance, it requires consistency, motivation, discipline, and determination. To become a faster runner, one needs a balance between speed sessions, strength training, and recovery. To read more about speed work, check out our late...

Mental Training to Face Trails

Endurance runs are hard and more so when racing on trails. They require months of logging miles, doing balance, stabilization, and flexibility work to ward off injury, finding the correct hydration and fueling routine, learning to deal with challenging terrain and weather, and, maybe most importantly, fine-tuning your mental game. We know endurance racing is not only physical but also mental. Whil...

Sprint Training

For many people, running is a sport that comes with numerous benefits. Such benefits include cardiovascular conditioning, weight loss management, and mental wellbeing. From a competitive standpoint, whether against others or oneself, running also provides an outlet to perform with more efficiency and speed as you become stronger and faster. One way to improve your running speeds is with sprint tra...

How to Optimally Combine Strength Training and Running

To improve as a runner, going out regularly and often to pound the pavement is the best place to start. But because running is considered to be a high impact sport, strength training is seen as beneficial to help the muscles and joints respond well to the increased stresses that occur from running. However, for many of us, the question remains, how does one fit it all in? We have researched the an...

What are Running Drills?

For many of us, running is an innate ability that progressed naturally as we developed during our childhood after hitting milestones like rolling, crawling, and walking. Aside from our natural potential to run, our form, speed, and endurance are aspects that often can be improved upon with technique and practice. If you want to improve your efficiency so that you can run faster for longer, running...

Running Buddy: Benefits of Running with Someone Else

Being the social creatures that we are, it would come as no surprise that having a running partner brings you a lot of benefits. However, during the current times, remember to always keep the social distance and take care of yourself and those around you.How to find a running buddy?While running alone has benefits like being able to fit a workout in during your own schedule, finding the right runn...

Morning Run or Night Run?

Running is a versatile sport in that it can be a way to manage stress, improve overall health, and can be a way to satisfy one's competitive edge. Running is also an activity that does not require much equipment and many love the sport for the ease of in which it can be done, practically anytime and anywhere. So when is the best time to run? Does running in the morning or evening differ in benefit...

Smart Training for Your Joints Part III

Exercises for the Ankles and Feet:...

Differences Between Jogging, Running, and Sprinting and Their Benefits

There is a complex vocabulary associated with running that can be perplexing for some when discussing running-specific topics. Whether conversing with non-runners or runners alike, some may confuse the terminology related to running. There are several words and phrases used in the running culture from discussing paces (easy to race pace), distances (5k to ultra-marathon), workout sessions (fartlek...

Smart Training for Your Joints Part II

Exercises for the Knees:...

Smart Training for Your Joints (Part I)

Running has numerous health benefits including improving your cardiovascular conditioning, providing an outlet for stress relief, and being a tool for weight management. However, running is considered to be a high impact sport, this means with every step you take you increase the forces the joints need to absorb thanks to the physics involved with gravity and ground reaction forces. When thinking ...

Pregnancy and Running

Pregnancy is a miraculous process that allows families to grow and ultimately, bring joy and happiness upon the birth of your newborn. Of course, it will be of top priority for you to want to take the proper steps and precautions to make sure you provide a safe environment for your baby to develop and grow during these months. By focusing on maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle for yourself ...

5k Training Plan

Running the popular distance of 5-kilometers, or more commonly referred to as 5k, is beneficial for all from beginners up to elites. This is a favorable distance to train for due to the ease, convenience, and the minimal training time necessary compared to that of longer races. The 5k race is also a good distance for all runner mentalities. This means whether you are one who wants to just go out f...

Tips to keep up with your marathon training (or How to train if your event was cancelled)

Many runners are disappointed because marathons around the world have been postponed or cancelled. Training for this type of race requires not only physical effort, but also mental and psychological preparation and it is understandably frustrating not to be able to compete in the most awaited race of your calendar. Even if your race has been rescheduled months ahead from now, don’t let all the har...

