Earlier in his life, my father was a police officer in a small suburb outside of Chicago. This was in the 1950′s and 60′s and while it wasn’t exactly Mayberry, life was pretty calm. In spite of the peacefullness, my father carried a Colt 44, Single Action Army pistol manufactered in 1879. This was the gun that “Won the West” and one that you’ve seen in every cowboy movie set in the late 1800′s.
He gave the Colt to my son who decided to restore it to an operational level. The only part it needed to be fully functional was the small spring inside the manual ejector. So, being a child of the modern age my son Googled “Colt ejector springs” and come to a website “gunsprings.com” where he was able to buy the necessary spring. GunSprings.com! Are you kidding me.
What the internet has given us is nearly unlimited access to nearly infinite information about hyper-esoteric interest and activities. What it has also given us is unlimited access to information and advice that is misguided, well-meaning but silly, and often simply wrong. No where is that more true than in the information for runners and walkers.
Google “5K Training Programs” and you’ll get 251,000 citations. One quarter of a million citations. For a 5K training program. How is anyone supposed to sort through the information haystack and find the right training program needle? It isn’t easy. And sadly, for many of us, we learn the hard way that the program we’ve chosen doesn’t work for us.
These days it seems like every elite athlete has decided to become a coach and write a training book. The truth is that publishers have decided that putting an elite athlete’s name on a training program will sell books. It may sell books, but it may not help you train well.
Then there are the endless “new” ideas and “innovative” products. More shoe. Less shoe. No shoe. High sugar. Low sugar. High protein. Vegan. Whew!
How can you know what information is accurate and who’s telling the truth? In my view, that you can’t. You’ve got to find trusted voices, whether that’s online, in magazines, or in person. There are still experts out there. There are still people who really do know more than anyone else. Even if their opinions differ, they still know more.
The key is to avoid being taken in by the latest, greatest, idea. The key is to not let your own insecurities convince you that someone else is always right.
Having access to vast amounts of information is fine. Just remember that the results of a Google search are worth exactly what you paid for them.
Waddle on,
John
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Have a question for John? Write him.
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Did I have any idea when I first posted the concept of moving for 30 minutes every day for 100 days that it would take off like a wild fire? Nope. Not even close. I was hoping to get a couple of hundred people who would – to be honest – help ME stay on track to get back into the habit of exercising every day. As I write this, we are closing in on 10,000 people world-wide who have signed up on my Facebook fan page.
Nearly 10,000 people. That’s a LOT of folks who want to get help, or give help, and commit to doing some kind of intentional activity for 30 minutes a day for 100 days. We’ve got people on every continent except Antarctica and we’re working on THAT. We’ve got folks running, and walking, and cycling. You’d expect that. But we’ve also got folks doing all manner of electronic activities. Many of which I’ve never heard of.
I think what this little social experiment has proven is that we are all looking for support and accountability. It’s fine to say you’re going to do something to your spouse or a few good friends. It’s quite another thing to tell 10,000 people EVEN IF you know you’ll never actually SEE those people. Amazing.
And I’ve found that it’s been true for me. There have already been days when I’ve thought – I’ll just skip today – because I’m busy, or tired, or just don’t feel like getting on the treadmill for 30 minutes. But, I’ve put on the shorts and shoes and done it. Why? Because I know if I don’t, people will wonder why.
It’s not too late to start. Most folks started on January 1, but there’s nothing magic about that day. Jump on in. You’ll be surprised, like I was, at how much fun this is.
Waddle on,
John
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist
Author, The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Have a question for John? E-mail it to thepenguin@johnbingham.com.
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Triathlete Magazine's January issue.
Triathlete: Your Guide to the Triathlon Lifestyle
The leading triathlon publication, Triathlete informs and inspires athletes of all abilities with training and nutrition guidance, advice from the pros and top coaches and experts, athlete profiles, product reviews and all the information they need to fully enjoy the triathlon lifestyle. In the January issue of Triathlete: Kona Wrap-Up. A race photo gallery, the editors will wrap up the pro race in Kona, and we’ll get the training plans of several of the top age-groupers. Kona or Bust. Sarah Wassner Flynn spells out all the crazy things people will do to try to race Kona. Super Simple Ironman Training Plan. Matt Fitzgerald’s super simple plan will get you in shape for an Ironman in 20 weeks. CrossFit. TJ Murphy will write about his experience with the CrossFit phenomenon. Winter Weekend Getaways. Triathlete’s editors travel to Austin, Lake Tahoe and Ogden, Utah, to find some of the best spots for a triathlete to get away during the off-season. SUBSCRIBE
Inside Triathlon: The Journal of Competitive Triathlon
Inside Triathlon's January issue.
