Several of the best masters runners from the mile to the 100K distance live in the Northwest. Lucky for us, they were willing to share some of their secrets.
In order to improve performance, you have to challenge your body’s ability to tolerate an increase in physical, mental, and emotional stress. This is called overload and is defined as adding stress greater than your body is accustomed to.
We’ve all been there, that race on the horizon that we signed up for 9 months ago looms and there’s just not enough time in the day to fit in all the training we want or feel like we need to do in order to be ready for it.
Laying the groundwork for a successful running racing season next year will require strategy and planning this winter. It is important to honestly assess what you have done this past year and identify what your goals are for the upcoming year.
I’ve become a curmudgeon of a swim coach late in my triathlon career, so bear with me as I air a grievance. For example, I give my swimmers something simple but hard, the classic 20x100 on 1:30, aiming to hold 1:25 per repeat.
The temperature is below freezing and it’s still dark outside. The alarm goes off and you hit snooze, pulling those warm covers ever higher. Still, your training plan calls for a run.
I love the trail, and I’d much rather run a trail race than a road race just for aesthetic reasons. Over the past several years I’ve focused on trail racing because of the variety of courses and all the new challenges they present, which is why I train primarily on trails.
If you’ve ever done a stage race with a partner, adventure race or relay, you’ve undoubtedly seen a couple screaming at each other over something gone wrong.