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Why Half Marathon Times Don’t Translate into Full Marathon Times

By on August 11, 2015 in Beginner, Half Marathon, Listener Question, PR

Here’s a question I received from a fellow runner named Chris,

Hi Angie! I’m 50 years old and have been running for 2 1/2 years (after losing 105 pounds, but that’s another story). My times for the half marathon are decent, generally in the 1:55 area. I’ve run three marathons with a PR of 4:27:34 and a worst of 4:58:30.

Anyway, based on various race predictors, it looks like my “expected” marathon time is in around 4:05. Why am I so far off, and how can I get my half marathon ability, such as it is, to translate to the marathon distance? I’m training for the Long Beach (Ca.) Marathon in October and I’d really like to come in around 4:10 or so. Thanks, and keep up your great work! -Chris

My answer . . . Continue Reading →

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13.1 Tips for Running Your First Half Marathon

By on July 6, 2015 in Beginner, Half Marathon

16131867964_4053e65f49_oThe half marathon is the fastest growing race distance. If 13.1 miles is on your to-do list, prepare yourself with these suggestions to have a rewarding race day.

By Henry Howard

2,046,600.

That’s how many half marathoner finishers there were in 2014, according to Running USA’s annual half marathon report. About three in five of the finishes were attributed to women.

Those 2 million crossings of the finish line make the half marathon the fastest growing race distance. It’s no wonder that the distance is so popular — it’s often the gateway run of choice for those looking to bridge the gap between a 5K and a full marathon.

While the popularity of the marathon is also increasing, not everyone wants to complete 26.2 miles. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Half marathons present their own challenges. The average race time — 2:03 for males and 2:21 for females — means that runners will need to take their preparation, training and nutrition seriously. Continue Reading →

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How to Run at Elevation

By on July 3, 2015 in Beginner, Safety

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This post is inspired by my recent Leadville Trail Marathon which began at over 10,000 feet elevation and topped out at 13,185 feet.

We arrived in Breckenridge, Colorado, (9,600 feet) a couple days before the race and I could tell immediately that the air is a lot thiner than I’m used to. I struggled to run even a mile and climbing stairs left me out of breath.

Running at elevation can be tricky. Here’s how to do it safely. Continue Reading →

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Fitness Begins In The Mind!

By on June 20, 2015 in Beginner, Motivation, Podcasts
Angie and family climbing Square Butte in Central Montana

Angie and family climbing Square Butte in Central Montana

Since we’re traveling around the American West climbing mountains and seeing family we’re a little behind on podcast production.

Here’s a training lesson pulled directly from the Academy member’s only area. I know you’ll love it!

Before you can physically run 26.2 miles or accomplish any other running goal you have to believe that you can do it. Continue Reading →

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How to Run-Walk-Run a Marathon -Interview with Jeff Galloway

By on April 18, 2015 in Beginner, Interview, Podcasts

10535562_10152245297457322_2587396608525335870_o[Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now]

Jeff Galloway has had one of the most influential careers in the history of running.  He  competed in the 10k distance at the 1972 Olympics. 

He’s run a 2:16 marathon.  He’s the author of many books and owner of the oldest specialty running store in America.

Many know him as the creator of the Galloway Run-Walk-Run program which has helped hundreds of thousands of people realize their dream of finishing a marathon. 

In this interview we have Jeff take us through how and why his method works for runners of all abilities. Continue Reading →

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Q and A with Ben Greenfield

By on March 16, 2015 in Beginner, Fueling, Interview, Nutrition, Podcasts

ben[Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now]

Ben Greenfield reached out to us when we first started the MTA podcast five years ago. We have had him on the show every year since and he never fails to deliver great value to our listers. This episode is no exception!

