THE RISK OF A SMOKY RUN
Currently, some of the worst fires in history are running through the west, from California to Colorado. Likely, if you're anywhere west of the Mississippi you're feeling the effects and perhaps you're wondering "Is it really that much worse to run in the smoke than hike or walk?", at least Dr. Taisa Kushner was. So, she did some research and provided us with a synopsis of her findings.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST?
Haute Volée 1500m specialist Angel Piccirillo, consistently frustrated with her race performance, asked for help. With the help of her sports psychologist, she learned to change her beliefs about herself - including that she had a "bad kick." Explore here if sports psychology could help your own athletic performance.
MEDITATION 101
"Many of us love and enjoy running, and need it for our mental sanity. When we miss a run or get injured, we feel lost, off, cranky, irritable, etc. Right? Meditation is something like that." Want to learn more? Check out this beginner's guide to meditation plus tips from Brenda.
Allie Kieffer: Thriving in Austin
Last week, Lesko and I jumped on the phone with Allie Kieffer (who’s now living and training in Austin, Texas), to get her lay of the land for the upcoming Olympic Trials.
Taking a Risk and Finding my Joy
No matter how fast of a runner we are, we are all working toward a personal goal. That might be to complete a new distance, to run a faster time, to be held accountable and consistent in training, to train with less chance of injury, to fuel properly, to add in cross training, to recover well, or to balance a work and personal life with training. No matter the reason, a coach can help.
Running On Fumes
How do you know if you’re simply stressed or burnt out? When you’re stressed, you feel like once things are under control everything will be better. With burnout, nothing is enough. You feel overworked and undervalued.
From Burning Up to Burned Out
A few days after I returned to Bend, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my sails. I was suddenly struggling to get out of bed in the morning after nights of poor sleep. Practice was no longer as exciting as it once was.
10 Warning Signs in the Athlete-Coach Relationship
A coach might be one of the first relationships a young person has outside of their immediate family. And sometimes we know very little about their qualifications or skills, or even what to look for if we sense something is wrong. Understanding warning signs in these relationships can be very helpful in terms of stopping abuse before it starts.
7 Myths of Women Distance Running
This week’s Mary Cain story reminds us that there are still too many myths about what it takes to be a good distance runner, especially for girls and women. Here are seven of the most common myths about girls’ and women’s running.
XC Wisdom for Athletes, Coaches, and Parents
Our amazing Nesters Anita (Customer Care, All-American at the University of Washington) and Mo (Design, Steepler at Kent State) are working together in another way: coaching a local high school cross country team! And they’ve got some great XC wisdom to share for athletes and parents alike.
Use Your Imagination
I started and finished my outdoor track season this year with a road mile. My first and second *ever* road miles, in fact. On April 26 I ran at the U.S. Road Mile Champs in Des Moines, IA and finished 6th in 4:38 against a great field, and on September 8 I ran 4:22 at the 5th Avenue Mile in New York City and finished 3rd against an arguably much more competitive field.