Simon's blog

http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-what_to_do_if_youve_no_talent_0

African runners made a clean sweep of the top ten places in last weekend's Chicago marathon -- except for Brian Sell, who grabbed sixth in a personal best 2:10:47.

Sell describes himself as "a redneck from the Cove that likes to run" and is a role model for anyone who wants to know how to succeed through sheer hard work.

http://www.yourrunning.com/story-into_the_danger_zone

With a race looming, my thoughts go to mental preparation: what's the best way to get wound up, but without over-doing it?

Should I go into a Zen-like trance, or stay relaxed and chatty; or go cold, seething and furious, like Olympic champion Peter Snell was said to do?

I just found out how Michael Johnson handles it. The world's greatest runner ever over 200 and 400 meters, five times Olympic champion, nine times world champion, had this to say in an interview with former team-mate Todd Copeland:

http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-skin_cancer_stop_beating_up_your_immune_...

News that marathon runners and other endurance athletes may be at increased risk of skin cancer shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

Mainstream media focused on the idea that it was increased exposure to the sun that was to blame, and almost universally carried warnings for runners to slap on the sunblock. In doing so they completely missed the point – which is that training and racing suppresses the immune system.

http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-yaktrax_or_stabilicers

I'm pretty sure it was watching a typically gory film about Everest on the Discovery Channel that did it. All that talk about crampons and ice axes, bodies in the snow and fit guys reduced to wrecked husks with bits dropping off with frostbite...

the next thing I know I'm down at the running store looking for something to help me keep my feet in the snow and ice. I couldn't face another training session in the garage.

http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-stay_off_the_sugar

Ribose is great stuff. Yes, it's a sugar, but sugar's not always bad for you. This particular sugar has been heavily researched after early studies showed it seemed to be able to help revitailse extremely sick hearts.

After reading up on it, I made it a key part of the nutritional supplement program that supports me in training and racing when other men my age (present company excepted, of course) are settling down with a pipe and a cosy pair of slippers of an evening.

http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-spring_in_the_step#comment-4115

Q: Simon - I saw Bobby McGee talk at a USAT session back in November and he discussed "muscle activation" exercises and using them even during a marathon, etc...

To be honest I don't recall a specific discussion about what activation exercises he gets people to do...

simon says:

http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-spring_in_the_step

Drills -- a combination of neuromuscular activations and re-wirings plus very specific strengthening and mobility exercises -- are designed to help develop the co-ordination and strength necessary to run fast with ease. It's a once-a-week session that really helps my running, so I try never to miss it, even though it involves getting up in the middle of the night to be ready to be not just awake, but capable of independent movement, at 7.30am.

http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-manly_men_bounce_back_better_from_injury

Having just seen "300", the comic-book style film about the Spartans' stand at the battle of Thermopylae, it seemed almost too much of a coincidence to come across a study about the benefits of being a "manly man".

Original url and discussion:
http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-give_your_runs_a_proficiency_rating

I've finally found a way that I think will let me get an objective comparison of training runs and races so that i can see if I'm really making progress or not.

Comparing runs is difficult. Even when they are on the same route in much the same weather conditions at the same time of day. Time isn't enough. Time and heart rate is better. But how about heart rate and distance -- as in beats per yard?

http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-how_to_run_faster_the_debate_continues

Ever heard of Mark Nenow and his solo 150-mile weeks? Neither had I until Gary Ditsch (gditsch) responded to my "Brain re-wiring" piece. (Here's Gary's comment.)

Here's my response to Gary and thanks to him for the intro to Nenow!

***