On Sunday, 25-year-old Tatyana McFadden will line up with 45,000 other runners in the starting corral of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. But this champion marathoner (she’s won Chicago four times and holds the women’s wheelchair course record, in addition to being a Paralympics sprinter) has had to work harder than most of her fellow competitors to get where she is today. Read the full story on Shape.com.
racing
15 top tips to ace your first 5K
TO THE outside observer, Marleen Alicea and Frances Ferguson already had enough on their plates — within the past two years, they’d each lost a parent and coped with a significant medical issue. Alicea, 48, of Chicago, developed life-threatening complications after knee surgery, and Ferguson, 52, of San Marcos, Calif., went through an eye cancer scare (doctors now think her tumor is benign). But unknown to each other and 2,000 miles apart, they both decided to conquer yet another challenge: their first 5K race. Read the full article on NowU.
How to Set a Long Term Running Goal
As you set your goals for the New Year, consider planning beyond your next race or even your next season and choosing an ambitious long-term target. Read the full article in Runner’s World.
The Socks That Help Workout Recovery
If you’ve hit the path or checked out the crowd at your local 5K lately, you’ve likely seen athletes wearing tall, colorful compression socks. Some runners—and the companies who make the socks—swear the tight-fitting garments help you stride faster and recover more quickly. But a new study casts doubt on at least some of these claims. In fact, college runners actually exercised for less time when wearing them, according to results just posted online in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Read the full article in Prevention News.
How to Train for a Relay Race
Most of the time, running is an individual sport. But the increasing popularity of relay races means more runners are learning how to get into that team spirit. Half-marathons and marathons often offer a relay option in which participants typically run one leg of three to seven miles. Relay-specific single-day or overnight events, like the nationwide series of Ragnar relays, require runners to trade off multiple legs of varying lengths, anywhere from three to 16 miles. Here’s how to tackle training for a relay so that you can run strong and also have fun. Read the full article in Runner’s World.
How to Learn From Your Race Experience
As you wrap up your 2012 training blocks and goal events, it’s wise to review how things went so you can make adjustments in the coming year. Read the full article in Runner’s World.