Training Plans for Beginners and Short Distances

All runners had to start somewhere. While maybe elite runners have been performing a grade above all else since leaving the womb, the rest of us took to running as a new activity for a myriad of reasons. Maybe it began during the Covid-19 Pandemic and the only way to be outside was to start by exercising. Or maybe it was a health-kick way to start to lose weight. Or maybe it was in conjunction wit...

Good alternatives to running while indoors

Whether you are searching for alternatives to bring different workouts to your training program or recovering from an injury, there are plenty of options you can do indoors. Sometimes, a little bit of change can spice up your training routine and give you extra motivation to keep going.Cross-training is a term that has been used to designate randomized training modalities, both high and low intens...

Best YouTube Channels For Runners

Running is a relatively easy enough sport to engage in as you just need a pair of trainers and to put one foot in front of the other once you step out the door. However, training to get better, faster, and stronger in the sport may be more challenging without the right coaching and advice. Luckily, we live in a world where YouTube exists and with one click of the computer or smartphone, we can be ...

The advantages of running on a treadmill

In 1817, Sir William Cubitt, an eminent British civil engineer, designed a machine called treadwheel to reform idle prisoners and use their power to be productive. Their work was used to pump water and grind grains, the reason why the machine was later called a treadmill. Some say a certain prison guard claimed that it was the monotonous steadiness and not the work intensity which made the machine...

How to Train at Home: Try This Full Body Workout

If you have been stuck at home due to social distancing measures over the past couple of weeks due to COVID-19, you aren't alone. Many races have been canceled or postponed and for some countries, there are restrictions of not being able to even go outside for a walk or run. If you are getting a bit stir-crazy and want to find ways to stay fit and healthy for both your mind and body, there are sev...

Trail Running

Trail runs are generally done outside of cities, in wilderness or remote areas where you run through various types of terrain, from forest fire roads to dirt single tracks in sand, gravel, mud or snow.Although road running may offer an interesting view of urban landscape and different forms of architecture designs, trail running can give you the pleasure of being surrounded by nature. Trail runnin...

Polarised training for runners

Back in the 2000s, Stephen Seiler, a professor in Sports Science at University of Agder, Norway, started to investigate more about endurance training structure and intensity distribution by observing the training routine of elite athletes such as cyclists, rowers, XC skiers and distance runners. Seiler realized that more than 80% of their training time was dedicated to low-intensity exercises, wit...

How to Prepare for Sleep Deprivation in Ultra Marathons

Athletes who push their bodies to the extremes know they need to work hard and recover even harder. Aside from eating proper nutrients, getting massages, foam rolling, and stretching, sleeping is the fundamental time period of recovery. During sleep, our bodies, after all the exertion we've placed on it earlier, can rest, repair, and recuperate. But perhaps you are setting your eyes on competing i...

5 Protein and Energy Boosting Recipes For After Your Run

Hard-work and dedication help a runner to achieve enjoyment in the sport as well as contribute to a competitive edge in developing strength and speed. With most marathon training programs there are often a couple of weekly high-intensity workouts in addition to a long run session. We all know recovery is essential in assisting with proper muscular repair. This includes stretching, foam rolling, ic...

Best leg strengthening exercises for runners that can be done at home

Strength training for runners is one of the most important training components to prevent injuries and improve performance. Recent studies have shown that heavy resistance, explosive resistance and plyometric training should be considered to be part of a training program for endurance runners as well as traditional weight lifting which also seems to improve running economy and neuromuscular coordi...

Training periodization for long-distance runners: a guide to your new Personal Best.

All runners, regardless of their fitness level or running background, who want to dive into both crazy and rewarding universe of long distance running should consider adopting a structured training program known as periodization.Training periodization is about organizing your training plan in blocks that have different purposes during a certain period of time. The main goal is to build fitness by ...

Quick Guide to Train for an Ultrmarathon

Ultramarathon is any race longer than the usual 42.195 kilometres which certainly makes this type of race physically as well as mentally demanding. However, it has become more popular throughout the years amongst runners who want to take a step further into their challenging goals.Some people still consider ultrarunners an incomprehensible and masochistic group of athletes who enjoy running many, ...