As the journal of competitive triathlon, Inside Triathlon investigates high-performance multisport with epic photography, reporting and analysis. In the January issue of Inside Triathlon The Man’s Search for Meaning. Six-time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott tries to find his role in a new era of triathlon. Story by Matt Fitzgerald Kona 2010. The best triathlon photographers in the sport showcase the 2010 Ironman World Championship race in an awe-inspiring photo gallery. Campaign for Gold. New Zealander Bevan Docherty hopes to come away from the 2012 Olympic games with the only medal that will complete his collection. Story by Courtney Baird Aiming Low. Matt Fitzgerald looks into the possible effect that the live high/train low theory could have on triathlon performance. Recovery Revealed. Retired pro triathlete Torbjørn Sindballe explains why proper recovery after an Ironman can make you faster than ever. SUBSCRIBE
The January issue of VeloNews.
VeloNews: The Journal of Competitive Cycling
VeloNews brings you inside the sport of bike racing, with exclusive features, analysis, expert training advice, unbiased gear reviews and the absolute best cycling photography. In the January issue of VeloNews: The Year’s Best Photos. Races, rides, and crashes Standout Performances. We award the best from domestic road, mountain bike and cyclocrss. What We’re Riding. Lightweight tubeless wheels and road brakes. Holiday Gift Guide. We’ve got your wish list right here. Everything from the reasonable (under $10) to the outrageous (over $2,000). SUBSCRIBE
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DENVER, CO - With cool temperatures and sunny skies, the first Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon & ½ Marathon crowned two past Rock ‘n’ Roll champions in the men’s and women’s marathons. Mike Aish won the men’s marathon on Sunday morning, finishing the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 30 minutes, 37 seconds.
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Today on triathletes take on great whites in La Jolla Cove and we talk to Kona contender Eneko Llanos.
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The triathlon course for the 2012 London Olympics is getting a lot of buzz thanks to its unique location in Hyde Park.
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Today on TriCenter we hear from the winners of the Rev3 Quassy Triathlon and we check in on short-course ITU action from Madrid.
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It’s been a week of breathing hard as my lungs try and keep up with the unusual high amount of energy in my legs following my month break. The first two workouts back went well, but we all know its not about where you start the marathon buildup, its about where you finish, so I am keeping my eyes up looking onward to October.
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I’ve had a locked SI Joint that until you manipulated and injected it kept me from running for two months! Could you please tell us more about this? John “The Penguin” Bingham, Chicago, IL
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I was already more than 19 weeks pregnant when I made the news of my happy condition public in a Mother’s Day New York Times article. Considering that I was very outspoken about my desire to get pregnant, many in the American running community probably wondered why I held back so long.
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This Saturday was my first run back after the London Marathon three weeks ago. I can’t imagine having more fun than beginning my summer season running through Trefethen winery in Napa, California. ASICS and Oakley hosted magazine editors for a wine country weekend. We received the latest Oakley shades and ASICS shoes as well as older vintages of Trefethen Wine.
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Please stop my nipples from bleeding! After a half marathon or more my nipples bleed, I’m in pain for a week and my favorite t-shirt needs cleaning. Please help me!
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I just found out I’m pregnant! I am so excited. I usually run 30-40 miles per week. My husband says I need to stop running and my doctor, when I asked, was “on the fence” and said he couldn’t understand why I would want to run that much.
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From the March issue of Competitor Magazine.
What makes Chrissie Wellington the most dominant Ironman triathlete on the planet? It might have a little bit to do with how she spends her off-season.
It was one year ago—early winter 2009—and to all six of them it seemed like a heck of a good idea. They were all gathered in Argentina for the wedding of Augustina (Tina) and Sebastian (Seb). The recently crowned two-time Ford Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington and her longtime friend, world-class mountaineer Billi Bierling, were staying at Tina and Seb’s home in the city of Mendoza.
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I made peanut butter cookies and bought a bouquet of roses and lilies in order to come to terms with connecting with you after such a terrible race. I had to really rally for this blog. The Virgin London Marathon went so wrong for no specific reason, and that is the most difficult thing to grasp. All that preparation. What happened? I don’t know.
Since arriving home last week, I had been nursing an intense headache and a fever that finally subsided. I spent all weekend in bed and it feels good to get up and get some fresh air. Despite the fact that I’m taking the month of May off of running, the next four weeks will have a running focus. After celebrating the birthday of our Chocolate Lab this week, we are hitting the road. Our final destination will be San Diego for the Rock and Roll Marathon. There is one month to go and for those of you running, I hope you’re getting excited. If you haven’t already, you still have time to get accustomed to the Citrus Cytomax they will be serving along the course on race day. Hydration is a main part of making it through the distance and the more you can be prepared, the better. Get your body used to drinking Cytomax so you don’t have to adjust to something new on race day.
Throughout the next month, during my travels, I’ll be keeping in touch as I visit Napa, Austin, San Diego and Olathe, Kansas. These running promotional trips are sure to be fun, so make sure to read my blogs coming up. I’ll also give some tips each week as the race gets closer.
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John
