The track is often thought of as the playground for sprinters and middle-distance runners. But anybody who has time goals in long-distance running events would be well-advised to visit the track once a week. Without speed, you won’t be able to race and train near your potential. In this article, I will outline the rationale and best practices for 4 classic track workouts specific to endurance runners. Read more >>
Running metrics provide valuable feedback to make informed decisions for training and racing. Although it is possible for experienced athletes to nail the right training intensities by feel, most of us are better off looking at hard data. And yet, the biofeedback available to us these days can be overwhelming. In this article, I discuss which tools are the most valuable and how to get most out of them. Read more >>
Distance running is one of the most physical but least technical sports. Invariably the question arises whether success in running depends more on raw talent than on practice. The age-old debate of nature vs. nurture. Legendary coach Jack Daniels identified 4 crucial factors for success: Talent, motivation, opportunity, and direction. In this article, you will learn to what extent you can take control. Read more >>
Training with a coach used to be a luxury confined to elite athletes. But since the advent of free online communication and data-rich GPS devices, it has become feasible to work with an online running coach. Hard and disciplined training is not enough to become the best you can be. In this article, you will discover the value of professional guidance towards a breakthrough and thus faster race results. Read more >>
The fartlek run is arguably the most enjoyable workout for runners. Not only does it feature a wide variety of intensities in an unstructured format, it also trains the whole range of adaptations necessary for peak performance. You can be the own creator for the fartlek, but there are certain guidelines to follow in order to make it an effective workout. In this article, you will learn how to go about it. Read more >>
As you can guess from the title, this is not your average article on running training. Perhaps, it even reminds you of your math class back in college. And yes, it certainly is not for everybody. But if you have performance goals in running, this may be the missing piece to break through to another level. Read on to learn about the most underused formula of performance training and how to apply it. Read more >>
The off-season is an important part of long-term improvement. It is a good time for re-evaluating achievements and mishaps, taking a temporary break from racing, and relieving the pressure of training performance. But a break doesn’t mean rest. Rather, it is a strategic downtime with adjusted training that sets us up for the upcoming training cycle. In this article, you’ll learn how to go about it. Read more >>
The archetype of a running competitor is the A-type personality, go-getter, with a results-driven attitude towards everything he does. If this is you, then chances are that you have a pretty full schedule of work tasks and social commitments besides your training. But fret not, you can achieve remarkable race performances on relatively low training volumes. In this article, you’ll find out how. Read more >>
Injury-prone runners have a hard time to better their race performances. For one, they’re limited by weekly mileage, and secondly, their training is often interrupted. Yet no injury exists for no reason. Therefore, the first step is to identify the cause of the injury and initiate the appropriate measures in training. In this article, you will learn how to cope with injury and bounce back quickly. Read more >>
Specific endurance is the ultimate ability for race fitness. You could have a large aerobic capacity and tremendous speed – and yet – you would still fall short of your potential if you’re lacking the specific endurance for your event. But that doesn’t mean you can dismiss your general endurance or general speed. In this article, you will learn how to progress your training in a logical manner. Read more >>