If you are the proud recipient of a newborn bundle of joy and believe that your running will be compromised, don’t despair; there’s a baby jogging stroller out there with your name on it, and plenty of quality miles to be run with your child. Your running, like your life, won’t ever be quite the same, but running with a jogging stroller has numerous physical and emotional benefits.

Once you and your child are ready to venture out onto the roads and trails, remember that jogging stroller training will be much different. The key difference in running with a stroller than without one is the weight you’re pushing — and that can be a good for your fitness.

Overcoming Resistance

Elite coach Brad Hudson of Boulder, Colo., who trains several strolling runners, points out that every baby-jogger session should be treated as a resistance workout.

“It’s great for all your muscles — especially your core and your back,” he said. Hudson suggests working in moderate without the jog stroller��for an added challenge once or twice a week and using the stroller on other days across flat terrain at a slow pace to aid in recovery. But Hudson tells all his new-parent runners to keep their expectations real. “Having a baby in your life is a huge adjustment, so you shouldn’t overdo any of your training at first. Go easy on yourself.”

One elite runner who can relate to this advice is American Olympian Kara Goucher. The proud mother admits strollers will definitely slow you down. “There is no way around that,” she admitted. “Then again, when you get to run a race without the stroller it will feel amazingly easy, so PRs are quite possible!”

But despite the challenges of a stroller, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Deena Kastor, the American record holder in the marathon, says the times she’d be out with her daughter Piper were often the most rewarding. “It’s great to share your running passions with your children,” she said. “Getting out with them teaches them the value of an active lifestyle at a very early age.”

Here are 5 Dos and Don’ts for Running With a Stroller

1) Don’t be disappointed by your pace

You probably assume you won’t run quite as fast with the stroller as you would without it, but you might be surprised by how slow you’ll actually go. Don’t get caught up by your pace; you’re probably pushing at least an extra 30 pounds so cut yourself some slack. But if you’re a runner who really needs to track herself, keep individual solo and stroller paces and work on improving each one separately.

2) Do pack for the apocalypse

After all the effort you put into getting you and your kid dressed and out the door, the last thing you want is to have to turn around a mile in because a little tummy is rumbling. This is where that extra planning comes into play — throw a bag of crackers or fruit and a bottle of water in the stroller basket so you can grab and distribute without breaking stride. And, as they get older, some small toys or books will go a long way when boredom (read: whining) kicks in. While you’re at it, make sure everyone makes a pit stop before you hit the road or bring a backup diaper for anyone who might need it. You may feel like a doomsday prepper but you’ll be mighty glad when you make it to mile 3 without a peep from the peanut gallery.

3) Do switch things up

You may find that it’s more comfortable pushing the stroller with one hand while pumping the other arm. That’s totally fine — just make sure you switch sides every few minutes, or you’ll end up with one very sore arm. The exception — make sure to keep both hands on deck when you’re on any kind of a downhill to avoid a runaway baby situation.

4) Don’t stay on sidewalks

If you’re lucky enough to live in a neighborhood filled with extra-wide, freshly paved sidewalks, then by all means, take advantage. But since most sidewalks have at least minor bumps, cracks or tree roots along the way that can make the ride uncomfortable and beat up your stroller, stick to the roads whenever safe, or pack up and head to a park with smooth routes. Both your stroller and your sidekick will thank you.

5) Do reap the rewards

When you’re struggling with the stroller, try and focus on the rewards coming your way. Beyond the irreplaceable time interacting with your child outdoors, running with a stroller can make you a better athlete. One of the biggest bonuses of a stroller run is that it’s a combination cardio and strength-training workout. You’re not just working your leg muscles here — your abs, shoulders and back play major roles in rolling those wheels so you’ll be rocking some muscles in no time. Another perk of all that pushing? You’ll earn some serious street cred and notice lots of nods of admiration from your fellow runners. Because almost anyone can run, but it takes a badass to stroller run.

Top Jogging Strollers

High-end, lightweight strollers with large wheels tuned specifically for running, plus stroller/bike trailer options.

Builds a variety of versatile, durable, top-of-the line strollers.

The original jogger-brand’s offerings have become more comfortable and adaptable, while still rolling smoothly and easily on big wheels.

The post The New Parent’s Guide To Running With A Stroller appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The end of the summer is a difficult time to be a distance runner. After several months of oppressive heat and, depending on where you live, smothering humidity, your legs and lungs are likely fried. Your motivation flags and achieving that fall goal seems impossible to attain. No matter if you’re training for your first marathon or are a veteran of many, the requisite weekly long runs and high-mileage training in sweltering conditions can be downright demoralizing — especially this year.

For many runners, an end-of-summer slump complete with drudgery and malaise is inevitable. Workouts are harder to nail. Long runs often seem an impossible task. Just lacing up your training shoes is a real chore, knowing you’re about to head outside and melt. A 3-mile run can sometimes seem like 30. The mind seeks out ways of talking the body into lying on the couch and soaking up the air conditioning instead of getting out the door to train.

What’s a weary runner to do?