Tips on How to Get Your Whole Family Running

There are many reasons why an individual chooses to run. He or she may begin running as a way to start a new and healthy lifestyle. He or she may run to test his or her limitations and train to push beyond. He or she may even use the time while running as a form of a therapeutic escape from reality, if even for just a brief moment. However, running can certainly become more fun and engaging when y...

8 TIPS TO RUN IN THE RAIN

The rainy season is arriving and you cannot cope with the idea of becoming a victim of the treadmill? Although it is hard to take the first step in what is far from being the perfect weather conditions for training or racing, running in the rain can be rewarding and beneficial. Your body temperature rises while you are exercising and the warmer you get the more you have to sweat to maintain your b...

Five tips to stay fit after 40

There are probably two main reasons you are reading this article: you are approaching 40 or you have already got there. Although growing older is the undeniable natural course of life, ageing is not the golden dream of any person on this planet. Our metabolism will naturally slow down at this stage of life and we need to start making wiser decisions related to food intake, exercise and recovery. T...

How to Train for an Ultramarathon

How to Train for an UltraUltramarathons, although officially having begun back in 1926, have become ever more popular in our current day with more than 70,000 people participating in ultra races each year and internationally on all 7 continents. When a runner has successfully completed race goals throughout their running career, thriving in achieving some of the more popular distances such as 5-ki...

How to get back to running after an injury

Getting injured is the reality of an athlete. The repetitive movements put a lot of stress on muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments. The human body is designed to adapt to stress, however training stress should be gradually increased in small doses. When you apply more stress than your body can handle, things go wrong and that can lead to the most common overuse running injuries: lower back pain...

Common Fears Towards Your First Marathon and How to Defeat Them

There often comes a time in a brave runner's life when the idea of running the iconic marathon distance of 42-kilometers pops into his or her head. Perhaps you are this runner. Maybe you have done all your due diligence and have taken the many steps to lead you up to the ultimate decision in signing up for your first marathon. Perhaps you have successfully completed a handful of smaller distance r...

Running Routines for Those with Tight Schedules

Most of us know that time is a precious commodity. Our lives are filled to the brim with work, errands, chores, families, an occasional birthday party or two and more. Now imagine you are a beginner runner and wanting to train for your first 5k or being a more experienced runner and looking to achieve a Boston Qualifying time. How does one fit all that training in? In all honesty, life is about co...

Best Running Based Podcasts

For some runners, running is the best time of the day to be with their own thoughts, to be apart from the madness of everyday life, to build some space and silence within themselves. Running can be a great opportunity to consistently train the ability of abstracting from the useless information and focusing on what really matters. Repetitive movements like running can put your mind into a meditati...

How yoga can make you a better runner

All runners who take their training seriously know that in order to improve performance and avoid injury, a program of complementary activities is needed and that includes muscle strengthening and stretching exercises. Yoga can help with the above, boost your agility, improve joint flexibility, decreasing the risk of injuries. Regular yoga practice can also improve focus and attention and efficien...

How to Train for Running Downhill Properly

Race courses are designed to set a challenge for runners whether it be about distance, terrain, or speed. When runners are searching for a “fast” course, most often the race and its course are advertised as flat, with little to no elevation, and an overall greater net descent. Meaning the course provides more downhills that allow for people to reach and achieve personal records. This sounds ideal,...

Main Running Gear and Accessories That are a Must For Marathon Running!

Training for a marathon requires a whole lot of commitment, time, and perseverance. But the good news is that as grueling as it can be, some things will not only help to make training less punishing; they will help you weather any storm, keep your spirits up, and, well, just make things more enjoyable. To not only make race day awesome, but also the days leading up to it, try these running gear ac...

