Inspiring Story

I enjoy sharing inspiring stories others have shared.

This is a story from the Everymom To Ironmom blog. It confirms a point I often make - you CAN do a triathlon. In fact, it's amazing to hear the backgrounds of the many people who participate in triathlons and complete them.

Read this story about a woman who wanted to compete in a triathlon following the birth of her three children. It's certainly food for inspiration if you're thinking about competing in a triathlon yourself. It can be done!

Battling The Bulge This Winter

We're turning the corner on the holidays, so now it's time to be serious about battling the bulge this winter.

Most folks let up on their training activities in the winter months. Most of us also tend to "let go" during the holidays with poor eating habits.

The www.evertymantri.com blog has three candid recommendations to avoid adding weight this winter. By eating carbs early in the day, staying hydrated and consuming healthy fats; you can work toward eliminating the winter bulge.

20-Minute Workouts

Low on time for a workout?

This often seems to be an issue for busy athletes.

Matt Fitzgerald writes in this post on www.triathlete.com about the value of a 20-minute workout, as sometimes we think, "20 minutes? Why bother?"

Additionally, he has some great suggestions for different 20-minute routines.

I'm going to be taking some time off for the holidays. See you soon.

Resisting Holiday Candy Cravings

I dug up this post about dealing with resisting Halloween treats, but the issues are the same during the holiday season.

Holiday candy cravings are heavy during this time of the year. It can be difficult resisting the urge because you think "just one little piece of candy" won't make a difference, but it adds up.

Try using gum or low-calorie hot chocolate to ease these cravings. You can check out Christine Luff's post from www.about.com to learn more about strategies to reduce your urges to consume holiday candy.

Mobile Phone Can Be Tool For Weight Loss

Did you ever think your mobile phone could be used as a tool for weight loss?

According to a recent study, mobile phones can be be used as powerful tools in the battle to lose weight.

The study conducted at the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University showed that students who used their mobile phones to monitor calories and physical activity, and got personalized feedback, lost significantly more weight than those who didn’t.

”Cellphones are a powerful intervention tool for weight loss,” says lead researcher Melissa Napolitano of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia. She reported findings last week at a meeting of the Obesity Society.

Check out this article from USA Today to see if you can use your mobile phone to help with your weight loss activities.

Coming Home

At what time of the day are you most stressed?

Think about it. More than likely it is the time of day when you've faced the most issues, you're the most tired and you're likely the most hungry. All of these factors lead to the end of the day when many folks greet their spouses after work.

I found a recent article by Elizabeth Bernstein in the Wall Street Journal to be very thought-provoking on this topic. Essentially, it's often hard for us put the "honey" back in "Honey, I'm home" when we're tired, hungry and irritable about the day's past events. Let's face it, as the article points out, the days of wives greeting their husbands at the door with a martini have gone the way of the "pet rock".

The article is helpful in providing some helpful insight and strategies toward making your "coming home" to your spouse a less stressful and a more enjoyable experience.

Improve Pull Technique

Are you looking for an "edge" to improve your swim stroke?

Kevin Koskella recently did a post on triswimcoachonline.com on two drills you can do to improve your stroke skills. The first drill focuses on the elbows and the second drill focuses on strength.

Take a look at these drills and how they might be able to help you move up through the pack in the swim portion of your next event.

Be Positive

Are you a positive person? Do you think "good" thoughts?

Perhaps this sounds a little "naive" or "idealistic", but when you think good thoughts, good things generally happen. I personally don't go seeking the negative in my life, particularly when it comes to fitness. Even if something doesn't go to plan, I review to identify what went wrong and how it can be corrected.

One of my good friends who just competed in a marathon recently told me how I was correct when I told him that so much of marathon training was "mental". I consistently shared with this person how to think positive thoughts and good results would ensue.

This "Develop Positivity" post from the Run To The Finish blog illustrates this point. It also shares some insight on how to keep your thinking positive.

More Exercise To Improve Balance

For most activities like swimming, biking and running, you can benefit from improved balance.

Justin Levine of JustinTrain.com writes how certain exercises done routinely can drastically improve balance, particularly in your lower extremities and core.

Balance is something you can develop to improve all aspects of your fitness life. See if Levine's tips help you improve your balance . . . and your performance.

Tips To Make Working Out Easier

No matter how much we enjoy working out, we've all wished it was easier to do.