Before you try to remedy the late-summer slump, it’s important to understand that you are not alone. Elite athletes, age-group-aces and recreational runners who live in warm-weather climates all have to deal with this formidable challenge.

Hot and humid summer weather is its own stimulus. Sure, it’s tough grinding through a sweltering day, but don’t forget that these conditions can also make you a lot stronger as you wait for the cooler weather to arrive. Approach the late-summer season with caution. Experiment with your training approach and open up your mind to trying new ways to cope with scorching, sticky situations.

Distance running isn’t for the faint of heart; it takes courage to hit the streets and trails, especially in the heat. The same, day-in, day-out routine, especially when weather conditions are challenging, can lead to boredom, mental fatigue and even injury.

Top athletes and coaches such as Brad Hudson (an elite marathon coach based in Boulder. Colo.), Jason Hartmann (fourth place at the Boston Marathon in 2012 and 2013), Bob Hodge (a former 2:10 marathoner and third-place finisher at the Boston Marathon) and John Honerkamp (a coach with the New York Road Runners) have experienced late-summer slumps themselves and with the athletes they mentor. Here are their top 10 tips to help keep you plugging away when the dog days of summer roll around this month.

Don’t Be Afraid To Take A Zero

It might seem counterintuitive, but if you’ve been training for an extended stretch of time, late summer might be the perfect time to relax a bit and let your body recover with a day, or days, off from training. “Perhaps you are potentially over-trained or mentally exhausted,” Hartmann says. Specifically, take an “inventory” of yourself from your head to your feet.

• Do you feel fatigued before you start running?
• Do your legs hurt?
• Are you just not mentally into it?
• Do you just want to stop running after 10 or 15 minutes?

Answering yes to these questions might be a sign that you should back off your training a bit. Hartmann suggests that runners who find themselves in these situations should back off their running and cross-train for at least one to three weeks. Specific activities to consider include swimming or hopping on an elliptical machine at the gym. Consider dedicating a week in the late summer to strength training at the gym, or spending 20 to 30 minutes a day completing a series of simple body-weight exercises such as pushups, crunches, planking or doing dips at home.

It’s important to know that taking a zero or two in your training log won’t harm you in the long run, no pun intended. Taking time off from running may seem intimidating, but your mental slump may be your body asking for a well-deserved break.

Get On The Track Or Even A Treadmill

The track may not seem like the most logical place to head during a late-summer slump kick-start, but it is definitely the place to go for affirmation. Running on the track requires less thought, consulting and eliminates a lot of guesswork in regard to pace. But the fast surface and continual flow of running around the oval can also put a spring in your step, allowing you to run at any pace with seemingly less effort. Hudson, based in Boulder, Colo., assigns fartlek workouts on the track to his runners during the late summer.

“I think these are great, because it doesn’t challenge them too much from a mental perspective,” he says. “The body also naturally holds back in a fartlek. It’s not going to naturally overdo it.”

Hudson’s main goal with these workouts is to stay within a relative comfort zone so you aren’t pushing your body into a realm where it can get injured. “Like anything else, you have to go by feel and not care about the watch,” he says. Specifically, Hudson calls these workouts “variations.”

The time period to complete them is 3 minutes. He lines his runners up on the track and has them do 15 to 20 surges for anywhere from 30-60 seconds each. He then subtracts the time spent surging from 3 minutes to calculate the rest period, so, for example, if you are running fast for 60 seconds, you will get 2 minutes of recovery before the next surge. Besides the fact that the workout isn’t long in nature, Hudson says that it’s also fun to complete. “You get a little stimulus change by doing these things,” he contends. “You’re not out on the roads doing something long.” And if hitting the track isn’t an option or isn’t desirable, you can also do these variations in the middle of an easy run. “It won’t take much out of you to do them,” Hudson says of his variation workout.

Another option Hudson gives his runners in the late summer is running on the treadmill. He says doing so helps break up the monotony of training. “Getting somewhere cool and out of the sun definitely helps them,” he says.

Find Running Buddies

Training solo in the spring and early summer may work for you, but as you begin to struggle with motivation when the dog days of summer settle in, just having someone to run with can really help your morale. “It can be lonely out there, especially in a slump,” says coach Honerkamp. “Ideally it is a slower runner, which will force you to run a recovery run.”

Camaraderie can be a good tool to fix a case of the summer slumps. Your running partner may be going through the same thing and being able to establish a running “date” forces you to get out the door when you may not have otherwise. Another option is to find a running club in your city or town and join them for weekly workouts or runs. There’s power in numbers — even the smaller, distanced numbers allowed now.

Know When To Shut Down Your Season

Sometimes it’s okay to face the facts and realize that you may need to end your racing season early if you are emotionally drained. Hartmann, who was self-coached going into last year’s canceled New York City Marathon, uses himself as an example.

“A lot of onlookers questioned why I didn’t race a fall or winter marathon after the cancellation,” he says. “I made the decision to cut my season short, and not race a winter marathon after New York was canceled because emotionally I was defeated.”

