Another year, another lingering injury. I’ve been experiencing some pain by my left hip after running, enough that I mentioned it to my doctor at my last annual physical. She recommended that I “make friends with my foam roller.” Sounds easy enough, right? Thing is, I’ve had a foam roller for years and barely used it at all. Now...
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Running attracts peculiar people. As runners, we have a tendency to strive. Some call it a personal record, some a personal best, but either way you don’t actually accept that time as your best. You can always be faster. Thus the question plagues you constantly: what can I do to increase my speed and shave off seconds? Myself, I...
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Hobbyists love handing out advice to the newbies in their ranks, and runners are no exception to this rule. I can’t scroll past three posts on Instagram without coming across some new training or racing tidbit, whether it be anecdotal from a running enthusiast or professional from a coach/physical therapist/nutritionist/etc. What can I say; the algorithm gets me. Well,...
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Announcing a run goal in a public forum is risky. I mean, sometimes you whiff it, y’know? Sometimes you whiff it twice. Still, what’s the fun in taking a big swing if no one is there to see, um, where… the ball… lands? I’m not sure where to take this metaphor, but I think you get the idea. Anyway,...
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Remember my classical music running playlist? I had a great time putting that together – fresh music can be so clutch to combat training burnout, so it’s awesome to tap into a different genre from the norm. With that in mind, I’m doing it again, but this time we’re working in a new niche: the old school Hollywood musical....
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Back in May, I started an experiment that sought to ask a very niche question: do compression socks do anything for me? Get a refresher on the whys of compression socks and the scoop on my experiments here. Or don’t, because while this is the promised follow-up post detailing my findings, they are, in a word, disappointing. I have...
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The last time I had used a treadmill? Oh, early March 2020. And gee, can you think why? OH, ONCE I LOVED A TREADMILL There was a time in my life when the treadmill was nearly the ONLY way I ran. Hills? Terrain? Weather? I didn’t know them. All I knew was the inside of a gym and the...
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I’ve used compression socks before. A couple years ago I won a pair, and then got another as a Christmas present. I was pretty excited about it – after all, compression socks (and calf sleeves) are supposed to improve your running by – hold on, let me check the marketing copy… Ah, yes, there it is: increased vascular efficiency...
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After my (kinda, sorta, really yes but also no) triumph at the Run Oak Island Half Marathon, I vowed that I would make my next half my sub-2. I’ve got one coming up in a week or so. It was gonna be my race. Now? I’m not so sure. Okay, to be fair, I was never really sure. I...
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Whelp, it finally happened: I took a fall on the boardwalk. HOW I FELL WHILE RUNNING The boardwalk in question lines a portion of my route through Piñones, part of my usual long-run route. It is not well-maintained as far as missing boards and uneven bits of wood go, but I’ve been running on it for a good two...
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