Engineered to Run

The idea for this week's post came from an article I read a couple of months ago, written by former Olympic runner Alan Culpepper. The article, linked below, is actually an excerpt from his book, "Run Like a Champion: An Olympian's Approach for Every Runner", and it discusses the need to recognize the driving force behind the reason you run, or why you want to reach a particular goal. It's a brief read, and the rest of the blog will likely flow better if you check it out first: http://running.competitor.com/2018/03/training/the-first-step-to-developing-a-psychology-of-success_169842 I thought this article was great, and in particular I connected with the idea of knowing what your true motivation is, as you will need it to drive you on days when you don't really want to get out and train. I've stated many times that my primary driving force right now with running is improving my times, and the knowledge that that won't happen without grinding throu...

Today's post is going to focus on three little words that I would imagine most runners have heard more than once when discussing our sport with non-runners: I can't run! In general, can't is a word that I try to avoid, as we often tend to use it in situations where it is quite inaccurate. And when I hear people state that they can't run, it usually fits that definition. There are people who actually cannot run, whether it is due to injury, illness, or disability, but they are not the people I generally hear this statement from. So, what makes someone who is not prevented from running by any physical condition say that they can't run? Especially considering the fact that running is one of the most natural forms of exercise that we can do. Our bodies are designed to run, and our species has been doing it for a LONG time! I think that many who say this really mean that they can't run far. They have tried to run at some point, but found themselves out of breat...

Before I get into the topic of this week's post, I want to give a quick shout out to my coach, Dave Freake, on winning the Goodlife Toronto Marathon today. While his finishing time may have been a little slower than his goal, any day where you can line-up and beat the field is a great day. Not to mention, Dave spent the winter running three days a week with a small, dedicated clinic group in Paradise, and has spent the last two weeks prior to this race kicking off a Tely clinic with over 30 runners. Managing all that while still training hard enough to win is an impressive feat. Well done Dave! This week, I want to talk about the wonderful benefits that come from running with a group. I'm not sure if I've specifically mentioned this here before, but I spent the first 3 years of my running "career" doing all of my training solo. With the exception of races, every step I took was on my own. This included training for multiple Tely's and Cape to Cabot's, as...