Form Matters: Limitations on Assessment by Kevin Beck   — Suppose someone asked you, in the warm, bright glow of an office Christmas party, if you have any fear of being in unlit places, or if the idea of being cold and alone in an unfamiliar environment was unsettling. Depending on your gender, age, and individualRead more about Form Matters: Limitations on Assessment[…]

Rumors About Your Running Form Are Greatly Exaggerated by Kevin Beck   — None of us can change most of what our bodies contain at the cellular level and how our bodies behave on the inside while we’re running. Anyone can improve vastly with training, no matter how great or small the genetic gifts that personRead more about Rumors About Your Running Form Are Greatly Exaggerated[…]

Marathon Training Basics: Part 4: Have You Been Neglecting Tempo Runs — or Doing Them All Wrong? by Kevin Beck — This is part 4 of a four-part series about the basic needs of serious marathoners. When I wrote an article about tempo runs for Running Times in 1999 (in those days, no one foresaw thatRead more about Marathon Training Basics: Have You Been Neglecting Tempo Runs – or Doing Them All Wrong?[…]

Marathon Training Basics: Part 3: How Specific is Your Race Preparation? by Kevin Beck — This is part 3 of a four-part series about the basic needs of serious marathoners. If you’re a modestly experienced competitor and getting ready to run  a 5K or a 10K, it doesn’t take a great deal of creativity toRead more about Marathon Training Basics: How Specific is Your Race Preparation?[…]

Marathon Training Basics: Part 2: Are You Running Too Hard on Easy Days? by Kevin Beck — This is part 2 of a four-part series about the basic needs of serious marathoners. One of the most common questions thrown around the running community is “How fast should I run on my easy days?” Evidently thereRead more about Marathon Training Basics: Are You Running Too Hard on Easy Days?[…]

Marathon Training Basics: Part 1: Are You Running Enough? by Kevin Beck — This is part 1 of a four-part series about the basic needs of serious marathoners. Look closely at that simple question and apply it to an honest assessment of your own running. What’s the highest mileage (or kilometrage) level you have reachedRead more about Marathon Training Basics: Are You Running Enough?[…]

Marathon Training Basics: Introduction by Kevin Beck — This post introduces a four-part series about the basic needs of serious marathoners.  Over 15 years ago, when I was working on a Running Times article about Keith Dowling, the top U.S. finisher at the 2002 Boston Marathon, Keith opined: “Some say there’s no magic formula. IRead more about Marathon Training Basics: Introduction[…]

The Marathon: Visualization Strategies by Kevin Beck   Mike Platt, who now lives in the Boston area, became a 2:18 marathon runner in the 1990s following a solid career at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania — and he only took up running thanks to trying to rehab a wrestling injury that derailed his efforts in thatRead more about The Marathon: Visualization Strategies[…]

The Marathon: The Perfect Race for Everyone by Kevin Beck If you follow the careers of professional distance runners from the United States, you see a typical, even predictable progression. They wrap up their college careers at age 22 or 23, and if they’re lucky, they shoe, gear, and other endorsement contracts. They then usuallyRead more about The Marathon: The Perfect Race for Everyone[…]

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Run a Marathon Best With This Simple Test By Ruben Sança When Pheidippedes ran from the Greek city of Marathon to give word of the Greek victory over Persia nearly 2500 year ago, one could say that he wasn’t so concerned about how quickly he arrived in Athens, as long as he actually made it thereRead more about Run a Marathon Best With This Simple Test[…]

Dos and Don’ts: 10 Tips Before a Marathon By Ruben Sança With 10 days to go before a marathon, you’ve certainly put in lots and lots of miles and many long hours of running. Your body has been put through a series of physical and mental tests and you think you’ve conquered it all. Your FacebookRead more about Dos and Don’ts: 10 Tips Before a Marathon[…]

Tips for Running in the Winter By Ruben Sança If you’re a distance runner living in a climate that changes drastically with the seasons, you have to battle against the elements to get your training done. Temperatures in the winter in cold places are not ideal for running workouts. These months can often be crucialRead more about Tips for Running in the Winter[…]