The off-season, or transition season, can look very different for different people. After a hard racing season, some runners focus on winter sports like cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, and snowshoeing. Some runners move inside and run onto the treadmill while some just run right on through the winter months. Some runners like to spend the…
Here in Maine, we had one final heat wave of the summer well into September. Highs well into the 80s with high humidity and sticky, stagnant air can be a recipe for disaster for endurance athletes. It seems like September days of reliable fall weather are gone. Summer still reigns in September in Maine. I…
Hallux limitus. AKA arthritis in the big toe joint (the MTP joint). That’s what I have. Thanks to the wise practitioners at Gait Happens, it doesn’t keep me from running. For me, hallux limitus started as just a sore toe joint; and only sore to the touch. Then I noticed the big toe joint on…
That’s what I hear from my athletes when we talk about protein needs. Most of them (especially women) are surprised to learn that they are not eating enough protein. Protein is essential for muscle repair and synthesis – something most runners are concerned about. Current dietary guidelines call for eating 0.8 grams of protein per…
The Meguniticook Trail Festival is coming up on Saturday, September 9th in Camden, Maine. This is the 4th year for the Megunticook 50k and the Wicked Tough 10k. This year, the new race director, Ramona Larsen, has added a new race to the roster, the Halfast 20k. The Halfast is a faster course without as…
Do you ever get that dreaded ‘dead leg’ feeling while you’re running? Anyone who has experienced it knows exactly what I mean. Your legs feel like lead, there is no bounce to your step, and it takes immense effort to keep moving forward. This is commonly due to a lack of carbs. Carbs get a…
One of the most common mistakes made by uncoached runners is spending the majority of their training in the dreaded grey zone – Zone 3 – too hard an intensity for aerobic development and too easy an intensity for lactate threshold and VO2 max gains. They end up tired from overtraining and frustrated from a…
Did you know that when, and what, you eat are as important as how much you eat? Fueling correctly after exercise will help you build muscle and restock glycogen stores efficiently so you feel ready to work hard at your next workout. 1. The Importance of Protein Protein is the wonder child when it comes…
I see a lot of confusion and questions out there about how to train for a marathon. Let’s go through a few common questions regarding marathon training. How many weeks should I train for a marathon? The standard range for marathon training is 16-22 weeks. Where you fall in that range is going to depend…
I invite you to explore the science of stretching so you understand how to use stretching properly in order to increase range of motion and flexibility without negatively affecting muscle strength and force generation. When I ran cross country in high school, the whole team would meet on the upper field and usually start our…