Whether it's the ability to make the time to work out or lingering soreness, we can always find an excuse not to work out.

Nicole Nichols of the www.dailysparkblog.com recently wrote about some tips you can use to make fitness an easier proposition. Whether it's keeping a gym bag packed and ready to go, joining a gym on the route to where you work or periodically rewarding yourself for reaching milestones; these are all things you can do to make the process easier.

See how you can make your fitness endeavors easier.

Swim Stroke Technique

Are you looking to improve your stroke technique in swimming?

Take a look at this video from Jan Javier of Total Immersion to learn how you can improve your technique.

Is Cycling The New Running?

Let's face it - running takes a pretty big toll on our bodies.

The never-ending list of muscles and joints that are impacted by running is immense. As much as many of us enjoy the practice of running, it certainly takes it out of us.

Many are turning to cycling as the "new running". Read this everymantri.com blog entry from English triathlete Andy Holgate about his thoughts on how this transition has occurred for him. I know in my experience, knee injuries have forced me in this direction.

Making Phys Ed More Productive

Children face plenty of pressures during the daily lives.

We tend to take for granted the stress kids face during the course of their lives these days. They're not much different than adults - they live in this 24/7 world too! This makes their physical activity even more important as the activities in which they engage at school may represent the only significant fitness activities in which they partake.

One physical education teacher is taking strides to make phys ed more productive for students. The Wall Street Journal's Sue Shellenbarger recently chronicled the efforts of Indiana physical education teacher Tammy Brant.

Instead of pushing everyone to hit specific performance targets, she works with the students to formulate their own goals or "fitness zones".

There are some valuable lessons here as we encourage our children toward more physical activity as well as ourselves.

The People You Meet

One of the great benefits of engaging in fitness endeavors is meeting many great people.

Furthermore, the bonds you establish with the people you meet on the road to fitness are very strong. Even when I run into a "fitness friend" I haven't seen for weeks or months, we always seem to easily pick up right where we left off.

I experienced this recently following a triathlon event that I did without much group training. This summer got a little crazy and many of the folks I regularly train with or do events with -- well, we just didn't get together as often as we normally do. However, five of them poured out of a spin class at my gym a few days after the event, all with questions about how my race went. Every last one of them knew I had done the race and was genuinely interested in my performance. It was the perfect opportunity for long-needed catch up.

Andrea reports about similar experiences in her Go The Distance blog. Part of the joy of fitness truly is . . . the people you meet!

It Can Be Done

Going from overweight to endurance athlete is no picnic, but it's possible.

At age 32 and 325 pounds, Richard Kalasky was told by a doctor he needed to move from the altitude of his Colorado home or he'd need to wear oxygen. This was just the "slap in the face" he needed.

Kalasky turned to bariatric surgery to get a jump start on weight loss, but started a disciplined diet and fitness lifestyle to ultimately lose more than 140 pounds.

Cooking his own meals, starting to run, then moving to biking and swimming; Kalasky competed in marathons and triathlons.

Read about Kalasky's inspirational story from a post by Michelle Valenti on active.com.

More About Injury Prevention

Let's face it, this running business is not easy and not without pain.

Those of us who say we run for the "joy of it" mean what we say, but not without consequences. While I made it to my mid-30s without any significant running injuries, I should probably consider myself fortunate. Two key factors make running a difficult feat in avoiding injuries: Age - the older you get, the more susceptible you become to athletic injuries; and Impact - running places a tremendous amount of impact on our bodies.

I wrote earlier this month about avoiding running-related injuries, but Christine Luff had more suggestions in her blog that regularly appears in about.com.

Finding the right shoes is important. Remember, if it takes buying a few different pairs of shoes to find "the right fit", you'll find that is a worthwhile investment.

Additionally, DO NOT beat yourself up when you miss workouts, fall behind on a plan or anything along these lines. If you're training for a major distance event and you're using a plan you found in Runner's World or wherever, keep in mind these plans are the masses and they generally "overtrain" you by design. In fact, take care to replace some workouts in a plan with other cardiovascular exercise like swimming or biking if you're feeling a little sore. Trust me, your body won't miss a beat and will likely thank you later!

Lowering Transition Times

When I looked at my recent Hy-Vee Triathlon transition times and compared them to my times from 2009 and YIKES!

