Learning how to start running seems like the simplest thing in the world: you put on some shoes and go. But almost everyone who quits in the first few weeks does so for the same reason: they go out too fast, they are out of breath after five minutes, they end up with aches and…
Running a sub-50 10K is one of the most popular goals among recreational runners, and it makes sense: it is a round barrier, demanding but reachable with a few months of well-planned training. It means running 5:00 per kilometer for all ten. In this guide I explain when it is realistic to go for it,…
A sub-2 half marathon is the big goal for many runners after their first half. It means holding 5:41 per kilometer for 21.1 km, and the difference between making it and finishing in 2:03 usually comes down to pacing and fueling more than fitness. In this guide I explain when it is realistic to go…
Tapering is the reduction in training in the days or weeks before a race, and it is one of the parts of a plan that runners get wrong most often. Some keep training hard until the end for fear of losing fitness and arrive tired. Others go to the opposite extreme, almost stop running and…
Your first half marathon is the natural next step after the 10K, and it is also where many runners realize that just going out for a run is no longer enough. It is 21.1 kilometers: twice a 10K and, for most people, between an hour and a half and two and a half hours of…
Your first marathon is a different league. From kilometer 30 onward, glycogen, race fueling and your head all come into play, and that is where everything is decided. With organized preparation, almost any consistent runner can finish one and enjoy it. In this guide I explain what base to start from, how long a plan…
Threshold training is probably the session with the best ratio of effort to benefit that a distance runner can do. It isn’t as hard as short intervals or as easy as an easy run, and it improves exactly what you need in a 10K, half marathon or marathon: the ability to hold a fast pace…
The long run is the most important session of the week for almost any distance runner, and also one of the most often done wrong. Some run it too fast and turn it into a race. Others stretch it out without control and end up injured. Planned well, it is the session that gives you…
Running cadence is the number of steps you take per minute, and in recent years it has become one of the most talked-about metrics thanks to GPS watches. You have probably heard that the ideal is 180 steps per minute. The reality is more nuanced: there is no magic number for everyone, but raising your…