Foot Contact Time II

Note: This post incorporates technical data & information is from the USATF Podium Education Program session presented by Robert Chapman Ph.D.
Try this exercise. Get a stop watch (you could use your chronograph watch - but take it off to do this). Now, as fast as you possibly can start and stop the watch with one [...]

Nutrition & Athletics – what the IAAF says…

The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) is an international governing body to which a country’s track and field (including race walking, marathoning and road racing) national governing body belongs. The IAAF convened an international consensus conference for nutrition for athletes April, 2007 at its headquarters in Monaco. Expert scientific researchers from around the world [...]

USATF National Podium Education Project - 2007

As promised, this is the first of posts on topics from the USATF National Podium Education Project held in Las Vegas, December 2007. In upcoming posts, I will distill some key learning points on various topics and how it applies to you.
Let me first state the intent of the Podium Education Project is to promote [...]

Stress and the Athlete

This is the time of year that stress seems to take its toll on everyone. So, before it gets the best of you, let’s review some of the basics on stress and its effects on you as an athlete.
What is stress?
It is the subjective interpretation of an event by a person. Therefore, in order to [...]

Coaches’ Continuing Education

I admit it, I just love learning, going to courses, seminars, reading, talking to and interviewing athletes and coaches. I’m just never satisfied that I have enough information. I also like to test what I already know. Running itself may be very simple (put one foot in front of the other rapidly). But, getting that to happen in [...]

Shhh, Listen: Your Body is Talking to You.

[This article was originally written in the Fall of 2006]
With just a few heartbeats, my life changed forever. But it was those heartbeats that also saved my life. As I sat hooked up to electrodes, I thought nothing of the routine nuclear stress test that was supposed to rule out any possible heart issues following [...]

Community Tracks - A Nationwide Issue?

How many of you have had a difficult time jumping on a track to do a track workout? Well, you’re not alone. It may be different in some smaller rural areas, but the urban landscape hasn’t been kind to getting track workouts done.
It certainly is not a new issue but does seem to be expanding. [...]