There can be a lot of time gained from faster transitions in your events. It's worth taking a look at those times to see if you can shave a few minutes off.

This article from Gail Bernhardt at www.active.com offers some good ideas on how to cut time from your transitions. Review your most recent times and where you think you can decrease time. Then read his article and see if it all makes sense.

I particularly like the idea of clipping your shoes to the bike in advance.

There is real potential to lower race times in this area.

Here We Go Again

Here's another reason why you need to start somewhere.

A recent study discussed on the EverymanTri.com blog says that half of all Americans will be obese by 2030. This is just unacceptable.

Most people find themselves in an obese state based on the poor choices they make. They overeat and/or they make no effort to stay fit. Furthermore, it makes our health care system unaffordable and unsustainable. Too many people are draining on the system because they don't make an effort to take care of themselves.

There's an effort in our state people to people to start on the road to a healthy lifestyle. You have to "start somewhere" and this website will help provide the spark you need to get started. The hope is that Iowa will become the healthiest state in the nation based on the Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index.

Take a look and "start somewhere" today.

Sometimes You Need A Week Off

Maybe you need some rest.

I don't usually encourage people to rest very often, but sometimes you need it - like when you're hurt.

This post on the Shut Up and Run blog takes a very fun look at the value of taking a rest when your body is feeling hurt. She makes a good point - if you keep running when you feel like you have an injury, it generally "doesn't end well".

Take time to let your body heal from an injury. If you want to have a long running life, you have to take care of your body. There are also some other things you can do to keep your mind off missing your runs.

What Does Your Body Burn?

Fat is good.

Your body does need fat because that's what it burns first when you exercise. When you work out, your body will burn fat, then carbohydrates and proteins.

Jeff Gordon writes for the Livestrong.com blog and discusses how your body burns through these things.

After you read through this, it's important to ensure you have these items in your system available to burn, particularly before a prolonged workout. You don't want your body turning to burning muscle as a last resort.

Running Injury-Free

Keeping away the injury bug can be a trick, particularly if you're a runner.

Nicole Nichols of www.dailysparkblog.com posted about her strategies for keeping yourself injury-free as a runner.

Her suggestions make sense - it's important not to run every day, not do things you know will cause trouble for you and be conservative.

Take a peak at this post to learn how you can keep your running injury free.

20-Minute Workout

There is a benefit to the "20-minute workout".

At least Matt Fitzgerald of Triathlete.com says there is.

Most people wouldn't really consider working out for 20 minutes worth the effort. Read Fitzgerald's recent post and his rationale for why a 20-minute workout is still worth the time.

There are healthful benefits to a 20-minute workout even though it seems like too short of a period of time to make it worthwhile.

Running With Friends

I found another reminder why it's great running with friends.

Not only does running with others help pass the time away, it helps keep you accountable and provides for a great way to enjoy your friends. I find it's just "fun" to run with people I really enjoy. I don't get worked up about pace either - if they are slower, I slow down and if they are too fast; I know that person or persons aren't the right running partners. Keeping it fun is the name of the game, so I prefer not to hung up on these issues.

In this post from The Happy Runner blog, we're reminded about the fun of running with others and not just by ourselves. Take charge, get an e-mail out and organize a run with some of your friends this weekend. Don't wait!

Proper Warm Up

Having been injured as a result of not getting a good warm up, I highly recommend taking time to make sure your muscles are prepared for work.

Matt Fitzgerald of www.competitor.com writes a great post about how to be both general and specific in your warm up efforts.

Muscles need the general warm up of getting prepared for a work out. A slow exercise of any kind like running or vigorous walking can help achieve this. The muscles that will specifically be used in a workout can benefit from stretching and warm up specific to those areas.

Check out Fitzgerald's article to learn how you can improve your warm up efforts and avoid injuries.

Older Athletes Make Strides

When you consider the "comebacks" of older athletes like Janet Evans, I can't help but think what all of us can achieve as we age if we put our minds to it.

Olympic swimmer Janet Evans is the latest in a list of 40-plus athletes working to make a "comeback" in their sports. USA Today's Janice Lloyd chronicled Evan's work in a recent story that also highlights how many aging athletes are still able to accomplish a lot.

Of course, you're thinking by its nature, swimming offers the opportunity for this type of activity because it's not as hard on your body as other sports. Certainly, this may be the case. The point I would make is that even though most of us are not world class athletes, there's no limit to when one can pursue fitness activities as a way to keep themselves healthy.

