Building Off-Season Speed

This is a good time to look at how you prepare for next season.

What are your goals for next season?  Are you looking to do certain events?  Do you want to improve your times? 

This piece by Patrick McCrann posted in Endurance Nation will get you thinking about ways to prepare for next year.  It's nice to have some time between now and next spring where you can about some of the best ways to prepare to meet next year's goals.

Some of the key issues to consider as you look toward next year are covered in this article - time improvement, choosing events, etc.  Hopefully, as the weather sours outside, this will move you in the right frame of mind to get focused for next year.

Secrets Of Success

Read about the secrets of success from an Ironman champ. Mirinda Carfrae opens up about training, goal setting and motivation. Learn what makes this athlete successful in an article from Michelle Valenti in www.active.com.

I'm going to take time off for the holidays.  Enjoy your family and friends this season!

This CEO Does Not Live On Bread Alone

Resisting baked good is tough.  Especially if you're the CEO of one of the nation's better-known bakeries - Panera Bread Company.

Panera Bread CEO Ron Shaich indulges in some of the products of his company, but he works with a private trainer to minimize the effect. 

Learn more about how this busy executive keeps himself in shape with the help of a personal trainer in this article from Melanie Grayce West in the Wall Street Journal.

64 Year Old Gets Faster

I love to read  these stories.

Who would think a 64-year-old woman's times in triathlon events would get faster as she ages?

Nancy Avitabile is training for more triathlons and is getting faster.  Read her story from Janice Lloyd in USA Today.

Avitabile has a disciplined routine and she regularly works with a trainer.  She says making herself stronger to avoid injury keeps her at the top of her game.

How Busy Parents Can Exercise

Parents are busy, busy people.

Work, child care and numerous other obligations throughout the day can make a commitment to fitness difficult.  Furthermore, as our children get older, it seems responsibilties increase as they become more involved in activities.

So how do busy mothers and fathers find the time to make exercise work?  This post on dailysparkblog.com by Nicole Nichols will tell you how.

Believe it or not, there are exercises you can do in your car at rush hour and this article will tell you how.  Additionally, what about incorporating some exercise into waiting for your child at a practice or play date for your child?  Practices are usually at a facility where you can do some walking or jogging.  You can also incorporate a walk into a play date activity.

Take a look at this post for more ideas.

Delicious, Healthy Snack

Here's a delicious and healthy treat -- banana coconut custard.

Check out this recipe courtesy of the Everymom To Ironmom blog.

This sweet treat is a healthy balance of protein and carbs designed to be tasty, but full of the things you need to keep yourself healthy.

Better Running Form

How is your running form these days?

Take a look at this article from Men's Health to learn more about proper running form. The article offers some tips on how to be more efficient in your form. 

It's important to keep in mind that good running form will help keep you free of injury.  This article features links to additional articles about additional ways to avoid running injuries.

Chill Before A Marathon

What do you do just prior to a marathon?

Probably most important is to "just chill".  Get some rest and make sure you have the energy to go on race day.

I think we get caught up in the desire to force a last training run . . . resist that temptation. 

In the Runner Dude's Blog, he offers some other tips about how to be ready for race day.  This is a great read, particularly if you are preparing for your first marathon.

Drills To Make You Faster

The "need for speed".

Here's a piece from triathlete coach and nutritionist Jay Zacharias for www.active.com on various drills and exercises he recommends to make yourself faster.  The article also contains links to other resoures to learn more about each of the various recommendations.