A Knowing runner isn’t a Doing Runner

I am an advocate for having educated runners. Runners should know why they do workouts. Coaches should be able to tell their runners why a certain workout is being done. It shouldn’t be a case of do it because I say so or because I had a coach 30 years ago who did it.
In that [...]

Avoiding Water While Working Out

My post from last week on water intake prompted this inquiry from a regular reader in the Philippines.
Thanks for the information on fluids. I run 5–10 K without water until I get back home. I guess my greater concern is under-hydrating. I bike too but usually carry a 3-li-bladder which I refill after 30K. Some [...]

Lyme Disease & Running: A Prescription for Physical Activity

Though this article goes a bit beyond my usual scope of technical and mental game running related topics it is a follow-up to previous posts. My brother Jim forwarded me a link with a lengthy article on the topic of Lyme disease and all its related complications. Of note, there is a section on physical [...]

Placebo Effect and Running

I got to thinking awhile back about beliefs and how they affect us. It generated this post which applies to things far beyond running but … definitely running too.
The Placebo Effect: The placebo effect is [most commonly found or described as] a medical phenomena in which a person’s beliefs about an inert substance or a [...]

Publishing Update and “Coach, I didn’t run because…” – Rob

What readers perhaps never realize is that I write for myself as well as for others (perhaps like most writers?). I’ve been interviewed by Amby Burfoot from Runners World (May 2009 edition) regarding my book and work on excuses and excuse busting. This past week I was interviewed by Lisa Hannam from the Reader’s [...]

Too much water?

With the warm months in front of us this question from a reader carries some important implications.
Can I ask (might be obvious) how much water is enough? I know I can drink too little (although I don’t… about 2.5-3 liters) but can I drink too much? I know that if I drink before a run [...]

Bad Warm-up – Now What?

Time and time again I encounter days that either I or many of the runners I coach just feel like crap during warm-ups. Perhaps it’s during those first easy portions (notice I avoided saying miles) of getting going. Other times you know that feeling as you put your shoes on and step out the door. [...]

Exercise Induced Asthma & Running

Here is the second part of a very interesting inquiry I received from a parent of a high school runner.
My daughter has exercise induced asthma which first appeared following a bout of pneumonia for which she was nearly hospitalized. Her track coaches expect her to run nearly all events at any given time, nothing [...]

What Events Should a Runner Focus on in High School?

Here is a very interesting inquiry I received from a parent of a high school runner.
My daughter used to only run 100m and 200m opens and the 4×100 and 4×200 relays. Her high school coaches now expect her to be the “utility” runner. In the past 3 years she has competed in the 1500m, [...]