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Morgantown Marathon Review

By on September 26, 2019 in Guest Perspective, Race Recap, Review

This review is by MTA running coach Nicole Hart.

Although I had passed through West Virginia while traveling, I had never actually run a race there before. When the opportunity to run the 5th annual Morgantown Marathon presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity.

The timing of the race fit almost perfectly into my training for a 50k race in October, and once I learned that it was a hilly, challenging course, I knew it would serve as a great lead up effort. I was not disappointed. Continue Reading →

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Top 5 Awesome Ideas to Keep Your Food Fresh

By on September 9, 2019 in Guest Perspective

Everyone loves shopping. Shoes, bags, clothes, and gadgets- the thrill of having something new is amazing. However, when it comes to grocery shopping, it is an entirely different ballgame. There is no feeling as bad as leaving the grocery store with a bag loaded with healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables, only to find these edibles with molds few days after purchase. Continue Reading →

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Flying Through a World Marathon Challenge with MTA

By on June 26, 2019 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Success Story

The duties associated with being a pilot are challenging. The training requirements for running a marathon also are challenging.

“There are frequently unexpected schedule changes daily because of weather or maintenance issues,” says United Express Airlines pilot and four-time marathoner Courtney Schoch. “Unfortunately, training runs or workouts are usually the first thing that gets eliminated because sleep is the top priority when I get to the hotel on a short overnight. Pilots must be well rested and alert in order to perform our job safely.”  

For Schoch, her running journey started with an impromptu jog on a trail. She has always been healthy, took precautions and ate healthy. Then a phone call delivered a dose of reality. Continue Reading →

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The Importance Of Sleep During Marathon Training

By on June 26, 2019 in Guest Perspective, Sponsored Post

When training for a marathon, sleep should be an important part of your schedule. Sleep studies on marathon runners are surprisingly scarce, but one study looking at elite tennis players found those who increased their sleep time to ten hours a night ran faster sprints than usual. So, although everyone’s needs are different, elite athletes should get at least eight to ten hours of sleep a night. Getting enough sleep will lead to faster recovery and therefore faster running. Continue Reading →

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Financial And Physical Fitness Have A Lot More In Common Than You Think

By on June 15, 2019 in Guest Perspective, Sponsored Post

While it may seem like your wealthy friends look good because they can afford to enlist in a personal trainer, there is actually a much deeper connection between your fitness and your finances. According to research, those who tend to overspend on their purchases, tend to overeat as well, and vice versa. The more this cycle continues, the more they tend to feed off each other. Continue Reading →

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Dear MTA family, you rock

By on May 29, 2019 in Guest Perspective, Race Recap, Ultramarathon

The author at the UROC 100k finish line

“Sometimes we do hard things,” I wrote on the MTA Facebook page as a way to announce the completion of my first 100K recently.

It was a hard day for sure, just under 15 ½ hours, well off my A goal at the Ultra Race of Champions (UROC) in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. But it was good enough to finish 38th overall out of 121, many of whom did not finish the race.

For me, the race was about the finish — and just getting to the start line. Crossing the finish line was the culmination of more than a year of training, with more ups and downs than UROC (11,000 feet of elevation gain and an equal amount of descent). Continue Reading →

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The road to Boston is paved with MTA coaching

By on May 8, 2019 in Coaching, Guest Perspective, Success Story

A couple of years ago during a business trip, I went to see the Boston Marathon finish line. I did not step on or pass the famous blue and yellow street decoration. I will run through it at another time, I told myself.

I repeated the same scenario last summer during a family vacation to Boston. At that time, I was going through a mix of emotions. I felt confident that my qualifying time from the November 2017 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon would be strong enough to get me into the 2019 race.

However, on that Boston trip, I was only a month out from emergency abdominal surgery. I had not been cleared to resume full activities at that time. Gentle jogging was as hard core as I was able to get at that point. Would I be able to regain the speed, endurance and fitness that I had developed since I began running in 2011? Would I still find the joy in the struggle? Would I still answer the alarm at oh-dark-thirty for training?

It did not take me long to answer my own questions. Continue Reading →

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Tips for Improving Athletes Performance

By on May 5, 2019 in Guest Perspective, Sponsored Post

To some, athletics is a way of life. It comes with great rewards such as fame and glory. But all this may be at a greater risk. An athlete can sustain injuries during training or while engaging in sports. One can attain a hip, knee, foot or ankle injury. This’s severe and if not treated it could lead to permanent damage or even life loss. There’re some tips to improving sporting performing thus reduce injury risk they include: Continue Reading →

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The Benefits of Running Without Headphones

By on April 19, 2019 in Guest Perspective

Me on my 10-mile long run in The Netherlands, appreciating the forest and the solitude.

By Rebekah Mays
Most of us can’t get through a marathon training season without a pair of running headphones.

We just love to listen to music, podcasts, and even audiobooks to help pass the time.

I’ve definitely found that having something good to listen to can make those three-hour long runs a lot easier – not to mention the early-morning and super-cold runs.

But has it become a habit to the point where you don’t even think about it anymore?

I for one often plug my headphones in and get going, never really making a conscious decision about whether I’m going to listen to something or run in silence.

It turns out there are some great benefits to running headphones-free sometimes. Here are four reasons you might consider leaving them at home for your next run. Continue Reading →

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Is Running Skyrocketing Your Cortisol Levels?

By on April 9, 2019 in Guest Perspective, Sponsored Post

Worldwide, running is a very popular choice of exercise and there’s no denying the number of health benefits that it can provide. Increased energy, weight loss, muscle strength, improved heart health, and better stress level management are just some of the widely reported benefits from people who run. But, could running too much be causing a spike in your cortisol levels? Continue Reading →

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