The long runs required for marathon training can really increase your appetite which makes it more challenging to take in fewer calories than you burn.
Plus, it’s easy to fall into the trap of justifying eating whatever you want because you ran 20 miles.
If you’re training for a marathon and want to lose weight, be conscious about your food intake. Here are four ways to keep your appetite in check. Continue Reading →
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Keeping good steady momentum is crucial to meeting your running goals.
There will be times when you might feel unmotivated or bogged down in your marathon training. In this post I will show you five great ways to keep your enthusiasm for running and exercise week after week.
Here is how I keep momentum… Continue Reading →
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I finished the New Orleans Rock and Roll Marathon in 3:36:47. I missed qualifying for Boston by 1 minute and 47 seconds!
Even though I didn’t qualify, I’m not overly disappointed with my performance. I set a personal record -beating my previous best time by 7 minutes. I think that the lessons I learned during this race will be helpful as I continue to reach for my personal best in the future.
If you take the time to analyze your race experience you’ll find valuable lessons to apply to future marathons and even other challenges in life.
“Every time I fail, I assume I will be a stronger person for it. I keep on running figuratively and literally, despite a limp that gets more noticeable with each passing season, because for me there has always been a place to go and a terrible urgency to get there.” -Joan Benoit Samuelson
Maybe you’ll be running a half or full marathon this spring. Here are three essential marathon strategies. Continue Reading →
Guest Article by Fitness Expert and Triathlete Ben Greenfield
Of all the sports on the face of the planet, professional cycling produces some of the most impressive legs. But you don’t have to ride a bike for 4-6 hours a day to get those same rock-hard quads, rippling thighs, and powerful, muscular calves. Instead, in this article, you’ll learn how to use a highly effective series of strength and toning moves to get legs like Lance Armstrong.
By splitting the legs into three basic muscle groups, the quadriceps, the hamstrings and the calves, you can create a strategy for targeting each section. Here is how: Continue Reading →
Guest Article by Fitness Expert and Triathlete Ben Greenfield
Whether you’re a guy or a girl, a better chest is something that can help you look better in a swimsuit or business suit. But getting a better chest goes far beyond simply looking good or having nice pecs.
This is because the chest muscles are responsible for flexing your upper arm bone (as you’d do when swimming), moving the arm inwards (as you’d do when holding bike handlebars) rotating the arm bone towards the body (as you’d do when running), and breathing deeply (as you’d do during intense exertion).
Because of those actions, getting a better chest is crucial to both aesthetics and performance – whether you’re a power lifter or an endurance athlete.
So here are three ways to take your pecs to the next level and get a better chest: Continue Reading →
Guest Article by Fitness Expert and Triathlete Ben Greenfield
Whether it’s a sign of health, beauty, virility, or movie star status, a flat stomach is something that many people all over the world crave. This is because a flat stomach is so hard to get. It can indicate full-body strength and it is essential to powerful performance.
In this article, you’ll learn how to get a flat stomach safely, effectively, and with zero liposuction involved. Continue Reading →
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Ben does 15-20 triathlons a year. This means he is not unaccustomed to stripping down to Speedos to hit the water.
Lucky for him he’s tri-ripped (a ripped triathlete).
After perusing his website I (Trevor) see that once you are tri-ripped, you can pose for half of all photographs with your shirt off.
The last time I had my shirt off in public I spent all day sucking in my non tri-ripped stomach.
The problem is . . . even though I am in pretty good shape because of marathon training my muscles are concealed under a cozy blanket of fat.
The Skinny Fat Look
This happens when runners have a lot of fat deposits along the waistline (love handles, muffin tops, gut) yet skinny legs, arms, and chest. This skinny fat look stems from a combination of low amounts of muscle, a lot of aerobic training, and a high carb diet.
And after reading that last paragraph you never need to see me shirtless.
The Fit Fat Look
Ben describes this as a runner who is built more like a rugby player. The body has stored its fat in various places throughout the body and copious amounts of exercise can’t blast it away. That’s because the real problem is often a hormonal imbalance which needs to be diagnosed by a hormone specialist. Also, the fit fat runner is dealing with the same dietary and exercise imbalances of the skinny fat runner.
Where to Go From Here
I would love to be an endurance runner with a more athletic looking body. I want less body fat and more toned muscles. I want to rip my shirt off at the next family gathering and say, “Somebody call a veterinarian cus’ these puppies are sick!”
And if you are like me and are tired of being skinny fat or fit fat then listen to my take-a-ways from this episode. Three simple action steps. Continue Reading →
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This is funny . . .
One of my aunts sent me an article recently about the negative effects of long distance running.
I started reading some of the comments afterward to see if anyone would voice an alternative opinion in support of running. Instead I ran across this woman’s comment.
Here is Barbara’s two cents on runners:
“I think too much exercise is when you are in pain or uncomfortable for an extended period of time. Many runners look like they are in pain the whole time. They don’t look happy or meditative. They are usually angry and aggressive and refuse to run on sidewalks but instead run in the road and make you almost hit oncoming traffic trying to drive around them. I think they are a menace to society and a pain to deal with. There is usually room on the side of the road or sidewalk for them, but they charge at your car like enraged bulls. I think they are bullies and egomaniacs. If cyclists and joggers have any look on their face, it is like of smug superiority or bent determination.” Posted On Jan 25, 2012
I was pretty surprised by the animosity she expressed and it got me thinking that she can’t be the only person out there that feels that way about runners.
Here are the rules of running etiquette: Continue Reading →
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Each of us face obstacles and roadblocks on our way to reaching our running goals.
We can either let them stop us or we can problem solve and find a way to get past these hindrances. Each time you do something hard it loses some of its power over you. Slowly you take the power away from your fear.
Let’s look at some specific obstacles and how to overcome them. Continue Reading →
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Running form encompasses the position and state of relaxation of your body as you run.
Having good form can save energy and decrease the chance of getting a common running injury!
If you are a new runner it is important to learn good running posture so that you don’t pick up any bad habits. If you’ve been running for a while be sure to evaluate your running form to see if there are areas that need improvement.
Let’s take a look at each body part directly involved in running. Continue Reading →
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The beginning of the year is typically the time when we think about what we want to accomplish in the New Year. This reflection often causes us to set New Year’s resolutions.
How can we set goals that are meaningful, realistic, and do-able? I developed the acronym R.E.A.P. which stands for REALISTIC, EVALUATION, ACTION, PERSEVERANCE. Continue Reading →
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In this episode we bring you success stories from four people who ran their very first marathon this year (and one ultra marathon).
All four of these runners are loyal MTA fans and it was a huge treat to talk with them. They are everyday people like you and I who took on the challenge of the marathon and changed their life for the better.
No matter where you are in your running journey be sure to celebrate the successes, dream big, and never give up! Continue Reading →