If Janet Evans and others are doing it in their 40s, there's no reason whatsoever why any of us shouldn't be out looking for ways to get ourselves moving.

Using Swim Paddles

Using Swim paddles is a great way to perfect your stroke technique in the pool.

Swim Coach Frank Sole provides recommendations for varying levels in the size, style and brand of paddles for swimmers in this post for www.active.com.

You're looking for a paddle about 10 percent bigger than your hand. The goal is to use the paddle to help "train" proper stroke technique.

Maybe You Need A Coach

Maybe your routine is in need of a "shakeup".

You may have reached a point in your training life where you'd like to "take things up to another level". Or you may be in a position where you feel as though you're in a rut and you need to "shake things up".

Whatever your case might be, I thought this post on the Frayed Laces blog laid out a good process for deciding upon and engaging a coach.

There are a lot of considerations in choosing a coach - your goals, the experience you're seeking, synergy with a coach, etc. Use this experience as a guide in helping you make a decision that's right for you.

Speed Workout

Check out this resistance band workout video.

Todd Durkin of FitnessQuest10.com demonstrates how to use the band in a variety of ways in this video. Durkin has been a personal trainer for New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Using a resistance band for exercise is a great alternative workout to using weights.

Take Care Of Yourself After Runs

Take care of yourself after runs.

Are you feeling sore? Do you have headaches? Various treatments might be called for to treat symptoms you're feeling after runs that "aren't quite right".

Applications like ice baths or certain foods or drinks can play a role in the recovery process. Check out Christine Luff's post on www.about.com to learn more about things you can do to make yourself feel better following your runs.

Check Out Mr. Fitness

Gary Player, the famous South African golfer, isn't generally know for his fitness exploits.

Personally, I wasn't aware he was dubbed "Mr. Fitness" in the 1950s. At age 75, take a look at how good this guy looks now! I can only hope I look half as good as he does at that age.

Player has an interesting mix of resistance training and cardio he does "five or six times a week". His routine includes 1,000 pushups and situps every morning.

Read more about how this golfer takes fitness seriously through Jen Murphy's Wall Street Journal article. Player relates how his fitness activities have contributed to his success on the greens.

Running Injury Free

If you're looking to run free of injuries, here's some good advice.

Nicole Nichols at the dailysparkblog.com posted about how she's stayed injury free this year with some pretty easy-to-follow instructions.

Advice for running injury-free? Well, it starts with some easy suggestions like listening to your body, not pushing your body just because you think you can and not running every day.

From experience, I can tell you these suggestions make sense. Cross training and not pushing yourself into extremes are good points to follow.

Swimming Etiquette

I never thought much about this, but there is swimming etiquette.

If you're taking the plunge into the pool and looking for some direction, the Frayed Laces blog has a "starter's kit" for you.

As I read this, there were some great suggestions that I honestly had taken for granted. Most of these items are common sense, but sometimes it's good to get the benefit of someone else's perspective.

For example, the post shares when it's good to leave the "band-aids" at home, when to chat with others and how to approach sharing a lane.

Check out this Emily Post guide for swimmers.

Reasons Not To Exercise

Reasons not to exercise?

I'm not usually talking against working out. And I'm not going to start. However, this piece from the EverymanTRI.com makes some arguments against fitness . . . in a playful way.

Check it out . . . some great information about the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Variety In Your Workouts

Vincent Morris has an interesting way to determine what exercise he will do each day.

Inspired by his days of playing Dungeons and Dragons, he rolls a 20-sided die with 20different exercises labeled on it to determine what form of workout he will do each day.

According to recent article by Jen Murphy in the Wall Street Journal, Morris says it forces him to have variety in his routine and makes the die "the bad guy."

He leads a life of fairly sedentary work in his role as communications director for the Senate Commerce Committee.

Using this form of fitness activity selection forces him to have variety in his routine and do things he enjoys.

Purchasing A Bike

As we get closer to fall, you might be looking for some deals on a new bike.

It's a good time to look for a new bike as retailers are trying to get rid of old inventory to make room for the new.

Many dealers ar doing just that -- offering deals. So take advantage of that by taking a look at what's out there on the shelf.

Take a look at these tips from the Triathlon Training Notes blog for some pointers on how you can take advantage of a deal when you make your next bike purchase.

