Recent Posts and Updates from Jeff
What Happens to Us as We Train?
The “Team” of heart, lungs, nerves, brain, etc. Very often in professional sports, a group of very talented individuals is defeated by a group of players of lesser ability who play as a “team”. Each of the training elements in a 5K/10K schedule will help you to...
Alcohol in Sport: How Bad Is It for Runners?
Alcohol has a strong link with sport, be it with sponsorship, beer consumption after a hard workout, or teams enmeshed in a culture of heavy drinking. To address what is known—and not known—about the impact of alcohol on athletic performance, members of Professionals...
Reason to Run #45: Stressed? Get Out and Run!
On the really stressful days, when we don’t feel like running, even a short and gentle run can deliver major relief. Running doesn’t just release stress, it can bestow a relaxed sense of confidence that allows one to meet the challenges that cause the stress. A short...
Memories of the first Peachtree Road Race
In my Phidippides store in Ansley Mall you’ll see the first place trophy that I won in the 1st Peachtree Road Race in 1970. It was very unusual to have such a big trophy in a 10K road race and many ask me who was the sponsor. Here is the story. My friend Tim...
Recovery, Recovery, Recovery
The main theme of a time-goal program is recovery. If you build enough rest into your program before you need it, your body will be continuously recovering, rebuilding, and adapting for the performance demands of your goal. By preventing extra fatigue and taking extra...
Making Adjustments:
One of my favorite roles is helping runners solve problems. Almost every day I hear from at least one person who has experienced a rebirth of their running joy due to the Run-Walk-Run method. But I also work with runners who get stuck in a rut. Most commonly, a simple...
You Can’t Run Too Slow on Your Long Runs!
Question: How fast should I run during my long runs? Answer: I recommend pacing all of the long runs, at least two minutes per mile slower than predicted by the magic mile, adjusted for heat. I’ve not found any pace that is too slow. You’ll receive the endurance based...
The Endurance Diet: What to Avoid
Avoid the following: Salt - Salt consumed during the 24 hours before the race will produce blood more concentrated in sodium. Fluid is then taken from muscle tissue and other areas, reducing your capacity for performance through dehydration. Fat - The more fat in your...
A revolution in running shoe buying
Combining the convenience of online shopping with their 45 years of expertise in shoe fitting, Phidippides is changing how online running shoe shopping works. Worried that you'll order the wrong shoes online or that your local store doesn't have consistently...
Stretching
“Stretching causes many injuries.” - It may surprise you to learn this, but I’m not a big advocate of stretching. After having worked with tens of thousands of runners, and conducting surveys, I’ve discovered that those who stretch regularly have more injuries - often...
If You Are Running Until You’re 100, Are You Working Too Hard Toward a Time Goal?
Mature runners who have time goals can get too focused on running faster almost every run. This often results in injury. One of the first signs is increased stress associated with running, often resulting in motivation problems. At the first sign of these symptoms,...
Hill Training Builds Strength – And More
Hill training strengthens the legs for running, better than any other activity I know. At the same time it can help you maximize your stride length, increase leg speed, and improve your ability to run hills in races. The hill training period provides a gentle...
Eating During Exercise
Most exercisers don’t need to worry about eating or drinking during a run until the length exceeds 90 minutes. At this point there are several options. In this case, most runners wait until the 30-40 minute mark in the workout before starting to take the blood sugar...
Benefits or Trail Running
As you move along a trail through forest, desert, or parkland, you enter a different state of mind. You’re constantly interacting with the ground, vegetation, elevation change, and a variety of sounds and aromas. Mind-body activity is elevated to a higher level of...
Go Slow in the Long Runs
You get the same benefit from a long slow run as you do from a long fast one and you’ll recover faster from the slow run. If you go further than 20 miles in the long run, you will improve your marathon stamina dramatically but you must run slowly. Remember that...
The Many Ways to “Win” a Marathon
There are an almost unlimited number of different marathon “missions.” Each can enrich your life in a different way, while delivering about the same exhilaration as received the first time. Over the past 20 years, I must have compared notes with over 50,000 veteran...
Treadmills Are Just as Good as Streets
More and more runners are using treadmills for at least 50% of their runs - particularly those who have small children. It is a fact that treadmills tend to tell you that you have gone further or faster than you really have (but usually are not off by more than 10%)....
Prescriptive Exercise: Knees – The Stiff Leg Lift
If you have knees that ache regularly, here is an exercise that strengthens the various muscles in the thigh. By developing strength in the range of muscles above, you may tighten the connections around the knee getting better support. When this group, the quadriceps,...