He goes on to point out that there is no sense in having an athlete toe the line if they have already shut it down mentally, or if they have talked themselves out of what they can physiologically accomplish. In other words, know your limits. Hartmann says he decided to put his efforts elsewhere for a few weeks — friends, family and the community — and when he returned to training, he felt refreshed and ready to go. Hudson contends that you have to afford yourself breaks throughout the year.

“I have a lot of athletes that I train who don’t take a lot of long breaks, but they take some short time off. A week or five days seems to work well for them. They find that when it’s so hot, they are hitting their heads against the wall.”

Don’t Worry About Pace And Time

Watches and other gadgets are important for all runners, but there are times when they should be ignored. One of the first things an athlete struggling with motivation should do is relax on all pacing and timing requirements.

“I often tell my runners to leave your watch at home and do your run or workout based on effort,” Honerkamp says. “The runner will get a good workout in without knowing what pace they’re running. If a runner is tired, they won’t know that they’re running 10 seconds slower per mile on their tempo run. They won’t be bummed out and they also are less likely to over-train.”

Along the same lines, Hartmann calls this “letting go of the time component.” Hartmann says that sometimes the pressure athletes put on themselves to hit intervals in a specific time, or to finish a tempo run at a certain pace can overwhelm or frustrate them. “They can end up running ‘stressed’ or ‘mechanical’ versus with a relaxed stride, and the pressure to hit that specific time can sometimes yield a negative-training environment if the athlete constantly feels like they are ‘not hitting the times,’ perhaps because of tiredness, perhaps because a coach gave them unrealistic times to hit, or perhaps because they are reaching to hit their end-of-season goal times now versus at the end of their season when they should hit those time goals,” he says.

“Ultimately, this can decrease motivation if an athlete feels like they are not en route to achieving their end-of-season goal, or if they feel like they have lost fitness after being ill, or if they think they are ‘slow.’”

Speed Things Up

Your late-summer slump may require a shock to the system, especially if you’ve got a long race such as a half-marathon or marathon on the horizon. Honerkamp suggests seeking out a flat 5K race or a self-conducted time trial of 2 to 4 miles in order to speed things up. Going all-out for a short period of time can definitely blow the cobwebs out and the excitement of race pace can inspire you anew. Hudson agrees.

“Go find something faster and shorter so that you are mixing up pace and not having to face all long runs,” he says. “If you are a marathoner, you still want to stick with those kinds of workouts, but it’s OK to take a down week to race.”

Hartmann is of a similar mindset. “So many athletes chase fitness versus letting it develop at a natural pace,” he says.

Analyze Your Routine And Your Environment

“Set up your schedule and keep the same schedule each week,” Honerkamp says. “This allows you to get into a nice routine and takes out all the decision-making throughout the week. I’ve heard that former President Obama doesn’t choose his outfits each day, because it takes away one more decision he will have to make that day. He has many big decisions to make each day, so this way he is not wasting any energy on figuring out if his tie matches his shirt.”

Honerkamp says the same goes for running. If your long run is always on Sunday, you are more likely to get it in, and consequently you are doing less deal-making with yourself during the week.

Conversely, Hartmann says it’s important to change up your routine from time to time in order to add excitement and variety into your running. That might mean running a new trail, sprinkling in some cross-training or just running a different route around your neighborhood. Running trails and getting away from the gridlock of urban or suburban life, even for a moment, can change your entire frame of mind and have long-lasting effects.

“That way your motivation increases and also, new training stimuli can catalyze improved performance,” he says. “Even changes in training environment can spark new motivation, such as running a new trail, or finding a new training partner, or trying a new workout where there is no pressure going into it.”

Do An “Easy Win” Workout

Rather than challenge yourself with an impossible workout, do something you know you can complete and give your confidence a boost. “Often times marathon training entails doing longer intervals and runs,” Honerkamp says. One example of an “easy win” workout is switching the mile repeats to 200m repeats (or 30–second pickups during an easy run). If a runner is tired or in a funk, longer reps such as miles can be daunting. Doing shorter intervals will often be a lot easier to face mentally and the runner is more likely to enjoy it.

For example, 10 x 200 meters on the track at a quick pace can be a great confidence-booster, whereas trying to churn through mile repeats under the hot sun can crush your confidence and compromise enjoyment. ”It’s fun to run fast and runners training for a marathon often don’t ever run ‘fast,’ Honerkamp says.

Keep An Eye On Your Sleep And Your Diet

are closely related. If you’re slumping toward the end of summer, you may be experiencing irregular patterns with your sleep cycles, which can get worse as you advance through to your fall training program. Set a designated bedtime every night. Establish a sleeping routine such as reading in bed or practicing meditation before retiring for the evening.

Hartmann says another thing to look at is your nutrition and hydration. If your region has been especially hot for weeks, it’s possible you haven’t been optimally hydrated for weeks. Poor diet choices and the timing of your meals may only magnify your slump. Plan your meals as carefully as your workouts and be ever mindful of your hydration levels.