Just What You Wanted - Hill Repeat Workouts

Hills make you stronger.

I don't run hills as often and enthusiastically as I used to, but I still do them. They make you run stronger on a flat surface and help your core muscles.

Here are three hill-repeat workouts you can incorporate into your training from triathlete.com. Check them out - they are not for the faint-hearted.

If You Skip The Gym

We all lead busy lives, so missing a day's work at the gym I suspect is not an uncommon occurrence.

A post on the That's Fit blog offers some ideas for a quick workout you can do without the tools you generally seek at the gym.

Try these exercises, particularly if you're looking for some lower body and core fitness.

Building Mental Toughness

Successful participation in an endurance event requires as much mental training as physical training.

Ask anyone who's competed in marathons and they will confirm this advice. Additionally, today's winning athletes are beginning to understand that overcoming obstacles they face is simply a matter of adjusting their attitudes.

Creating a "mental strategy" with your training plan is important - do you have a mantra, like-minded training partners and other mental aids to help you in this process? Check out this post from the Frayed Laces blog and learn more about strategies you can use to help you develop your mental toughness.

A recent article in Newsweek also poses the benefits of honing your mental game in fitness endeavors.

Can't Decide On A Race

It's less than five weeks until the Des Moines Marathon.

I guess I'd better get my act together and decide if I'm going to run this race. Don't kid yourself . . . I'm not going to do the marathon, but the half-marathon is a definite possibility. I have certainly put enough miles in.

Have you ever faced the dilemma as to whether or not you think you should participate in an event or not? Quite honestly, there isn't any reason for me to turn down this race. I'm feeling good following my main goal of the year -- completion of the Hy-Vee Triathlon.

My feeling is if you can't find a good reason not to do an event, then why not?

Post your comments. I'm interested to know the decision making process people use to determine whether or not to do an event.

Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage

Have you had trouble with nagging sore muscles and joints?

If you are an endurance athlete and you haven't ever had trouble with this issue - that's great. The truth is that most of us like to "push our limits" and injuries often result from these types of symptoms.

Believe it or not, I have had trouble with flareups of tendinitis in my left knee over the past 10 years. It started after I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2001. The problem recurs every so often when I overindulge in training activities.

It's not fun and I imagine others suffer from similar issues. I've recently experimented with deep tissue massage treatments as a way to address this problem and have found it very helpful.

You might look into deep tissue massage as a way to treat this type of pain. Here's a post from Michelle Bery on e-zinearticles.com that will give you a little more detail about what's involved with deep tissue massage treatments.

Raising Healthy Kids

If you're like me, making sure your kids are healthy is a constant challenge.

In our house, we're constantly trying to make sure our children are engaging in appropriate training activities and eating habits. We run the range in our house of sometimes not eating enough to eating too much. We're not often challenged for a lack of activity - and that's critical. My first bit of advice to anyone trying to support children's health would be, "Keep them active!"

We have been lucky in that our children have always been active. And that really is important to keeping your children healthy.

Check out these other tips from the Dietblog. There are some great suggestions here for keeping those children on the proper health track.

When It's Coolest To Run

I hear people contemplate when it's the coolest time of day to run fairly often.

This post from Christine Luff at www.about.com spells things out pretty well. Morning is the best because the pavement and sidewalks aren't radiating the heat of the day. While darkness can make people feel less than comfortable, running just after sunrise is still a cool time of day to run.

Personally, I find the early morning hours the best time to run. There's less traffic, it's quiet and cool. Plus, you have the benefit of feeling a sense of accomplishment getting your morning run behind you early in the day.

Check out this post to learn more about the pros and cons of running at various times of the day.

Is "Pre-Cooling" Effective?

Is "pre-cooling" your body prior to a hot endurance event worthwhile?

The answer probably varies, but take a look at this article from www.active.com about Olympic athletes who used "ice vests" to cool their core body temperatures prior to competing.

Take a look and see if this could be effective for you.

Keep Yourself Fueled Up

In these hot months of summer, it's important to keep your body fueled up during long workouts.

Even if you're working out indoors, there is often heat and humidity that saps your body of much-needed fuel and energy, particularly during long workouts. You have to make sure you keep up with vital fuel, otherwise you'll run yourself ragged.

