blog
The Off Season
I trained my butt off this fall, building my running up through the summer to prepare for a 50k trail race at the beginning of October. All that training carried me over the finish line of a super challenging goal event feeling strong. It felt awesome. Then I ate a burrito, slept in the car on the way home, and thought about how nice it would be to have Saturday mornings free again. After that huge build up of back-to-back weekend long runs, I felt tired, accomplished-- and ready for a break.
Why seasons matter
If you grew up playing sports, you had a built-in structure: fall, winter, spring. Maybe it was football, basketball, soccer. Or cross country, indoor, outdoor. You focused on something for a few months, you had a little break, then you focused on something else. Maybe you even took the whole summer off and just did whatever seemed fun (cannonball!!).
Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition for Athletes (and everyone!)
If the fire is hot enough, anything will burn. I run so I can eat whatever I want. Will run for donuts. Have you ever said one of these? Or maybe have it on a t-shirt or three? There's no shame in that! Runners love to eat! But is your nutrition supporting your training and recovery, or are you just getting by? Are you missing goals, feeling drained, or getting injured? Are you curious what "peak performance" might look like for you? Do you want to feel better running? You might want to think about your nutrition.
The Best Books About Running for Health and Happiness (plus a few blogs and some podcasts)
A classic article in The Atlantic uggests why there's such a strong and enduring affinity between writing and running: "Freedom, consciousness, and wildness: Running offers writers escape with purpose", wrote Nick Ripatrazone. I agree, and I'd like to suggest that the converse is also true. Literature offers runners escape with purpose. Whether it's books or other media, taking in stories and perspectives can enrich the experience of running or whatever your chosen activity is. Staying motivated, staying curious, staying interested, and working through mental and physical challenges is greatly aided by a robust reading list. This might sound romantic, but it's also practical. Sometimes the best next step isn't an adjustment to training or nutrition or even sleep (did I just say that??). Sometimes it's finding something that rekindles purpose.
How to stop getting injured all the time: A primer for runners
The sun is out. The bright mornings and long evenings have you psyched for some nice, long runs. You found a cool race to sign up for. You dove into your training with both feet. It was awesome. And then. . . you got hurt.