Remember Why You’re A Runner

Bob Hodge, a former 2:10 marathoner who finished third at the 1979 Boston Marathon, shares a great story about finding a happy place to run when you are mentally and physically exhausted at the end of summer.

“The best thing would be easy runs on the beach or in the forest,” he says. “Maybe just go for a hike in the mountains. It seems like when most people are struggling with fatigue [not actual injury], they need to back off the intensity, go back to the roots and remember why they love to run.”

Hodge recalls a story in New Zealander Murray Halberg’s book, “Clean Pair of Heels,” in which Halberg writes about how he and Bill Baillie and Gordon Pirie were in South Africa for a series of races many years ago. “While Pirie continued to run intervals on the track day after day, Halberg and Baillie went out for long runs in the countryside,” Hodge says. “While Pirie became more stale, Halberg and Baillie were rejuvenating. The hard intensity, and racing especially, are like cash withdrawals from your hard-earned fitness savings.”

The post 10 Ways To Rejuvenate Your Fall Training appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Running is steeped in Japanese culture and has been for hundreds of years, dating��back to when the courier system during the Edo Period required fit runners to relay important messages up and over treacherous terrain. But of all the distances and disciplines, it’s the marathon that the Japanese love best. Viewership of running events on television and online rivals that of the Super Bowl in the United States. Marathoners like “Citizen Runner” Yuki Kawauchi are hailed as national heroes akin to LeBron James and Peyton Manning.

There are sects of “marathon monks” who, over the course of a 100-day stretch, will cover 52.5 miles daily—twice the length of a standard marathon. From a professional marathoning standpoint, 50��years ago, it was the Japanese—not Kenyans or Ethiopians—who stood atop the��Olympic podium.��In 1966, Japanese runners had posted fastest marathon times in the world. In 2001, Naoko Takahashi became the first woman to break the 2:20 marathon barrier in Berlin��and as recently as 2017, Kawauchi ran��12 marathons in one year and won this year’s Boston Marathon.

So what is a country nearly the size of��California doing right? Are there lessons to learn from many years of running wisdom? You bet. Here are three key secrets of the Japanese marathoning success:

A Rock Solid Aerobic Base

Nobuya “Nobby” Hashizume of the Lydiard Foundation served as an assistant coach for the Hitachi Ltd., Running Team between 1988 and 1991 and says that simply running a lot of mileage—building up a solid base of slower, steady miles—is one critical factor of Japanese success. “The triathlon great, Mark Allen, calls fast, race-specific training ‘sexy’ but the boring groundwork is what really makes you a great marathon runner,” Hashizume says. “Japanese took it to their heart.” Hashizume points out that Takahashi’s former coach, Yoshio Koide, had his runners logging 200 miles a week so that they could close the final 5K of the marathon as fast as possible. Hashizume also recalls that one corporate team coach, the former teammate of legendary marathoner Toshihiko Seko under late coach Kiyoshi Nakamura, had his runners log 60 minutes in the morning, 90 minutes in mid-day and 60 minutes in the evening every day for 4 weeks during the build-up phase. Hashizume calls this kind of running “get-down-and-dirty-on-your-knees” aerobic-base work, and the Japanese have mastered it for decades. “It so happens that the longer the competitive distance, the more heavily we rely on training. So marathoning happens to be one of Japan’s favorite events.”

A Focused Passion for Hard Work

There are no half measures for Japanese marathoners. And where many western elites blame genetic predisposition for not being able to achieve a breakthrough, such thinking doesn’t occur amongst the��Japanese professional marathoners. Hashizume quotes coach Nakamura as evidence of this truism: “Natural talent has limits; but there’s no limit to hard work.” Hashizume suggests that Japanese runners still cling to their dreams. “While some young westerners seek some scientific proof whether or not it’s ‘worth trying,’ Japanese still hold, sometimes rather silly old-fashioned ‘romantic’ view that lots of hard work can overcome lack of natural talent.”

Kevin Beck, editor of the book Run Strong, which dedicates a section to the Japanese training ethos bases his conclusions of the Japanese passion from personal observations. “I see groups of elite Japanese women training around the Boulder reservoir and at Fairview High School,” he says. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a more focused set of runners anywhere.”

Discipline and Perseverance

Running 26.2 miles as fast as possible requires discipline in all aspects of your life, and the Japanese have this down. Beck calls the Japanese art of perseverance “tireless work and quiet suffering” and says they excel at it. “The marathon is the consummate platform through which [tireless work and quiet suffering] can be expressed beautifully,” he says. “Toshihiko Seko was an over-distance monster known for incorporating not only loads of spectacularly slow running, but walks of 60K or more,” he says. This kind of discipline and perseverance, dealing with the aches and pains and doing “one more” lap or mile is not for runners who want quick results.

Hashizume calls the desire for quick results a “fast-food mentality” in running. “[Some] runners seek bare-minimum to prepare for a marathon, or any other event for that matter,” he says. “Getting into shape is a gradual business. You need to take time to build-up gradually and steadily. You do what you can and the results will follow.”