10 Running Myths Exposed!

When it comes to running advice and shared knowledge, there are a vast number of things we all just assume are correct, which might not be. Not only might the myths be stopping you from hitting the pavement and training for a marathon, they might also be limiting your ability to go faster and run harder. Even worse, some of these running myths might actually be predisposing you to injury. So, befo...

Top 5 Yoga Poses for Runners

Every runner has an Achilles heel, even if it is not an actual heel. When you run, those muscles that are strongest tend to take over, which is a good thing because it allows you to hit the pavement over and over. But those muscles that aren’t pulling their weight will continue to weaken. When that happens, it not only makes it difficult to improve your running to go farther faster, it also predis...

Running and Mental Health - Know All the Benefits!

What runners know, and non-runners might not, is the mental peace that comes after making it home after a great run! Most people understand the physical health benefits of running, but there are a vast number of emotional and mental ones too. Not only are runners' brains more focused; they are less prone to depression and anxiety. If you need one more reason to hit the pavement, check out these fa...

10 Things You are Doing Wrong When Running

Running is a sport that comes naturally to most people. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that you might be doing that are inadvertently keeping you from excelling when you hit the pavement. To enhance your performance, make sure to avoid these ten things that you might be doing wrong and not even know it!1 Forgetting to stretchThe debate has ragged on as long as competitive r...

10 Safety Tips to See a City on Foot

There is something magical about seeing a city from a runner’s perspective. But there is nothing magical about being injured by a motorist when making your way from end to end. If you want to strap on your shoes and hit the streets running; it is essential to have your wits about you! These safety tips for running in the city are critical to seeing it all while still keeping out of harm’s way.1. K...

11 Things to Improve Your Endurance When Running

Many runners get frustrated by their inability to build endurance for long distances like a half marathon or even a full marathon. If you feel as if you have hit a plateau and are having a difficult time pushing your limits, these are eleven things that you can do to go farther, go faster, and make it over the finish line. 1. Gradual Adaptation is keyAlthough it sounds like a super fancy term, gra...

Why Curcumin Can Be Your Secret Tool To Reduce Inflammation, But Only In This Form!

Some of the most significant reasons why you get stalled on your road to training for a race event are due to wear and tear stress and injuries. The best way to keep on, keeping on, is to know how to prevent injury and those little things that can physically slow you down. Curcumin is an excellent supplement to take for any athlete who wants to stay on track to race day and enhance their athletic ...

Lose Body Fat and Gain Lean Muscle Mass By Compressing Your Eating Time-Window

A recent study released in the Journal of Nutritional Sciences related to an experiment done in the UK poses some exciting information about limiting the window of time you eat during the day. Based on the findings, you can lose body fat and increase lean muscle mass even if you make no other changes besides shortening the time that you allow yourself to eat during the day.If you are running to lo...

The Five Best Supplements To Enhance Your Running Performance

Credit: Ivanko_Brnjakovic...

Why Collagen Might Be The Answer To Your Muscle, Joint, Or Bone Problem

The newest “it” supplement in the health and beauty industry is collagen. Whenever a new supplement takes off like wildfire, you have to stop and ask yourself whether the reports of its wealth are real or just hype. Collagen supplement manufacturers claim that it can help with everything from skin, hair and nails to gastrointestinal problems. If you have been benched from running or see yourself i...

Things Are Heating Up…Ways To Keep Training Safely Through The Hot Summer Months

Most runners are happy to see that the frigid weather of the winter is giving way to the warmer temperatures of spring and summer. But, that means that the cold will soon switch to soaring temperatures. Not just about the heat, when things start to get hot, you have to worry about things like humidity and ozone layer, which can significantly affect your ability to breathe outdoors.Don’t hit the tr...

5 Most Critical Things To Add To Your Marathon Training

Training for a marathon isn’t just about acquiring miles. In fact, if that is the only training that you do, then chances are good you might never make it across the finish line. Just like any event in life, there is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into crossing the finish line. Sometimes it isn’t just about running a marathon; it is about staying on track to train and not to end up in...

