training
Maffetone Versus Crossfit Endurance: Which Is Better
If you participate in any of the barefoot and minimalist forums (Runner’s World, Barefoot Runners Society, Ted’s Google Group) you’ve probably come across a thread about the Maffetone method. This sudden upsurge of interest in Maffetone interests me, especially because it comes on the heels of a burst of interest in high-intensity interval training (Crossfit Endurance is a popular version.)
First, a quick primer on the Maffetone method and CFE. Phil Maffetone is a dude that, Read More...
Running and the Placebo Effect
Ah, the placebo effect. It’s that tricky little seemingly psychological effect that causes completely useless things to appear effective. It’s typically defined as a measurable or observable improvement not attributable to an intervention. If we frame it within running, I’m going to give it a slightly different definition:
A noticeable improvement in performance that is not the result of training, gear, or other external “stuff.”
In my last post, I talked about the need to experiment Read More...
The Greatest Secret To Running Success
Is it goal-setting?
No.
Yasso 800′s?
Nope.
Tracking every run with a Garmin and uploading it to Daily Mile?
Not at all.
Running with a smile on your face?
Well, sometimes. But that’s not much of a secret anymore.
So what is this secret holy grail that will make you a tremendous runner? It’s so simple, the vast majority of runners overlook it. Us barefoot runners have a foot up Read More...
Run for Fun: A Running Plan for the Rest of Us
My post on my Western States training regimen received some interesting responses. Quick summary- I managed to finish the 100.2 mile race with a training regimen based entirely on the occasional long run mixed with some hill repeats. All my workouts were done for a specific reason- they were fun.
In some cases, those workouts may have been done with friends. Other times they were done in new and interesting locations. In every Read More...
Ultramarathon Training: What I Did for Western States
I’m getting quite a few questions about my training for Western States… mostly from the people that were aware of my lackadaisical approach I took. The race performance did not seem even remotely possible given my apparent training regimen. Some (Shacky) even accused me of sandbagging.
For my three previous 100 milers, I took various approaches.
For the first Burning River attempt in ’08, I followed Crossfit and Crossfit Endurance religiously. I meticulously planned every Read More...
Goofy Ultra Training Ideas
Western States is 53 days away. That gives me a little over nine weeks to dial in my training. So far, everything is going according to plan. I divide my training into various elements that will ultimately help me over the 100 miles. Here are the basic elements of my training:
Long runs- Usually one per week ranging from 20-35 miles. At some point I will include a long back-to-back. The long runs also includes two races (Mind the Read More...
Run/Walk Strategies During Ultramarathons: Do They Work? Is THIS a Better Solution?
It’s been awhile since I posted an ultrarunning article. This one was inspired by a 34 mile training run with Jesse Scott. We’re training for the Mind the Ducks 12 12 Hour ultra in Rochester, NY on May 14th. To help prepare us trail runners prepare for half a day on asphalt, we did this run on a paved bike path.
At about mile 20, Jesse decided to mix things up a bit by adding the Read More...
How I’ll break Out of a Rut- Lets Fight the Late Winter Doldrums Together
[The following post was written by Jesse Scott. Jesse is one of the writers I recently recruited to occasionally write for BRU. Check out his blog "In Search of Solid Ground" to read more of Jesse's writings.]
Something I dislike doing is explicitly telling others what to do. We’re all individuals with our own wants, needs, and feelings. The best way for me to help others is by giving an example, or in most Read More...
