Tag: runningform

Cadence – It’s Not Just for Cycling

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The very first time I got on a road bike, I put it into one of the heaviest gears, and mashed those pedals around the Pine Barrens of South Jersey for two hours. I’m guessing my cadence couldn’t have been much more than 60-65 rpm. This story is a common one – especially for runners who start cycling. Runners just love to mash and grind, don’t we? If it doesn’t hurt, we can’t possibly be doing it correctly, right? Thankfully, those more experienced at the time than I taught me to stop being such a schmuck. So, I lightened up the …

Go, Speed Racer, Go! A Review of Newton’s MV2 Sneakers

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Three years ago, I put on my first pair of Newton sneakers, and I’ve never worn a different brand of sneakers since. I’ve gone through countless pairs of the Gravity trainers, and added the Terrus Momentus to my lineup for trail running. Suffice to say, I’m a Newton Girl. Recently, I was offered the opportunity to review their new race flats – the MV2 speed racers. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity. From the moment I took them out of the box, one thing was very clear about the MV2‘s: They are light. The box they came in weighed more than the …

Balance your body to prevent (and recover from) injuries

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Most of us have some type of muscular imbalance–even if we don’t know it yet. Unfortunately, these imbalances usually make themselves known in the form of an injury. But, we can assess and address muscular imbalance before we find ourselves on the DL. If you are already dealing with an injury from a tough season, well, this post can help you too. During the USAT Level 1 coaching clinic that John and I attended in October, we heard quite a bit about muscular imbalances that are typical for runners and triathletes. And, a year of battling with ITBS has taught …

Really running again

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With all the attention I’ve been giving to cycling for the past few months, some of you may have started to wonder if I should change the name of my blog to cycling a life. Hey, not so fast there, buddy. Let’s get something clear: if it wasn’t for running, there would be no reason to do triathlon, to punish myself on a bike, to slog through yards of swimming despite the fact that I am clearly NOT a fish. Running is, and always will be, my sport of choice. The swim and the bike are an elaborate warm up. …

Who is a “real” runner?

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Yesterday at the gym, I ran into an acquaintance, who has done marathons and triathlons, including an ironman. During the course of our small talk, he made an off-hand comment, “I think you’re not really running if you aren’t doing an 8 minute mile.” Oh, reeeee-aaaaa-lllll-yyyyy? I’d like to see him maintain an 8 minute per mile pace over 50 miles of rugged single-track trail that climbs 9,000 feet. I vehemently disagree with such arrogant and condescending pronouncements of who is and is not a runner.  However, I figured in the interest of a quick conversation, I wouldn’t argue the …

My secret trail

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I cross the street, tuck into a partially hidden trail that snakes behind the neighborhood houses, and vanish from the asphalt running world. Fallen tree branches criss-cross the first few meters of this particular trail, which starts just a few tenths of a mile down the street from my house. I hop-skip over some of the limbs, while others require more careful navigation. The branches snap under my feet. Sometimes, when I land in just the right way, they ricochet upwards, and smack my legs. I relish the feeling. My legs are alive, moving, feeling part of the natural world. …

Barefoot running

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After running my second marathon, the Ocean Drive Marathon, I had some persistant pain in the outside of my left hip. A few weeks after the marathon, when all of the other aches and pains had long subsided, the hip pain remained, and seemed to be getting worse. Hmmm. So, I did some research (google is always my first opinion) and went to the ortho doctor for a second opinion. Both opinions pointed to trochanteric bursitis. I was a textbook case–which made my at-home google diagnosis much easier. The simple definition of this condition: inflammation of a fluid-filled sac that normally …