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Lead Stories: Saturday, September 6, 2008

The Power of Doubles

Posted April 5th, 2007 at 4:42 PM by Paul Petersen

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Doubles … the dreaded “two-a-day”. Those phrases invoke not-so-fuzzy memories of high school cross country practice. Get up at 6AM, pound some stair laps, and then duke it out again on the roads at 3PM.

Since most people on my prep team didn’t run at all during the summer, these double sessions (combined with racing three times per week) would “crash” most of us in shape by the conference and sectional meets.

Upon entering college and starting a new phase of my running career, doubles were completely eliminated from my training. Instead, our program focused on medium-length single runs (10-12 miles). My weekly mileage never topped over 80, which was not a hard volume to accomodate with singles, and I decided at that point that two-a-days were only for high school kids and obsessive-compulsive freakazoid runners.

This sentiment has changed, partially because I have become an obsessive-compulsive freakazoid runner. In other words, I become a marathoner in my post-collegiate running. Once my mileage reaches over 80 miles/week, I typically start incorporating doubles between 1-3 days/week. Here’s why:
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Warning: If you start running, you may become “addicted”

Posted January 15th, 2007 at 7:03 PM by Amanda Black

Section: Running & Training, Motivation, Health & Fitness, Exercise

People often look at serious runners with awe and admiration, wondering why they would choose to do such a thing and how a person could get up at five in the morning and go for a run in the freezing cold before the start of a stressful day.

For most runners the answer is simple: they need it, they love it and they just don’t feel “right” if they don’t go for their run. In a lot of ways, running is actually psychologically and physically addictive. The body produces natural endorphins during exercise; the so called “runner’s high” and many people just can’t get enough! Author Pam Hilts explains that these endorphins:
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Running in the AM: Five Good Reasons to Be an Early Riser

Posted October 18th, 2006 at 4:00 AM by Trish Monks

Section: Running & Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

Trish Monks, writing all the way from England, is a wonderful addition to our team. Although Brits might speak a little differently and make us laugh from time to time - we still love them and we love Trish’s writing. Enjoy!

There are many reasons why I wish I were a morning person, but the main one would have to be my running. If I could do most of my training before going to work, my life would be so much easier.

I have managed it a few times over the last couple of years, most memorably while I was training for the Paris marathon in 2004.

I vividly remember arriving home after an early morning training run, with my hair frozen solid and the sun still not up! At the time, because of other commitments (i.e. life!), it was the only way I could fit my increasingly heavy running schedule into my day, and for many, that’s a day-to-day reality.

5 reasons to run first thing in the morning: Read the rest of this entry »

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