At the very least, water and sport drinks will help keep up. But take a look at this article from Everymantri.com to learn more about the things you need to keep up during your long workouts in warmer weather.

Top Post-Cardio Workout Snacks

Everyone has their ideas for the best post-workout fuel.

Personally, I like chocolate milk. It features a great balance of protein and carbohydrates - just what your body is craving following a demanding workout. Plus, chocolate milk is just darned good! Who doesn't like chocolate milk?

If you're interested in learning about some other options, triathlete Ben Greenfield shares his top four favorite post-cardio workout food selections in an entry at Everymantri.com.
You might be surprised at a couple of his preferences.

Doing Things Different

I've said many times it's important to keep our bodies guessing.

Strength, weight loss and other good things result when we do things our bodies don't expect. Otherwise, when we do the same things over and over again, our bodies get too efficient and we don't reap as much benefit from the exercise.

I tried something new a few weeks ago that was different and fun. I rode my bike to a fabulous park in our community that features a lake and a free Saturday morning yoga class. When I arrived, I swam several hundred yards, attended the yoga class and rode my bike home. I probably rode 22 miles in total.

The weather was great and I saw some friends there I hadn't seen in a while - an added bonus!

Sometimes it's worth it to push beyond the comfort zone a bit and expand our fitness horizons.

Working For Better Balance

Better balance may not seem important, but it is.

Strong balance, particularly in the core area, supports so many of the things we do. I discovered this when I started taking classes with exercises using a Bosu ball.

Check out this post from www.dailyspark.com. It goes through a series of exercises that will help you improve your balance.

Beating Food Cravings

When you crave chocolate, you want chocolate.

While we realize we shouldn't eat chocolate, maybe we should. We may eat several hundred calories to satisfy our cravings for chocolate - just because we think we shouldn't eat chocolate.

Nancy Clark writes for www.active.com saying that if you crave chocolate - or some specific food - your body may need it as fuel. She advocates teaching your body to control cravings by embracing them, but not to excess.

Running In My Mind

Here's a piece most runners would enjoy.

If you're feeling a bit down on your running game, check out this piece from David Glenn Cox. He talks about how he couldn't view himself running, but the more he did it, the more he enjoyed it and excelled at it.

It's a long piece, but stay with it. Cox has a good story to tell about perseverance.

Tips From An Ironman

Maybe you're not running in an Ironman event, but the advice from Peter Reid is good.

Most of us will never compete in Ironman events. However, many of us will prepare for some type of an endurance event whether it be a 5K or an Olympic-distance triathlon. Ironman triathlete Peter Reid has some advice on www.triathlete.com that applies to all of us who are doing one of these events and everything in between.

I don't agree with all of his advice, but some of it is great. For example, I don't agree with "training alone". I have always advocated training with others who will support your endeavors and keep you accountable. There's ALWAYS time to train alone. Making investments in the right equipment and training for a race, on the other hand are pieces of good advice.

Take a look and see what applies to you.

Being Goal Specific

Are you competing just to compete or are you competing with specific goals in mind?

It doesn't matter which, but if you're considering a specific time in an upcoming event, you need to start getting serious. This post from the Essence of Running blog highlights the writers goals for next year's Boston Marathon.

As the writer indicates, there's no time for "lallygagging" around. You can't waste time when you need to get serious about training for an event.

Hopefully, this post helps you get kick started into gear for your next "goal specific" event.

Dealing With IT Band Injuries

If you're a consistent distance runner, you've probably had IT band issues.

This is a common injury among distance runners -- friction of a tight iliotibial band causes problems for your knees and hips.

This feature from "As The Running Doc" on www.running.competitor.com site lays out the symptoms and the treatment for this issue.

Having suffered through this issue numerous times, the information is pretty accurate. You can continue to run with it; however, the discomfort in between runs can be unnerving.

It's a frustrating injury that requires patience for recovery.

Morning Running Helps Sleep

When do you want to run during the day?

Well, if you want to have better sleep, you'll run in the morning. At least that's what's coming from the American College of Sports Medicine. Researchers spent time studying the impact of running at different times of the day on various types of runners.

According to the data compiled by researchers at Appalachian State University running in the morning leads to better sleeping patterns. This information comes courtesy of Christine Luff at www.about.com.
Let's face it, most of us are busy people; therefore, we run when we can. But if you have options, the morning seems help your sleeping habits.