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Lead Stories: Friday, August 29, 2008

FINISH STRONG with TFS’s collection of famous quotes!

Posted September 14th, 2007 at 7:06 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Motivation, Famous Quotes, Special Features, Famous Quotes

From Jesse Owens to Dr. George Sheehan … from Steve Prefontaine to Sir Roger Banister … from ancient philosophers to runners just like you …

The Final Sprint has accumulated the most comprehensive anthology of motivational quotes to help you FINISH STRONG!

Pick out your favorites and read them before a big race or even choose one as your training credo!

Have one you want us to add?

No problem; just send an email to thefinalsprint@gmail.com!

Start Here . . . Finish Strong!
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Marathon Cramps: Part II

Posted June 15th, 2007 at 7:15 PM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Nutrition, Hydration, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor. Make sure to also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

If you have found a regimen to avoid cramps during a marathon that works for you, stick with it. Don’t listen to the “naysayers” who try to tell you that you are doing something wrong or unnecessary.

I found a regimen that stopped my marathon cramps after suffering them in several races. It wasn’t simply one “silver bullet”. But a combination of factors.

I believe that the primary cause of cramps during a marathon is over running it … trying to run a pace that you truly aren’t prepared for. Obviously, the solution(s) for that is (are) more intensive training and/or better race planning and/or execution.

However, assuming that you are adequately trained for your race plan and that you execute your plan properly, then I also believe that there are other factors that come into play, especially when you are running “on the edge”. These “other factors” include your potassium and sodium stores going into the race and the intake of electrolytes during the race.
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Determining the range of your “base” training pace

Posted February 8th, 2007 at 4:10 PM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

There are three ways to determine and measure your “base” training pace range, which should be used for all training, except for speed work.

1. Base it on a recent race pace. Your training pace should be 1-2 minutes per mile slower than 10k race pace. That should be well within your aerobic zone.

It can vary depending on a several factors, such as weather and how tired/stressed you might be. However, the 1 - 2 minute range allows for a lot of variation.
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Stride Length Improvement

Posted February 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

Although both stride rate and stride length increase as runners become faster, greater gain is realized by more runners through the increase of stride length, not stride rate. And stride length is the ultimate limiter of how fast we will eventually become because it is the primary bio-mechanical determinant of running economy.

Certainly, a runner who has a very slow stride rate, such as 150 or fewer strides/minute, can realize a lot of pace gain through increased leg turnover as his/her cardio-respiratory systems develop to enable faster paces.
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It’s time! … To start rotating your running shoes!

Posted January 26th, 2007 at 9:00 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Gear & Apparel, Running Shoes, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

Rotating two or more pairs of running shoes can produce the following benefits:

1. Reduced risk of injury.
2. Extended lifespan of shoes.
3. Flexibility to use different types of shoes for different types of runs.

It takes up to 48 hours after just a few miles of running for the midsoles of running shoes to fully recover their shock absorption properties. Allowing them time to recover at least that long reduces one’s risk of injury and extends the life span of the shoes.
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“Success Stories” Series:
November 2006: Jim Fortner

Posted November 1st, 2006 at 9:00 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Motivation, Success Stories, Columns, Success Stories

A Note from the Editor-in-Chief: This is the first edition of our brand-new “Success Stories” Series. “Success Stories” aims to highlight remarkable and factual accounts of runners who have overcome major obstacles, changed their lives via running and much more.

The following is Jim’s personal account of his metamorphosis. Prepare to be “wow’ed” and motivated by this incredible gentleman.

I am 67 years old and didn’t start running until I was 44. Before then, I was a very inactive person. Even as a kid, I didn’t participate in sports, except for the “sandlot” variety. I was an overweight couch potato all of my adult life and a 2-3 pack-a-day smoker from age 16…..until I reached my mid-40’s. Then I decided to lose 30 pounds, start exercising and stop smoking….in that order. I thought I had the best chance of keeping the weight off if I lost it and started exercising before I quit smoking. Read the rest of this entry »

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