On Tuesday, I did a quick and easy track workout. Before starting, I did some drills on the track, including A-skips, B-skips, and carioca. While doing the carioca, I felt a small twinge in my groin, but thought nothing of it, and completed the workout with no issues. Then, on Wednesday morning, I sneezed, and felt something pull, only this time it hurt. I was able to run 7 miles that morning, but was hurting Read more…
Saturday was the Running of the Green, a 5-mile road race that unofficially marks the start of the racing season in Western New York. This was the first year that Johnny’s Irish Pub has not been the primary sponsor, and I found it very difficult not to call the race “Johnny’s,” as that is how almost everyone refers to it. Rochester Running Company took over the race, with the YMCA joining as the main sponsor, Read more…
I have not raced since the last Pete Glavin Cross Country race back in November. That race turned out to be around 4.5 miles over a rolling course covered in several inches of thick, chunky snow. Needless to say, it was not conducive to running fast. Since then, my training has been spotty, to put it mildly. With no real goals in mind, I have not had the motivation to run more than a few Read more…
Until recently, RunTuff was the personal website of Steve Perks, who allowed me to usurp it for my coaching services at the suggestion of Josh Perks. I am very thankful for this, as I did not have to worry about coming up with a clever name or going through all the trouble of getting a website up and running. A few weeks ago, Josh re-organized his websites and handed over RunTuff.com to me after archiving Read more…
In the past, I would spend countless hours agonizing over my training plans, trying to build the perfect structure to guide my fitness up and away to the outermost limits of my potential. I would meticulously plan a progression of workouts designed to gradually increase the workload, always with the intent of running a personal best at the end of the season. It was challenging, but I also enjoyed the satisfaction of creating what I Read more…
For the last fifteen years or so, I have approached running with the same mindset: be a better runner than I have been. This resulted in me always pushing the envelope, and trying to run just a few more miles, or do slightly more intense workouts, than I had before. For years, this resulted in lots of time spent training and personal records. Lately, though, after suffering a few injuries that derailed my training for Read more…
Ahh, August, when the heat and humidity reach levels normally not found outside of Swedish gym facilities, and runners long for the crisp days of Autumn. Chances are, if you are training in this heat, you probably aren’t enjoying it too much. Even if you’re not dealing with sweltering conditions, you doubtless will encounter times when you just aren’t feeling great, and find yourself slogging through a run with sluggish legs and a sour temperament. Read more…
Back in July of 2017, shortly after the Boilermaker 15K, I made a pact with myself that I would not cut my hair until I ran a personal best time in a race. Since then, I have trained with a vigor and enthusiasm designed to reclaim the fitness I enjoyed in my 20s. My initial results, while still a long way from my best, were encouraging. I ran a challenging cross country 8K in 29:40, Read more…
After every race, I ask myself “Did I leave it all out there on the course? Did I run as fast as I could during every part of the race?” and to be completely honest, 99% of the time, the answer is “no.” I can almost always remember a moment where I could have tried a little harder, but didn’t. Sometimes it’s in the name of pacing and I want to save some energy for Read more…
In June of 2013, I accomplished my life-long goal of breaking 2:40 for a full marathon by running 2:39:08 at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. In the interest of helping others to further their goals, I have decided to share my training in the weeks preceding this race. The reason is two-fold. One, it might give one of you some ideas on how to structure your marathon training plan, and two, it shows that even Read more…