The post Three Secrets of Japanese Marathoning Success appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The Tarahumara of northern Mexico, of all the world cultures with a history of running, probably best deserve the top accolades for their achievements in the ultrarunning realm. After all, these proud Native Americans refer to themselves at the “Rarámuri,” which means “those who run fast” and have a long tradition of covering hundreds of miles on foot over the course of several days in order to communicate, trade and hunt.

Christopher McDougall’s bestselling book, Born To Run, featured these incredible runners, and due to their minimalist footwear, spawned a barefoot running movement. But, footwear and biomechanics aside, what sets these runners apart from the rest of the world? How are they able to run so far for so long? Here are four secrets of the Tarahumara you can use to apply to your own running:

1. Do not waste energy.

American ultrarunning legend Scott Jurek, who won seven straight Western States Endurance Run and set��numerous American ultra records, spent time with the Tarahumara in Mexico’s Copper Canyon in 2006. He observed that nothing is wasted with these runners. “What really stood out to me when I ran with them is the efficiency with how they live their lives as well as the efficiency while running,” he says. “They are really about not wasting energy or calories. When I was in the Copper Canyon hiking with Micah True and the Tarahumara for 16 hours, I didn’t particularly notice that they had the perfect stride—not that they didn’t—but I noticed how they didn’t waste any energy. We would take a water break or a rest and they would all sit down right away. They didn’t stand. It was all about conservation to them.” Jurek also points out that this focus on efficiency translated into all things for the Tarahumara, from water conservation to their running stride to pacing. “A lot of people think there is some magical secret around the Tarahumara, but it really comes down to simple things like how you use your energy and when you are consuming energy, being in that present moment,” he says. Jurek also notes that the Tarahumara don’t subscribe to the philosophy of “putting time in the bank” for long runs. “As a culture they have to be able to have the energy to run over a canyon after transmitting messages or trading with another tribe,” he says. “Their pace can’t be haphazard, because they don’t have a lot of extra calories to waste.”

2. Work as a team.

McDougall points out that the Tarahumara benefit from running together as a tribe. “Anyone who’s ever joined a running club has already learned one of the most important lessons of the Tarahumara: collaboration makes you stronger and happier,” he says.

The Tarahumara always race as a team, not as individuals. They feed off each other’s energy and camaraderie, but there’s also another benefit: by pacing yourself to the group, you reduce the risk of going out too hard and blowing up. “These days, I run with friends as often as possible and it’s made a tremendous improvement in my mileage and enjoyment,” McDougall said.

3. Run with a contagious joy.

Dana Richardson and Sarah Zentz recently completed a documentary, Goshen, about the Tarahumara and picked up on their love of the sport. “What we noticed when filming the Tarahumara men running the traditional ball race [Rarajipari] and the women running their hoop and arrow race [Ariweta], that for the Tarahumara running is a joyful and sacred experience with a powerful spiritual significance,” says Richardson.

“Their traditional running is about working together in teams, celebrating as a community and honoring one another. Their laughter while running their traditional races was not only contagious but inspiring. When we came back to the States and examined the faces of people running, we noticed pain, suffering, and unhappiness. I believe we get it wrong firstly by running without having correct form. Therefore, we do experience pain from injuries and lose the joy that can be found in running.”

4. Embrace simplicity.

The Tarahumara don’t rely on GPS watches, heart-rate monitors, pace calculators, detailed training plans or a special shoe that best matches their running stride. Keeping things simple allows them to focus exclusively on running. McDougall contends that most runners today are too focused on the wrong things: the ‘getting’ instead of learning—i.e., getting new shoes, getting into Boston, getting a PR, getting ahead of that other guy on Strava—all that acquire and conquer nonsense. “The Tarahumara treat running as a fine art, something to be learned slowly and perfected over a lifetime,” he says. “The goal isn’t necessarily to become fast; it’s to become good. Artists don’t obsess over speed; they obsess over mastering skills. For runners, that skill is form. The more you learn about moving your body lightly and efficiently, the closer you’ll be to running like the Tarahumara.”

The post Four Secrets of the Tarahumara That Will Improve Your Running appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Let’s face it: track workouts can be mentally and physically demanding,��especially when you’re in the throes of half marathon or marathon training.

Ladder workouts are a great way to mix things up and get your legs turning over when they’re tired. Coach Sarah Crouch of ��says a ladder workout is an interval session where you either��ascend or descend the time or distance—along with the pace—of each repetition. “Ladder workouts that start with shorter, faster intervals flood the legs with lactic acid and teach your body how to persist with fast running even though they are tired and heavy,” she says. “Descending ladder workouts that decrease in interval length throughout the workout—but increase in pace—teach your body how to change gears late in a session.”

Along with these physical benefits, ladder workouts also provide runners a mental advantage. Coach Ewen North of points out that the first few repetitions of ladder��workouts serve the purpose of tiring the legs. As the workout progresses, and the distance of each rep and/or speed increases, the mind has to communicate with the body to maintain pace as your fatigue level rises. “This also helps to train you mentally by pushing through the fatigue and telling yourself to keep it going even when you really don’t want to,” he explains.

