How Full-time Runners Keep the Fire Lit: (hint) This Works for You, Too! by Kevin Beck The last time I wrote about motivation, I claimed that top-class runners, or whatever runners you see as perhaps supernaturally immune to slothful tendencies, have many of the same basic foibles as the rest of us, I asserted that theyRead more about How Full-time Runners Keep the Fire Lit: (hint) This Works for You, Too![…]

Another Runner’s Paradox: Seeking to Demolish “Impenetrable” Barriers by Kevin Beck  In preparing for a race a few weeks or months ahead and formulating a specific goal, have you ever concluded that you could not only better your previous best time at that distance, but blow it cleanly out of the water? And then goneRead more about Another Runner’s Paradox: Seeking to Demolish “Impenetrable” Barriers[…]

Elite-level Motivation: It’s Not (Quite) What You Think by Kevin Beck Last week, I did a very hard but rewarding 45-minute structured fartlek workout here in Boulder, elevation 5,300’ (give or take). My coach, a two-time Olympian and extraordinarily warm and generous human being named Kathy Butler, has a way of setting up workouts thatRead more about Elite-level Motivation: It’s Not (Quite) What You Think[…]

Responsible Summer Long Runs by Kevin Beck You may be familiar with the saying, “Variety is the spice of life.” It’s wisdom based on the sound idea that mixing up your day-to-day experiences helps keep life interesting. For example, don’t be like me and listen to the same six songs on your MP3 player forRead more about Responsible Summer Long Runs[…]

Dodging Eight Common Half-Marathon Mistakes by Kevin Beck   Now that we’re approaching midsummer, you’re probably training for at least the possibility of a half-marathon if you’re not training for a full marathon. If not, what follows is still likely to be useful to your race planning and execution. The half-marathon isn’t just a stepping stoneRead more about Dodging Eight Common Half-Marathon Mistakes[…]

Running: Toughness and Context by Kevin Beck — Running means pushing and experiencing a degree of unrelenting physical and mental discomfort that few other athletes face. Even sports we acknowledge to be punishing, such as rugby, football, and hockey, allow for periods of respite during games to gather and re-focus critical resources.  In a race,Read more about Running: Toughness and Context[…]

Episode 88 Ruben Sanca Jul 5, 2018 – Produced by Dean Ouellette  Welcome to episode 88 of the Final Surge Podcast where today we welcome Olympian runner Ruben Sanca. Ruben ran for Cabo Verde in the 2011 World Championships in the marathon and the 2012 Olympics in the 5k. Ruben won 2017 New England GrandRead more about Final Surge Podcast: Episode 88[…]

 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[…]

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[…]