General Racing Advice

After you have put in all of your training for a big race, you want nothing more than to have a stellar performance in which you crush your old PR. However, as race day draws near, many runners start meticulously planning the logistics of race day: what time to get up, what to eat as … Read more

Most runners will attest that their best performances and biggest improvements have come after extended chunks of consistent training.  When you have long training blocks with no interruptions due to illness, injury, or otherwise, you can continually make gradual progress in the forward progression without losing any ground from time off. However, as much as … Read more

Let’s just enter the confessional booth one at a time here. It’s happened to all of us: you’re blissfully running along enjoying your workout, or maybe even running a race, when it strikes. No, we aren’t referring to a second wind or burst of energy, or the elusive runner’s high. This is the uninvited guest—or, … Read more

Getting to the starting line of any race healthy and ready to run is an accomplishment in and of itself. With the weeks or months of training behind you, you are ready to put your body to the test and draw upon all the progress you’ve made from your workouts.  However, even if you followed … Read more

You’ve done all your training and your workouts have gone well, but when it comes to race day, you feel like a nervous wreck. Suddenly, you’re doubting your abilities, feeling brand new niggles and pains, and wishing you hadn’t signed up for the race. You find yourself wanting to adjust your race day goals and … Read more

Running a marathon is HARD, but what makes it even harder is “hitting the wall.” If you’ve run a marathon, there’s a good chance you know what it means to hit the wall, because it’s an unmistakably terrible feeling.  Hitting the wall happens in a marathon is when your body has run out of fuel … Read more

When it comes to race time, most runners aim to set a new personal record (PR). While PRs aren’t easy, there are ways to make them more attainable. Enter negative splits. If you are shooting for a particular time in a race, it’s important to have a pacing strategy. You need to figure out your … Read more

If you’re an ultra runner, you’ve been there. You’ve needed to take an emergency bathroom break during a race, and of course, when you need it, there’s no bathroom in sight.  Even if there were, it is the most uncomfortable feeling to need to use the bathroom during a race. The stomach cramps, the chills, … Read more

It seems nonsensical to run just before a race. After all, don’t you want to rest your legs and save energy so they can work their hardest on race day? Won’t a run the day before a race make you tired? No! Actually, the opposite is true.  There are two kinds of pre-race runs- those … Read more

Many runners get sick in the run up up to their race. In fact, almost half – 40 percent – of marathoners experience at least a cold in the two months leading up to their race. And that’s not all. In the 3 to 72 hours after a marathon, runners are also at increased risk … Read more

When you are gearing up for a race, you want to make sure you have absolutely everything with you for your big day. I always use a checklist when packing my things, whether it’s a race near home or one I need to travel to.  Checking off those items one by one is the safest … Read more