Both Crouch and North say the best thing about ladder workouts is that there are really no hard and fast rules to completing them—create your own��fun through experimentation. “There are so many variables,” North says, “that��you never have to do the same ladder workout in a block of training and you can make it as fun as it is tough.”

Crouch suggests evaluating��where you’re at in training before choosing either a time-based or a distance-based routine. She points out that time-based ladder workouts are great for the early season when non-quantifiable workouts serve the purpose of keeping your training relaxed and stress-free. “They are a great way to boost fitness, especially when you are traveling or unable to get to a track or marked bike path, as they can be completed almost anywhere,” she says. “They also keep you free from the worry of weather or hills impacting the quality of your workout since you are running hard for a certain amount of time rather than a distance.”

Later in the season,��Crouch recommends shifting the��focus toward running intervals of a specific distance at a set pace. As key races approach, getting an accurate reflection of your fitness by trying to hit a specific distance in a pre-determined amount of time��can give you confidence heading into your��next workout or race. “They are a great test of your ability to properly pace yourself and walk away with good, quality feedback,” she says.

Here are two ladder workouts to try out:

Descending Ladders

— Warm up with 15-20 minutes of easy jogging, followed by a set of strides, or short sprints, to get your legs used to moving at a faster pace.
— The first repetition is 2 miles at your��10K race pace followed by a 3-minute recovery.��Crouch suggests taking it easy on the recovery between intervals. “Many runners choose to take standing or walking rest between pieces, but if you choose to take active [running] rest between harder pieces of a ladder workout, don’t get caught up with pace during the recovery segments,” she advises. “Feel free to jog as slowly as possible as the purpose of the resting period is to help you recover for the harder pieces.”
— The second repetition is 1 mile��at your 5K race pace, or 15-20 seconds per mile than your 10K race pace, followed by a��2-minute recovery.
— The third repetition is a half mile at your 3K race pace, or 15-20 seconds per mile faster than your 5K pace pace, followed by a 1-minute recovery.
— The final repletion is a quarter mile hard, as if you were kicking at the end of a 5K race.
— Cool down with 15-20 minutes of easy jogging.

“Descending ladders are fun because after the first interval, the workout gets shorter and shorter,” Crouch says.

Time-Based Ladders

This workout—a favorite of North—is simple. The speed��for each repetition is your 5K race pace.

— Warm up with 15 minutes of easy jogging, followed by a set of strides, or short sprints, to get your legs used to moving at a faster pace.
—��Run 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minute repetitions at your 5K race pace, jogging for half the time of the preceding repetition for recovery between intervals. So after the 1-minute interval, jog for 30 seconds, after the 2-minute interval, jog for a minute, after the 3-minute interval, jog for 90 seconds, and so forth, all the way till the end.
— Cool down with 15 minutes of easy jogging.

“I often like to use ladder workouts that go up and down again so it makes it very tough in the middle section so people have to engage both mental and physical strength before the pleasure and fun of coming back down again so the finish feels relatively easier,” North says. “I like people to enjoy their workouts and it isn’t always about pushing it to the max.”

The post Workout of the Week: Track Ladders appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Many of us owe our passion for adventure and the outdoors to our fathers. This Father's Day, what better way to celebrate dad's role in stoking that fire than to fuel his own? The following��curated��gifts—everything from wooden sunglasses and inflatable��SUPs��to a minimalist's fly-fishing kit and an electric motorcycle—will do just that.

Motoped Cruzer

​

I’m not exactly a handy guy. Though I compulsively read��Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig’s 1974 existential juggernaut about working through life’s philosophical��con-undrums��while tending to the ailments of an old bike, my fascination never translated into practical knowledge. I can’t even change the oil, let alone replace a carburetor. But the mere sight of an engine triggers some primal urge to pick up a wrench and tinker with it.��

That’s rarely a good idea, unless we’re talking about the��Motoped��Cruzer. Designed to replicate classic motorcycles from the early��20th��century, the��Cruzer��combines a mountain-bike frame with a��49cc��engine and adds retro details like wood fenders and a leather saddle. The best part: you can assemble it yourself in a long weekend. (You’ll need a Phillips screwdriver, a metric socket set, Allen wrenches, a hacksaw, and a small favor from��a buddy with a steering-headset press.)

The results may look��like something out of Mad Max, but this bike is built for beach missions. The Cruzer’s tank holds 1.3 gallons, enough to travel 150 miles, and it tops out at 24 miles per hour. Best of all, you don’t have to use the engine; you can rip up and down your favorite coastal roads looking for the perfect beach break, then cut the motor and pedal the bike right onto the sand.

From $3,249,��

Hydro Flask True Pint

No Father’s Day celebration is complete without a tall,��cool frosty beverage, which is why the Hydro Flask����is the perfect gift for that thirsty man in your life.

This��specially engineered, vacuum-insulated��glass keeps a��layer of air between the hand holding the glass and what's inside, helping ensure beer stays cold to the last drop. A��stainless steel interior washes clean after use so that��your beverage won't be affected by the��taste��of drinks past.��Hydro Flask also engineered the lip��of the True Pint to resemble the��edge and feel of a traditional English��pint glass.