In The Heat Of Summer Give Yourself A Break, Both Mentally And Physically

Runners are a different breed. Kind of like “horse people,” they run to a different drum, literally. When other people see rain or hot weather they think, "What a good day to sit on the couch and watch television". Die hard runners think “Water and sweat!”. As you get older, as hard as it is to accept, those little hurdles and obstacles that used to enhance the runner’s high and create an ...

If You Start Marathon Training This Summer, Crossing The Finish Line Will Be A Breeze

If you are like me, the very last thing that you are thinking about in late July, early August, is about getting out on the mirage looking black pavement to train your heart out in the heat. But, it is in the little challenges where victory is found. If you want to hit marathon season with a running start, pun intended, then summertime is the best time to start training.One of the biggest things t...

Pacing Strategies For The Marathon - Why Going Too Fast At The Start Never Pays Off?

You know where the phrase “like you’re running a marathon” comes from? It is because when the starter gun goes off, there is a drive that makes you want to hit the pavement with force and never look back. Most of us have visions of grandeur of leaving the rest of the pack in the dust. But, does a good pacing strategy mean going all out for 26.2 miles, or does it mean finding the best pace to help ...

Should You Stretch Before Or After Running?

There is no denying that tight muscles are a runner’s worst enemy. When a muscle is short and tight, it is much weaker than when it is extended. That makes a tight muscle more prone to strain or injury that can leave even the most seasoned athlete on the bench. It is not uncommon for your muscles to get overworked and to shorten during certain times of the day or in response to a long run, which i...

Will Two Hours Ever Be Broken For The Marathon?

As the record stands now, the world record for a marathon is 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds. Set in 2014 at the Berlin Marathon, a Kenyan native Dennis Kimetto set the world on fire crossing the finish line in record speed. But, a new initiative called the Sub2 Project is underway to attempt to break the two-hour barrier to marathon running. So, what’s so difficult about shaving off 2 minutes an...

Why Are Marathon times Getting Slower Since The 80s?

If you haven’t seen the movie “Forest Gump,” first of all, you should. Second, in the movie the main character Forest is supposedly the one who began the running craze of the 80s. One of the many things a zany character who is always in the right place at the right time is credited with, running became his obsession because he was teased so much as a young child.The eighties introduced running to ...

How To Keep Getting Faster As You Get Older?

What every runner has always anticipated with fear is the day when they can no longer strap on their shoes and do their regular run. For some, it happens at the age of 30, while others age doesn’t seem ever to slow them down. So, what is the secret to continuing to run for a lifetime? There is a mixed science about how age affects a runner. Some of it is antidotal, and some of it is real. What sci...

The Best Running Trackers

Running Trackers Broken Down By Gender And GoalEven those who run for pleasure like to gauge their progress. If you are training for a race or are just trying to up your fitness level, running trackers have come a long way and can be a very useful tool. Much more fun than they used to be, not only do they tell you how far you have gone; they give information about everything fitness related from c...

Doing Too Much?

What Overtraining Is And How It Affects Your Running Goals Exercise is always good for you, right? The truth is that too much of anything isn’t good for anyone. If you are training for a marathon or a racing event and going overboard, you are working against your goals instead of toward them. Training for a marathon is a deep commitment, but that doesn’t mean that you should strap on your shoes e...

Training for a half marathon

How to best plan Your Half Marathon Training A half marathon is something that puts runners into a more elite category. Most people think about running five miles as a challenge, for seasoned runners, a half marathon is something that is a bit more than what they are used to. Whether you are new to running, or new to the marathon circuit, a half marathon is an excellent endurance run goal. Depend...

Marathon racing - The basics

How Long Is A Marathon? Marathon In Kilometer and miles The first question that anyone who is considering challenging themselves to a marathon is likely to ask is “How long is a marathon?” The question is an easy one to answer; 26.2 miles long. That translates into 42.195 kilometers. The distance is an odd number, but one that dates back to the run of Pheidippides, who was a Greek soldier famed f...

