Is your running form suffering from bad posture? How you sit, stand, and carry yourself off the pavement has a big impact on your own body mechanics and running efficiency when you’re on the pavement. Spinal alignment, balanced and flexible hips, and limber, pain-free muscles are a postural recipe for successful running technique that can make a big difference in your next marathon. Continue Reading →
Archive | Guest Perspective
Meet New MTA Coach Dominique Hamel
The globe-trotting ultra marathoner brings a wealth of experience and similar coaching philosophy to the Marathon Training Academy coaching group.
Sports had always been a part of Dominique Hamel’s life. Collegiate soccer. Basketball AAA.
Then life took over and she became busy with her three daughters and career, working as an economist with the Canadian government. She felt overweight and exhausted.
Thanks to a friend’s inspiration, Hamel took up running and has now finished nearly 60 marathons and 13 ultras. Now, the newest Marathon Training Academy coach is looking to inspire other runners. Continue Reading →
How to Get to the Root Cause of an Injury
Injury can quickly sideline any runner by causing pain, frustration, and disappointment over lost training days and unmet goals.
Injuries can be classified as accidental or as a result of overuse.
Some injuries occur due to accidents (such as tripping or falling). Accidents are unfortunate, but mostly random. Using common sense can help you to avoid repeating similar injuries.
Overuse and overload type injuries are preventable if you reduce your risks. Let me explain . . . Continue Reading →
Running A Half Marathon With A Cold
Catching a cold just before a race is a real bummer! If you’re not ready to miss your half marathon because of a head cold here’s what to do . . . Continue Reading →
MTA: Where Coaching and Camaraderie Meet
Pat McCain has achieved running goals and embraced a new family of runners in the Marathon Training Academy.
Pat McCain ran in college because it was required.
“Running was not something I chose to do but rather forced to do,” McCain recalled. “I remember the first time I ran — I couldn’t even make a mile!” After joining the Air Force in 1988, he continued running. “You might say that I have been forced to run for almost 30 years!”
But it wasn’t until recently when McCain embraced coaching and the Marathon Training Academy, both of which helped him achieve what he once thought was impossible. Continue Reading →
Reoccurring Shin Splints
Here’s a great question that came in for the recent MTA podcast episode on Injury.
In this Q & A, I discuss why addressing the root cause of reoccurring shin splints is critical in order to avoid injury and lost training days. Continue Reading →
What is a Runner with Chronic Lower Leg Overuse Injuries to Do?
Here’s a great question that came in for the recent MTA podcast episode on Injury.
Should a person resort to running with “stability shoes” and/or orthotics or minimalistic shoes? What is the role of footwear for runners who are experiencing chronic lower leg overuse injuries?
How to Train for Your First 50-Mile Race
Beyond the physical training, be sure to train your mind, lock in your nutrition and adhere to good recovery methods.
By Henry Howard
As the participation in marathon running continues to grow, the popularity of ultra marathons also is increasing.
Last year, I completed my first and second ultras, both 50Ks. As I planned out my race calendar for 2017, I set a goal to finish my first 50-miler and found the American River 50, a beautiful, well-organized race in California.
Registering for the 50-mile race on www.ultrasignup.com was the easy part. As I looked ahead to this challenge, Marathon Training Academy Coach Angie Spencer and I set out to craft a solid plan to get my body, mind, nutrition and recovery in prime shape. Continue Reading →
10 Strategies for Avoiding Injury
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. –Benjamin Franklin
As a physical therapist, I help people who have suffered from an injury through the process of rehabilitation. Yes, accidents will happen, but being proactive can help you to avoid and limit the chance of an injury.
Nothing derails a perfectly designed training program like an injury. One key to being a Resilient Runner is to optimize your health and lessen your risk of injury by being proactive upfront. Continue Reading →
Meet New MTA Coach Steve Waldon
The marathoner and ultra runner brings a passion for life-long running to the Marathon Training Academy community.
By Henry Howard
The closest Steve Waldon got to sweating as an athlete growing up was playing billiards for money.
In his late 20s, Waldon knew he needed a change and found the joy and camaraderie of running. Starting out with 5Ks, he has gone on to finish 20 marathons and 15 ultras, including a 100K in the Bavarian Alps and two 155-mile stage races (one in Chile and the other in Iceland).
Now, he brings his passion for life-long running as the newest coach for Marathon Training Academy. Continue Reading →
The Truth About Running Injuries
Running is one of the most popular sports and hobbies in recent times. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 500,000 annual marathon finishers and up to 40 million people who run regularly.
Of those 40 million people, more than 10 million are running at least 100 days a year!
Running can be enjoyed by almost anyone despite age. Not only is running fun, but it has many health benefits including (although not limited to) the following: Continue Reading →
How to Avoid Overtraining Syndrome (OTS)
Nothing can derail your best laid training plans and goals like an injury or suffering from Overtraining Syndrome (OTS).
OTS usually starts with muscle soreness and a feeling of fatigue. Then it quickly progresses into a case of overtraining syndrome or injury. Overtraining can occur when the intensity and/or volume of exercise becomes too much for the body to properly recover from. Many common running injuries are directly associated with OTS. It’s always best to prevent OTS rather than attempt to recover from it. Continue Reading →