In this interview you will hear him throw down tips on how runners can build muscular strength, obstacle racing mania, common mistakes he sees new runners make, nutritional misinformation, fueling for endurance, meditation, elevation training, chocolate milk, eating fruit post-exercise, drinking craft beer, and more!
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Continue Reading →

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Run More and Recover Better

By on December 20, 2014 in Beginner, Health and Wellness

IMG_2443Here’s a question from our Academy Facebook group:

“Ran my first marathon yesterday at the Dallas Marathon. One thought I had often “how the heck does Angie do back to back marathons without falling apart?!” –Ashley

First of all a big congratulations goes out to Ashley for running her first marathon! I certainly wasn’t thinking about running multiple marathons before or during my first marathon in 2008. It was just one of those big challenges that I had to do.

At the time I didn’t have any friends who were runners and didn’t know anyone personally who’d ever run a marathon. Despite making lots of mistakes in training I crossed the finish line in 4:10 and knew that I’d run another marathon.

However, ITBS (iliotibial band syndrome) forced me to lay off running for the next several months. But I knew that I’d learn from my mistakes and come back stronger. I recovered properly, trained smarter and ran a marathon in 2009 breaking four hours. From there it was a process of learning more, setting bigger goals and running more marathons.

Now I’ve run 29 marathons and know that there are many, many more in my future. Here are my tips for running more and recovering more quickly whether your goal is to run more 5ks or marathons: Continue Reading →

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4 Simple Ways to Have a Stress-Free Marathon

By on November 12, 2014 in Beginner, Guest Perspective

Jason HM RacingThe marathon can be a daunting effort. At 26.2 miles, it takes months of focused preparation and training to feel confident on the starting line.

Race day is when all that training is put to the test: the countless miles, the tempo and marathon-pace workouts, and the weekend long runs that inspire confidence in covering the marathon distance.

But while all the hard work is already done, you’re not quite finished yet! Many runners who have put so much time and effort into their marathon training put virtually none into their race day planning. A successful marathon demands advance planning so there’s as little stress as possible the morning of the race. Continue Reading →

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Top Half-Dozen Things I Learned During My First Six Marathons

By on November 5, 2014 in Beginner, Guest Perspective

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon 2014

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon 2014

You’ve completed the training for a marathon. But don’t toe the start line without planning your race, choosing a mantra and remembering to have fun.

By Henry Howard

Yesterday I completed marathon number six, the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. It’s actually the third time I’ve run 26.2 at the Monumental. But, hey, it’s a wonderful race and only 60 miles from my house, so it figures to be a constant for me.

This blog post isn’t intended to rave about the Monumental (but I could) or replace Angie Spencer as a coach (which I could not). Instead, I wanted to share the top six things I’ve learned since completing my first marathon, roughly two years ago today. Continue Reading →

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How to Nearly Fail at a Marathon

By on December 3, 2013 in Beginner, Guest Perspective, Hills

North Country Trail Run

North Country Trail Run

Guest blogger Jeremy Verdusco gives us the painful details of his first trail marathon. Here’s what he learned . . .

Plenty of books and websites offer marathon training advice. How do I run a sub-4 hour marathon? How do I properly fuel for a marathon? What’s the best marathon pacing strategy?

I read a lot of that advice. I tried to follow it. I’ve finished four marathons and plan to sign up soon for a fifth. I’ve benefited from many of those running tips, and disregarded others that didn’t help me.

So what advice can I, a mid-pack runner, share?

I want to share the lessons I learned nearly failing at a marathon. Read on and I’ll tell you what you can do to avoid coming as close to a DNF as possible without dropping out. You’ll want to read this because finishing a marathon in four hours is hard, but finishing one in nearly seven hours means true suffering.

Learn from my mistakes. Continue Reading →

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Questions New Runners Ask

By on August 31, 2012 in Beginner, Podcasts

*[Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now]

I recently did a guest interview on two different podcasts – Runner Girls and The Dr. Rob Show.

I had a chance to answer questions from new runners taking on the half marathon distance for the first time.

We talked about how to determine if you’re ready for the marathon, preventing injuries, carbohydrate loading, running surfaces, shoes, pedometers, nutrition, motivation, tapering, training plans, and overcoming doubts and fears.

Here is a sample of some of the questions these new runners asked me. Continue Reading →

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