Select shoes for ultra racing

When You Go You Only Get To Take One Thing, Make Sure For An Ultra It Is The Right Pair Of Shoes Ask anyone who wasn’t born with running in their soul what they think about an ultra marathon and you are likely to hear things like “crazy” or “insane.” Ultra marathoners were created, not made. They are those people who came out of the womb running and haven’t stopped since. If you have tackled the ...

Nutrition and diet for male marathoners

Treat Your Body Well And It Will Do The Same If you have committed to running a marathon, you know that it is no small commitment to make. Training for a marathon takes persistence, drive, and above all, the ability to push yourself when you would rather just sit on the couch. If you want your body to help you by staying active and healthy, you have to help it. When increasing the mileage you run...

Female marathon runners' nutrition

Eat More Will You? A Guide To Marathon Nutrition For Women Runners I am going to tell you something you aren’t going to like very much; you have to eat more. As women, we are often trained that less is more when it comes to what we put in our mouths. Unfortunately, many women hit the pavements to either lose weight, or to maintain it by collecting miles. If you are going from causal runner to mar...

Select Ultra Marathon equipment

Don’t Leave Home Without Them… Ultra Marathon Equipment Must Haves Likely those who participated in the first marathon centuries ago didn’t have the modern conveniences that we have today. Being followed by chariots and having nothing but their feet to run on, things have come a long way. If you are ready to try your hand at the insanity which is known as the ultra marathon, there are things that...

From Couch To Marathon

Marathon Training For True Beginners There are people who were born to run and then there are the rest of us. Many use the marathon on their bucket list of challenges to accomplish. If you are someone who is a true running novice, welcome. Running is something that once you get the hang of, it will get a hold of you. If you take the right steps and don’t try to go out and run a marathon right out...

Barefoot marathon running

Be One With Nature By Running As Nature Intended, Just Make Sure To Take It Slow And Smart When you think about the way that our ancient ancestors ran, it wasn’t with a good pair of running shoes on their feet. Likely, instead of wearing their homemade leather moccasins that only slowed them down, they kicked them off and got to running. Barefoot running is the new craze sweeping the running worl...

Choosing The Right Marathon Running Shoe

Not A One Shoe Fits All Proposition - Choosing The Right Marathon Shoe Is Easier Said Than Done There is nothing that is more important to a good run than a good pair of running shoes. The problem with running shoes is that they have to be broken in enough, but not worn out. It seems that by the time that you wear them in, they are already on the way out of treads. The secret to the best mara...

Selecting the right marathon apparel and gears

If you are heading out on the trail, the same holds true for running then everything else in life, have a plan. There is nothing that can squelch the pleasure of putting feet to pavement more than getting half way in the run and having an outfit malfunction, or not being prepared for something that comes your way. There are certain things that you can plan for, and then there are those you can’t. ...

Marathon training with less injuries

Starting Slow And Building The mistake that most of us make when starting a new venture is that we go all out. We get excited about something and, instead of being methodical and taking the time needed, we rush into it head first. It is important when you make any new commitment to put your heart into it, but you must also put your head into it. If you have decided that you are ready to begin...

Your first marathon race

Running A Marathon For The First Time Many people take on the goal of running a marathon, but not many understand the commitment that it takes. For a runner at heart, running just a little farther may not seem like such a big deal. What those who have made a lifetime out of running, and those who just start when they make the decision, find out quickly is that it is going to be the challenge of a...

The Trending Topic of Virtual Events

Like it or not, the world is facing a coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic. This is a crisis that is unlike anything we have experienced during this lifetime. Considering there is an unknown timeframe to this, we have to face the inevitable facts that the changes we are experiencing are affecting the entire globe, leading to our daily lives being interrupted. Change is everywhere from having to work fr...

Running and training with power meter

Runners who are seriously committed to training and racing are always looking for new ways to improve their performance whether it is better running gear or a different training methodology approach. When it comes to collecting training data, running devices companies are massively investing in innovative technology to offer more tools so that runners can analyse their workouts more accurately.If ...