The recommended range is three to 14 times per week. Here’s how to choose the right number for you. Written by: Matt Fitzgerald Frequency—or how often you run—is one of three fundamental variables of training. The other two are duration (how far you run) and intensity (how fast you run). Research shows a person needs [...]
Read Full Story »
Increased flexibility means less exercise-related muscle damage, according to a new study. Written by: Matt Fitzgerald Every runner is familiar with the experience of waking up sore the morning after a hard run. Such soreness is largely related to muscle damage caused by eccentric (pronounced ee-sentric) strain on muscle fibers. Eccentric strain occurs when gravity [...]
Read Full Story »
Is the time and effort it takes to count calories worth the outcome? Matt Fitzgerald answers this question.
Read Full Story »
Here’s why and how you should make a little time to work on your flexibility. Written by: Matt Fitzgerald The primary perceived benefit of stretching for runners is injury prevention. But in the best recent controlled studies, stretching has not reduced the incidence of injuries to the lower extremities to a statistically significant degree. On [...]
Read Full Story »
Hi Guys, I just started running a couple of months ago, and am currently training for my first marathon in November. My question is, how do I know what a realistic goal for me is, time-wise? I’ve seen a huge improvement in my speed and endurance, but given that three months ago I couldn’t even run a [...]
Read Full Story »
Perform better by taking stuff that makes running feel easier. Written by: Matt Fitzgerald If you run at any given pace long enough, you will eventually get tired and slow down. Start running at 50 percent of your maximum sprint speed and you might last a few hours, assuming you’re fit. Start running at 75 [...]
Read Full Story »
Recovery runs don’t actually accelerate muscle recovery, but they do have other important benefits. Written by: Matt Fitzgerald If you asked a stadium-size crowd of other runners to name the most important type of running workout, some would say tempo runs, others would say long runs, and still others would say intervals of one kind [...]
Read Full Story »
Racing Weight author Matt Fitzgerald says it’s okay to gain a little weight–a little–in the off-season.
Read Full Story »
Illinois native Tera Moody aims to succeed Kara Goucher as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon Champion. Interview by: Matt Fitzgerald Tera Moody, 29, an Illinois native now living in Colorado Springs, Colo., is the runaway favorite to win Sunday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon benefiting the American Cancer Society. Moody has a [...]
Read Full Story »
An interview with ZAP Fitness elite athlete coach and coordinator Pete Rea. Interview by: Matt Fitzgerald Everyone knows about the high-profile, Olympian-packed Nike Oregon Project in Portland, Ore., and Mammoth Track Club in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Lesser known ZAP Fitness, located in the mountains of western North Carolina, can’t match the star power of its [...]
Read Full Story »
The first step in controlling your eating is acknowledging that you can’t. Written by: Matt Fitzgerald We’ve all heard this one: “I’m on the see food diet. When I see food, I eat it.” It’s a mildly amusing joke the first time you hear it, but what’s not funny is the fact that, in a [...]
Read Full Story »
Hi Mario and Matt, I’m training for my second marathon (10/10/10) and having trouble with pacing during my long runs. For my first marathon, I trained on a mostly flat, paved bike trail (5 miles long) but this time I’m training on mostly dirt and hills. I got bored repeating the bike trail so I’m [...]
Read Full Story »
A new study shows that if you can’t run a lot, you’re bettter off running hard. Written by: Matt Fitzgerald In a study recently published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Norwegian researchers compared the effects of a high-volume, low intensity training regimen and a low-volume, high-intensity training regimen on various physiological parameters [...]
Read Full Story »
The most successful runners listen to their bodies. Do you? Written by: Matt Fitzgerald Your body can teach you everything you need to know to run better and find more fulfillment in your running. But you can only learn from your body if you pay close attention to it and if you understand how to [...]
Read Full Story »
Racing Weight author Matt Fitzgerald discusses how to improve your diet by saying “yes” to good food instead of trying to say “no” to bad food.
Read Full Story »