The Hydro Flask True Pint, at less than $25, is so cheap that you should get��two: one for��your father and one for you to raise a glass together.��

$22,��

Lululemon MWB Jacket

Lululemon, the company that practically invented the woman's yoga pant, has since��learned a thing or two about��menswear. Take the��, one of our favorite commuter, do-it-all jackets. Blending business-casual��style with moisture-wicking, rain-shedding properties, it will help dad look good on the go without the need to change when he gets there.��

It’s made out of Lululemon’s trademarked��Warpstreame��fabric, which means it's lightweight,��durable, and��water-resistant for rainy-day commutes.��It even has zippered vents in the back��that dump heat in a hurry.

�ճ����Lululemon��MWB Jacket has its business in the front with three buttons, pockets, and a straight collar,��which add a nice touch of style for either that Sunday brunch or client presentation.��

$298,��

Sea to Summit X-Set 31

If your dad is a guy who actually enjoys firing up a family meal after a long hike, check out Sea to Summit's five-piece stackable cooking set.��

�ճ������pots��are built from hard-anodized aluminum bases��that can withstand camp-stove flames as well as a good beating up and down the mountain,��and a flexible silicone��upper that saves space. Collapse them after the meal's��finished and��nest them with other X Series cookware.��

The Sea to Summit X-Set 31 comes with a 2.8-liter pot, two bowls, and��two mugs.

$105,��

Miir Payette Commuter Bike

Believe it or not, your father was once a child. To spark his memories of those days,��splurge on the��Miir��.

This elegant��singlespeed��bike��comes in four sizes, with a��flip-flop hub which allows the rider the option of riding fixed or free. It also comes standard with��35-spoke wheels,��25mm��tires, and a supple steel frame.

The best part?��For every bike��Miir��sells, the company donates another��to a person in need either in the U.S. or Africa.��

$499,��

Flowfold Traveler

One of the strongest wallets on the market, the��Flowfold��, also happens to be one of the lightest.

�ճ����trifold��Traveler Wallet is made from the same material that goes into high-end racing sails: Kevlar fiber. Empty, it weighs 1.1 ounces, but it's��roomy enough to hold the essentials��with��six pockets for credit cards, one transparent slot for��ID, and a large pocket for cash. Need more space? It also has five additional pockets, three of which are hidden.��It’s so light it floats—a double bonus for those who spend time a lot of time on the water.

With the��Flowfold��Traveler Wallet, dad's��rear pocket��will thank you.

$30,��

Urchin Sky Kniper

​

Help dad��let off��steam every once in a while with the��Urchin Sky��—a 13-inch throwing knife that can also be used as a��multitool.

�ճ����Kniper��is good for chucking, sure. But beyond that, nearly every surface and edge of the��high-carbon stainless steel blade and handle��can be used for something. All told, there are 22 tools—from a Phillips-head screwdriver to a saw to a wire stripper. It even comes with a sundial printed on the outside of a universal��hexhole.

If dad��doesn’t like it, then ask him to give it to you.��

$145,��

Skullcandy Grind Headphones

Good��news: For $60 you can treat that audiophile father in your life with the��Skullcandy����headphones.

Besides delivering��quality sound, the headphones��are built to fit well��thanks to��plush foam��earpads��and lightweight headband. And unlike many headphones with their jumbled and frayed cords, these have a detachable cable for easy storage.���ճ����Skullcandy��Grind headphones also have��an on-ear button that lets the wearer take calls or cycle through music.��

$60,��

Tucker & Bloom North to South Messenger

In the none-too-distant past, China was the��defacto��home of manufacturing. Not any longer. More and more companies��are choosing to make their products in the U.S., and that includes the��Tucker & Bloom��.��

The North to South Messenger Bag��features an outer layer of��waxed, water-resistant canvas. It'll protect��electronics during inclement weather��and,��with a��13.5-inch��opening, it's big enough to hold most laptops, along with a��smartphone, batteries, and cords in its specially designed side pocket. A removable cross strap comes in handy when biking��to work, and leather trim dresses up this otherwise casual bag for office or weekend use.

But the best thing?��The Tucker & Bloom North to South Messenger bag��was��designed and��made by the��father and son team of Case and David Bloom, who started the company together and continue to work shoulder to shoulder in their��Nashville factory. The pair guarantees their bags for life.

$250,��

Tenkara USA Sato Kit

Short on space? Try the��Tenkara��USA��, which ditches the traditional fly reel to cut down on clutter.����

For under $300, the minimalist kit comes with one Sato triple-zoom rod that collapses down to��22 inches, but can expand in three lengths, depending on the size of the stream your dad wants to fish. It also contains a keeper with 15 feet��of line, a��tippet, three flies, forceps, and nippers—everything he needs for a few hours on the river.

Along with its compact size, the��Tenkaro��USA Sato Kit is also lightweight, with the rod��weighing��2.6 ounces.

