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Lead Stories: Friday, August 29, 2008

Slow it down … take a hike!

Posted July 19th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Jessica Galvano

Section: Motivation, Health & Fitness, Exercise

female hiker Life goes by fast.

Sixty miles per hour to the office. Seven miles per hour on the treadmill. Forty-five in a thirty-five to make practice on time. And all after eight cups of coffee.
The jittery, anxiety-inducing schedule of espressos and non-stop “to dos” has, for many, become an accepted inevitability. In a fast-paced society, the natural tendency is to meet the demands of high speeds by downing Red Bull, exceeding speed limits, and attempting to function on a paltry five hours of sleep.

While it may be nearly impossible to control the speed of your work environment, maintaining a relaxed and enjoyable exercise regimen is entirely within reach. Instead of stepping on the treadmill for your usual run, try a hike instead. The texture of an actual trail is, not surprisingly, preferable to a synthetic treadmill and the scenery certainly has more appeal than the cold, gray concrete of the gym.

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Keeping it safe on the trails

Posted April 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Lisa Cieplechowicz

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Training Tips, Cross Training

Trail running can be a great workout and an excellent way to challenge your body and take your run to the next level. It can also be very mentally fulfilling by providing opportunities to enjoy nature and escape into a world of peace, quiet, and beautiful scenery.

Although enjoyable, trail running, like other forms of exercise, also comes with some inherent and potential risks. Rocky terrain, unknown paths, and unfriendly wildlife can make any trail run a challenging experience. So the next time you’re heading out to a trail, keep these helpful tips in mind to stay safe and have fun:

1) Get the low-down on a particular trail before you begin your run. Consult trail guidebooks, check the internet if possible, talk to people who have already run the trail you’re considering, or speak with the appropriate land-management agency to ensure the trail is safe and open to the public – whatever you do, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into!
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Switch it up and challenge yourself with a trail running adventure!

Posted January 22nd, 2007 at 2:30 PM by Kathryn Magro

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

We’ve all experienced that day when we finally grow tired of seeing the same houses and landmarks along our running route. What’s a runner to do? Fear no more! Add some excitement, change your scenery, enjoy nature and increase your workout intensity by trying: Trail Running!

Trail running typically takes place on hills, mountains, hiking paths, etc - and is exponentially growing in popularity among runners, triathletes, hikers and other athletes. As a matter of fact, there are now approximately 6.5 million regular trail runners in the United States. The main allures of trail running comes from the more challenging and scenic courses. Constant changes in terrain are common; therefore, proper training and equipment are recommended before participating in any sort of formal races or events.
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Help prevent injuries by performing proprioception & balance training

Posted January 17th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Richard Quinn

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

Many regard running as a warm up activity or as a simple cardiovascular exercise. People will often go to the track and/or their favorite course and immediately launch into an intense workout without thinking twice about it. It is not uncommon for people to skip their pre- and post- workout stretching; one reason why runners suffer so many preventable injuries and never reach the top of their potential.

Training for running is no different than training for any other sport. In order to stay healthy and reach peak performance, an athlete must train in a variety of ways and be conscious of keeping their body healthy and free of injuries. Two types of training that are increasing in popularity and can help a runner achieve these goals are: proprioception and balance training.

Although proprioception conditioning has long been used for rehabilitation, it is also now being utilized as a method of injury prevention. Proprioception is an automatic sensitivity mechanism in the body. This mechanism sends a message through your central nervous system for analysis. The information is then relayed to the rest of the body about how to react and with what amount of tension. This can be seen in everyday activities, such as the ability to walk though a dark room without losing balance.
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Optimal Marathon Running

Posted December 11th, 2006 at 11:30 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”.

Running an optimum marathon requires the following 4 things:

(1) An accurate and realistic assessment of a target time.

This is absolutely critical. Be too optimistic with your goal and even a starting pace that you think is a little conservative will really be too fast and will result in a lot of lost time as you slow in the latter miles. OTOH, set a very conservative goal time and you will lose more time in the first half than can be overcome in the second half. If hot and/or humid weather is expected during the race, it is necessary to adjust the realistic goal accordingly.
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The 3 Biggest Variables Between Road and Treadmill Running

Posted October 23rd, 2006 at 12:30 PM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Gear & Apparel, Exercise Equipment, Training Tips

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

In my opinion, using a 1-2 percent incline to simulate the “wind resistance” created by your body moving forward through the air when running outside is one of the most overblown “theories” in running.