Articles of Interest
The 6 Core Components of Coaching, and Why Training Plans are Less Effective – Both science and anecdotal experience show there are certain components necessary for effective coaching – regardless of training philosophy.
These include being adaptive, being customized, and including frequent communication. Without these components, coaching is unlikely to be any more effective than a training plan (which research shows is much less effective). The recent research study is linked in the article!
Stop Counting Your Running Mileage – Training stress, stimuli and adaptations depend on factors much more complex than mileage. The fact is, mileage isn't just a poor metric for measuring stress across different athletes, but even with the same athlete. There are too many other factors that go into what makes your training effective. This article, by one of the foremost running-science writers, explores some scientific reasons why you might not want to be focused on just mileage!
Benefits of Running on Mental Health – You'll hear a lot of runners say "running is my therapy." While running can be therapeutic, it's not a substitute for actual therapy if you need it, so let's normalize getting real therapy! That said, there are specific scientific benefits to running for a lot of mental health conditions. This article explores a few stories and talks about the science behind them.
The Beauty of a DNF – Sometimes, a willingness to DNF might be just what you need to make a true breakthrough! This article talks about what factors really go into a race performance and the likelihood of any single race being a great one. There are some reasons to reject the 'death before DNF' mentality, and do what is right for your training and racing. Sometimes, it's best to accept when it's 'just not your day' and consider making a decision that puts you in the best place to move forward and perhaps use that fitness on a day when you can make the most of it!
Training Through the Holidays – Regardless of what holidays you celebrate this time of year, the last six weeks of the year probably represent some additional stress in your life. Here are some thoughts about keeping your training consistent and effective, yet manageable and low-stress over the next 6-8 weeks!
Womens D1 NCAA XC Championship Video – Check out this awesome video of the battle between two undefeated athletes, with some strong and courageous front-running by Parker Valby, and Katelyn Tuohy's confident finishing kick to take the win and a 33.4sec course record. But if that video of the start doesn't get your blood pumping, nothing will!
7 Tips for Winter Running – If you live in an area with snowy/icy winters, here are some tips for organizing your training to maximize your potential while maintaining your safety and sanity!
Gift Ideas for Runners – A wide variety of gift ideas for runners, sourced from M&M athletes!
