Blog of a Middle Aged Athlete

The last few weeks have been tough for me.  You see, ever since my first marathon on February 15th, 2009, I have been obsessed with running marathons.  Actually, not just running marathons, but running fast enough to qualify for the infamous Boston Marathon.  As friends and regular readers know, that feat was accomplished on February 27, 2010 on my seventh marathon.  So now I’m wondering what my purpose in life is now?  (I know, that is a little dramatic, but hang with me, OK?).

After much thought, and a little post-BQing depression, I have decided I want to help people with their marathon training.  I want to help someone who thought the concept of running 26.2 miles was crazy and turn them into a motivated running machine.  (Disclaimer:  I am not currently a running coach, although I am currently signed up to take the RRCA training this summer).  To start this process, I thought I would share some of things I have learned about marathon training.  So, in the coming weeks, I will discuss what I have learned about the following.  Some of what I discuss are quotes or pieces of advice from some friends, others are things I have read or researched, and some are just things I’ve learned from experience.

Here is an initial topic list:

• There Are No Shortcuts In A Marathon
• Find Yourself A Running Group…NOW!
• Running Early in the Morning is Great!
• Inch by Inch, Anything is a Cinch
• 10% Rule - Learn It, Live It, Love It
• Injuries Are Not Fun
• Foam Rollers Are Your Friend
• You Have No Idea What You Are Capable Of Until You Try
• Reality Is Not What You Think It Is
• Never Try Anything New In A Race
• Develop A Strategy and Stick To It
• No Two Runners Train the Same
• Eating
• In-Race Fueling
• Shoes
• Dressing for and Training in the Heat
• Dressing for and Training in the Cold
• Emotions and Performance - Why Crying Makes It Tough to Run
• Why a Marathon is 5 Times as Difficult as a Half Marathon
• Sometimes, We Just Have Bad Days
• How Temperature Effects Performance
• Training and Sleep
• Tapering
• VO2 max, Lactate Threshold, and Other Technical Terms
• Friction Is Not Your Friend
• The Joy of Running
• The Pros and Cons of Large Races
• The Pros and Cons of Small Races
• Fact of Life - Runner’s Wave, Cyclists Don’t
• Socks - What is Important, What is Not
• Online Tools to Help You Improve
• The Purpose of Race Reports
• The Training is More Difficult than the Race

Stay tuned for my input on these subjects.  If you have any other topics you’d like me to discuss, please let me know!