$259,��

Filson Leather Notebook Cover and Notebook

In this Digital Age of ours, the concept of��sitting down with a pen in hand to write��on real paper (gasp!) may seem silly and old��fashioned. But people who think that way likely don't have a��Filson����to scribble their thoughts in.

This elegant, leather-bound notebook with an oil finish measures 9-by-11 inches and is��.��

It comes in three colors (cognac, dark brown, and natural),��and has a pen-holder tab as well as two slot pockets inside to hold lose paper or photos. Get one of these for your dad and you might get something special in return. Like��the��next great American novel.

$185,��

Stumptown Coffee Roasters Nitro Cold Brew Coffee

Dad doesn’t have to be a coffee snob to get a buzz from��Stumptown��Coffee Roasters����coffee. Wrapped in an aluminum can, this thing looks more like a beer than a delicious caffeine-delivery device.��

But there’s a reason for the pop-top can. The Portland, Oregon-based��Stumptown��Coffee Roasters have cold brewed 11 ounces of black-and-tan goodness for 12 hours and then injected the mixture��with nitrogen. That infusion creates a foam similar to that of��a��Guiness��beer when you pour the creamy, smooth��coffee into a glass.��

Stumptown��Coffee Roasters��Nitro Cold Brew��coffee is tasty enough to prove that a good cup of coffee can come from a can.��

$5,��

Reactor Titan Watch

The Reactor����watch is the Fort Knox of timepieces.��

Its core is fashioned out of��316L-gauge��stainless steel,��while a��polymer shell coats the analog watch’s exterior.��The face is made��with��Reactor’s Never Dark technology, which combines a Swiss material known as��Superluminova��with tritium to��glow in the dark. It also comes in three colors, including��black, orange, and flat-dark earth.

The goal: Reactor wanted to make a watch that could withstand��being shot at with��a .22 or the jaws of a��300-pound bull shark. With the Titan, they��succeeded.��

$500,��

Ray-Ban Clubmaster Wood Sunglasses

Your dad probably watched��Miami Vice��back in the��1980s. If so, get him a pair of Ray-Ban����sunglasses,��which��will have him looking and��feeling like Sonny Crockett. ��

A variant of Ray-Ban’s long-running��Clubmaster��collection, they get their name from the wood that's��used in the glasses'��bridge.��Choose from walnut, maple, or cherry.

The bridge on the Ray-Ban��Clubmaster��Wood sunglasses is treated and lined to protect them from surf and sand. Dad's optometrist can even switch the lenses for his prescription for use indoor and out.

$300,��

The post The 15 Best Gifts for Dad appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Dad doesn’t have to be a coffee snob to get a buzz from Stumptown Coffee Roasters coffee. Wrapped in an aluminum can, this thing looks more like a beer than a delicious caffeine-delivery device.��

But there’s a reason for the pop-top can. The Portland, Oregon-based Stumptown Coffee Roasters have cold brewed 11 ounces of black-and-tan goodness for 12 hours and then injected the mixture��with nitrogen. That infusion creates a foam similar to that of��a Guiness beer when you pour the creamy, smooth��coffee into a glass.��

Stumptown Coffee Roasters��Nitro Cold Brew��coffee is tasty enough to prove that a good cup of coffee can come from a can.��

$5,

The post Stumptown Coffee Roasters Nitro Cold Brew Coffee appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

If your dad is a guy who actually enjoys firing up a family meal after a long hike, check out Sea to Summit's five-piece stackable cooking set.��

The pots��are built from hard-anodized aluminum bases��that can withstand camp-stove flames as well as a good beating up and down the mountain,��and a flexible silicone��upper that saves space. Collapse them after the meal's��finished and��nest them with other X Series cookware.��

The Sea to Summit X-Set 31 comes with a 2.8-liter pot, two bowls, and��two mugs.

$105,

The post Sea to Summit X-Set 31 appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

No Father’s Day celebration is complete without a tall,��cool frosty beverage, which is why the Hydro Flask ��is the perfect gift for that thirsty man in your life.

This��specially engineered, vacuum-insulated��glass keeps a��layer of air between the hand holding the glass and what's inside, helping ensure beer stays cold to the last drop. A��stainless steel interior washes clean after use so that��your beverage won't be affected by the��taste��of drinks past.��Hydro Flask also engineered the lip��of the True Pint to resemble the��edge and feel of a traditional English��pint glass.

The Hydro Flask True Pint, at less than $25, is so cheap that you should get��two: one for��your father and one for you to raise a glass together.��

$22,

The post Hydro Flask True Pint appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Believe it or not, your father was once a child. To spark his memories of those days,��splurge on the Miir .

This elegant singlespeed��bike��comes in four sizes, with a��flip-flop hub which allows the rider the option of riding fixed or free. It also comes standard with��35-spoke wheels, 25mm tires, and a supple steel frame.

The best part?��For every bike Miir sells, the company donates another��to a person in need either in the U.S. or Africa.��

$499,

The post Miir Payette Commuter Bike appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.