The Long Run

Training tips, running news and articles.

Category: Blog

The Boston Marathon: How to Focus on the Right Things on Patriots’ Day
02 Apr
Posted in Blog No comments

The Boston Marathon: How to Focus on the Right Things on Patriots’ Day

The Boston Marathon: How to Focus on the Right Things on Patriot’s Day by Kevin Beck for LowellRunning.com As my last post implied, even before the rise of social media and the Internet in general, the Boston Marathon had an extraordinarily high profile in the media and the public consciousness in general. When I was in myRead more about The Boston Marathon: How to Focus on the Right Things on Patriots’ Day[…]

How Full-time Runners Keep the Fire Lit: (hint) This Works for You, Too!
10 Oct
Posted in Blog No comments

How Full-time Runners Keep the Fire Lit: (hint) This Works for You, Too!

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
25 Sep
Posted in Blog No comments

Another Runner’s Paradox: Seeking to Demolish “Impenetrable” Barriers

Another Runner’s Paradox: Seeking to Demolish “Impenetrable” Barriers by Kevin Beck for LowellRunning.com 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? AndRead more about Another Runner’s Paradox: Seeking to Demolish “Impenetrable” Barriers[…]

Elite-level Motivation: It’s Not (Quite) What You Think
28 Aug
Posted in Blog No comments

Elite-level Motivation: It’s Not (Quite) What You Think

Elite-level Motivation: It’s Not (Quite) What You Think by Kevin Beck for LowellRunning.com  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 upRead more about Elite-level Motivation: It’s Not (Quite) What You Think[…]

Dodging Eight Common Half-Marathon Mistakes
20 Jul
Posted in Blog No comments

Dodging Eight Common Half-Marathon Mistakes

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[…]

Marathon Training Basics: Have You Been Neglecting Tempo Runs – or Doing Them All Wrong?
28 May
Posted in Blog No comments

Marathon Training Basics: Have You Been Neglecting Tempo Runs – or Doing Them All Wrong?

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: How Specific is Your Race Preparation?
25 May
Posted in Blog No comments

Marathon Training Basics: How Specific is Your Race Preparation?

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?[…]