Running In Harmony
The Top 3 Questions Runner Girls Ask
Every year, girls bring questions to my running camp. Unfortunately, we can’t hold camp in Oregon this summer. But I can share answers to the most frequently asked questions with you, especially because I hear similar requests at every practice and meet. Athletes and their parents have been picking my brain for decades. Year after…
Read MoreDo You Need To Adjust Your Perspective?
I stepped to the starting line of the 1991 Junior World Cross Country Championships in Antwerp, Belgium knowing I was a favorite to win. I had a plan based on whether scenario “A” or “B” transpired among my competitors. Neither did. As I rounded the final hairpin turn of the tight, ribbon-like 4K course I…
Read MoreLessons Learned from World-Class Coaches
The best running coaches understand the demands of running. They intuit what each athlete can handle physically, mentally, and emotionally. They hold us accountable but also support us. All this makes the work of training and racing easier and helps us discover the best version of ourselves. I’ve been lucky to work with top-notch coaches…
Read MoreHow to Look Inward for Motivation
At one point during my pro running career, I was in between coaches and training locations. The uncertainty left me wondering what was next. How could I stay motivated and moving in the direction of my dreams? I needed guidance. Gold medalist Billy Mills’ book Wokini (the new edition is titled Lessons of a Lakota)…
Read MoreHow to Choose a Summer Running Camp
Running camps are a boon for high schoolers. Here’s why, and how to choose the best one for you. In the ever-distracted world we live in, a running camp is a joyful and even healing experience for runners, because it’s immersive. Ideally, a running camp provides training, community, learning, and fun all wrapped into one…
Read MoreHow to Tackle Food and Body Issues
Runners face undue, and unhelpful, expectations around weight and eating. Here are tips to combat dangerous disorders and behaviors. I first experienced food and body issues in middle school. My home life was stressful—my mom had cancer and my dad had lost his job—and I felt an urge to control something, anything. I experimented with…
Read MoreGPS watches and other wearable tech deliver loads of metrics
Here’s what to pay attention to, especially for young runners. Splits, cadence, power—oh my! With a proliferation of running data available at our fingertips, it’s easy to dive in deep. How fast was my first mile and my last? How does my stride length stack up to last week? How do I rank on that…
Read MoreHow to Periodize Your Year, and Lifelong Career
Why runners—starting in youth—should schedule peaks, breaks and variety into their running year. Have a new year’s resolution to get faster? Periodization can unlock improvement, and lead to long-term success. Periodization is a fancy way of saying plan your training season and year in phases with different stimuli. It’s based on a loose formula that’s…
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