Kenon graduated from Ohio University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Sport Science. After 13 years of smoking cigarettes, he finally kicked the habit in 2008. Shortly thereafter, a new addiction emerged–distance running. After countless 5k, 10k, and half marathon races, he completed his first full marathon in Athens, OH on April 3, 2011. He is committed to a notion that fitness is not about weight loss, muscle gain, or fast race times. Fitness is a permanent lifestyle choice. Incorporate healthy behaviors into your everyday schedule and you will experience the benefits in every aspect of your life.
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Running, running, and then more running. That’s what I do. I’ve got to get those miles in, right? However, running alone is not enough to achieve total fitness. If you want to look your best, feel your best, and be at your best, a more well-balanced regimen is necessary. At a minimum, your regimen should really include some sort of regular rotation of strength training, core strengthening, and flexibility exercises. …
Whether the summer heat has forced you indoors or you have just decided that you need to take advantage of the complimentary toiletries that come with the gym membership you haven’t utilized in four months, the treadmill is your friend. Many, if not most, runners cringe at the notion of working out on the “dreadmill”.
Manufacturers have pulled out all the stops to try to make treadmill running a more…
Shin splints, IT band issues, plantar fasciitis. These are all common injuries of which most runners will at least get a taste at some point in their training. Each is treatable in its own way. One of the most common, if not most annoying, “injury” symptoms that many runners experience is blistering.
Here are some tips to combat these debilitating nuisances:
Get professionally fitted for shoes–This is the single most…
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Once you’ve done all the training, tapered appropriately, and show up at the start line, there are two critical areas on which to focus that will maximize race performance for distance runners, particularly for races 13.1 miles or longer.
The first is executing your race strategy. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of race day. Adrenaline is flowing and the thrill of competition drives us to outperform…
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It’s a difficult concept to accept. When I first started running, I thought I had to give 100% effort with every training run and run as many miles as I possibly could to realize fitness gains . Now that I am a slightly more seasoned runner, I’ve come to learn the value of days off and the accumulation of easy miles. Only the appropriate combination of challenging training runs coupled…
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It never fails. Whenever I am in a discussion with non-runners and the topic comes up, someone in the room always says, “Running 26.2 miles can’t be good for you.” Here’s another common one: “I can’t run because I have bad knees.” Others like to point to specific cases where marathon runners have suffered (sometimes fatal) heart attacks. Let’s analyze each of these situations individually and then perhaps we can…
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Even though I wasn’t aware of it at the time, I was first introduced to Chi running about four months ago when I got an e-mail from 3:09 marathoner and Boston Marathon Qualifier, Nick “The Quick” Dlouhy. Nick was going to be in Columbus for work and wanted to get out for a run while he was here. Since Nick’s marathon pace is more than one minute per mile faster…
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Hills. The dreaded HILLS! No matter how many hills workouts I’ve completed, I always go into them expecting them to be brutal. But enough of that. Hills help you add strength, improve overall running economy, and throw in some variety to your training regimen. Get excited about hills and incorporate them into your program. If you want to become a better runner, it is my belief that you have no…
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You just registered for a half marathon in the Fall and you are excited about getting a new training program underway. You pack your workout clothes and head to work. Your lunch hour hits and it’s time to get in that first, easy training run. Then you step outside and get smacked in the face with a 103 heat index! Ouch!
Running in the summertime is a different animal altogether. …
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There have been two milestone moments in my running career–moments when I shook my head and said to myself, “I guess I’m really a runner now.” The first one was when I walked out of a store with a pair of running tights. I never thought I would get to that point. The second was when I sat down in my first freezing cold ice bath after a long training…
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Historically, nutrition plans for endurance athletes have been centered around carbohydrates and hydration. But it has also become widely accepted that endurance athletes require significantly more protein than the standard adult recommended dietary allowance (RDA). While pure power and strength is often thrown by the wayside when training for an endurance event, maintaining sufficient muscle mass is critical. Failure to do so subjects an athlete to the following potential detriments:…
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I thought I was in great shape and I went out very aggressively for someone attacking 13.1 miles for the first time. I hit the midway point in 52:31, an 8:01 pace. Then, about eight miles into my first half marathon back in May ’10, the Cap City in Columbus, OH, I remember thinking, “I’m never going to run again.” My tank was on empty and I knocked out the…
I remain convinced that, if you’re just looking to tone and maintain, you can blitz any given muscle group in 15 minutes tops. Here’s the circuit I like to use for my back:
Pull-ups–Lots and lots of pull-ups! I find these to be the best exercises for carving out a defined back. Positioning your hands a little wider than shoulder width to keep the emphasis on the back and off…
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How many times have you seen someone in the weight room who is doing barbell curls with entirely too much weight on the bar? Because he has entirely overloaded the bar, he is rocking back and forth and using every muscle except his biceps to complete the repetition. I have probably been that guy on more than one occasion.
Or maybe you see a guy who wants to tell all…
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So you’re going to start working out again on Monday…AGAIN! But this time you’re going to stick with it…RIGHT? What are you going to do differently this time around to ensure you don’t fall off the proverbial wagon again? Here are few things to think about that will undoubtedly increase the likelihood that you will be able to sustain a long-term workout program:
#1 ESTABLISH GOALS
Why do you want…
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As a distance runner, it is hard enough to find time to squeeze in every last mile. In a pinch, I’ll skip the strength training in favor of a run every single time. My own personal struggles to allocate time for strength training are well chronicled, including in my recent post, “Push-Up Circuits = Fast, Proven Results“. Over the years, I have scoured the Web looking for workouts that will…
Walk into any running store and one of the first things you will see is an entire wall dedicated to nutritional products. There are products to reduce the likelihood of cramping, speed recovery, maximize performance, etc. I admit, it can be a little overwhelming.
When it comes to supplements for runners, I consider myself to be somewhat of a minimalist. I don’t like to disrupt the flow of my body’s…
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Variations to a basic push-up can give you a total upper body workout and do it in 15-20 minutes tops. No more excuses!
First and foremost, I am a runner. Incorporating running into my exercise routine is easy for me. Like a lot of runners, however, I neglect other important areas of fitness like strength training, core strengthening, and flexibility.
Sometimes I’ll start a run and tell myself that I’m…
If you’re not performing the way you feel you should, your body is telling you something. LISTEN TO IT!
The Excitement of a New Training Plan
One of the things I love about running is building a training plan to prepare for an upcoming race. I usually start with something like Runner’s World’s SmartCoach, which is an interactive, online tool that can map out an entire customized plan based on…
