Essential Equipment: Foam roller

Posted on March 13, 2014
by Coach Carl

Getting started as a runner doesn’t involve a lot of gear. Sure there are GPS watches, heart rate monitors, and apparel that warms you up or cools you down. But none of that is really necessary to run. Once you’ve got a pair of running...

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How long should your long run be?

Posted on February 25, 2014
by Coach Carl

This week a friend of mine asked, "how long should my long run be?" Obviously the answer to that question depends on a number of different factors -- how long you've been running, what distance you're training for, injury history, etc.   But, as a general rule...

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Trust yourself

Posted on February 15, 2014
by Coach Carl

I was with the Emory track team at a meet this weekend. A freshman was racing the 3k and didn't want to hear any splits during his race. The first half of his race went great -- he was aggressive, towards the front of the...

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Find your inner sprinter

Posted on February 8, 2014
by Coach Carl

Most distance runners aren't that fast. There's a reason that we gravitated towards cross country or marathons rather than soccer or football.   That's why when you hear runners talk about "speed" work they could mean a progression run, repeats at 5k pace, or a tempo run.  We...

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Increasing mileage safely — forget the 10% rule

Posted on February 2, 2014
by Coach Carl

One common problem I see with runners is that they increase their mileage too quickly. It's a problem I see with beginning runners as well as more experienced runners who are coming off an injury or a break in their training. In either case, the risk...

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“Dumb butt” syndrome

Posted on January 27, 2014
by Coach Carl

Beginning in the next month or so, I'll be writing the "Maintenance Plan" column for Running Times. It will cover injury prevention, training issues, all sorts of small things that can make you a better runner.   The first one has to do with "dumb butt" syndrome...

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Our lazy bodies

Posted on January 18, 2014
by Coach Carl

About seven weeks ago, I ran the Atlanta Half-Marathon. Given my training leading up to the race, I was happy with my time and felt good about the shape that I was in. Fast forward to two days ago, and I was struggling to finish a...

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Planning your year

Posted on January 4, 2014
by Coach Carl

Right now, lots of people are planning their training and racing for 2014. And with so many great races out there, sometimes it's tough to pick just a few. So should you bother to limit yourself?   A couple weeks ago, I had a client ask me...

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