Tag Archives: running

From Couch to 10K: A Step-by-Step Training Plan for Beginners

From couch to 10k running plan

As an experienced runner, I know that starting (or re-starting) a training plan if you’ve lost some fitness can be daunting, but with small steps and perseverance, anyone can go from the couch to a successful 10k road race.

The key is to start slowly, build gradually, and listen to your body. By following a step-by-step plan that incorporates walking, running, strength training, cross-training, and stretching, you can increase your endurance, improve your fitness, and achieve your goal of completing a 10k race.

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Scenes from Saturday + Top Knobs & Trains

The shot of summer late this week reminded everyone of two things: first, Dad’s rules on using the air conditioning and second, summer Dad camp is not that far away.

This year was the first where we didn’t sign up them up for camps and then tell them where they were going. We let them choose. This might have been a mistake. Turns out most kids have no idea how to make a decision.

What seems obvious to us, dinner, wardrobe, book to read next. Is an almost existential crises for them. How can they pick a summer camp when they can’t pick a cereal?

Turns out I vastly underestimating the amount of skill and experience in making decisions. Sure, most of the decisions we make as an adult mean nothing. Pick something and move on. But to kids it can be almost paralyzing. At least my kids.

This will be the summer of choice. Perhaps empowerment. Perhaps regret. But they will choose. They will learn. Life is a series of decisions. They will be prepared.

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Scenes from Saturday + Dance & Funfetti

Another Saturday, another morning run. From the outside looking in, especially in the winter months, this might look insane. Why do I get up early and run in the cold and wind? Because it’s my outlet. Because it makes me a better Dad.

Everyone needs an outlet for the stress of daily life. Parents probably need more than one. Running and exercising is how I try to arm myself against the frustration, stress, exhaustion, and other muck that sticks to you throughout the day.

Now, more than ever, that toxic ooze from just existing in the modern world needs to be disposed of properly.

I can tell on days where I don’t exercise that I’m shorter with the girls, or have less patience, or I’m less present. It doesn’t matter what it is, running, walking the dog, painting, hopscotch, or kickboxing, you have to find something.

Don’t take it out on your kids. As parents, we are responsible for our own sludge.

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Scenes from Saturday + Running & Recovery

Mike, have you taken your pill has become a sort of code in our house for when I’m acting bitchy and cranky. Sometimes I legitimately need to take my pills. Other times I’m just a 43 year old man dealing with glitter in the weave of the rug. Sometimes…it’s just hard to tell. Parts of last week where in that murky zone. So much is going on in the world, both near and far, it can be hard to wrap your head around it even with meds.

Most of our opinions and feelings are reactionary and unrelated to what’s actually happening. I’m guessing having teenage kids is going to be a great reminder of this but even now, dealing with the news and the pandemic and…everything, it’s a good reminder for me. Better to let it go.

The world rarely notices your anger. Why would it? Getting mad about distant things you don’t or can’t control is exhausting. Focus on what’s important. Focus on what you control.

Getting the girls to understand that is a work in progress. The big thing coming up in our house is finally returning to school next week. For Cecilia, this means heading to middle school. Whoever said anger is fear turned outward definitely had adolescent kids. They are walking glitter bombs. But first a very fine Saturday… Continue Reading

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5 Running Mistakes I Still Make

5 Running Mistakes I Still Make

I’ve been running pretty consistently for almost twenty-five years now. Some years more, some years less but I’ve probably logged at least 500 miles a year for the past two decades. You would think after thousands of miles and thousands of hours of running I’d have perfected a system. Actually, I have, it’s just that most days it’s not an ideal system. Despite being a veteran runner, I still make the same mistakes many beginning runners do.

Here are the five mistakes I make most often as a runner: Continue Reading

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Treating a Morton’s Neuroma from Running

treating a morton's neuroma from running

For all my years of running, my feet have held up pretty well. My hips and knees have had various maladies over the years but feet and ankles (especially after I gave up soccer and basketball) have never given me any major problems. Until recently.

A few months ago, I started feeling a hard, sometimes painful, but mostly annoying, spot on the ball of my foot. It didn’t bother me too much when wearing sneakers and excercising but I definitely felt it when I was barefoot. Without any padding, it felt like I was walking with a quarter under my foot. Continue Reading

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3 Winter Treadmill Speed Workouts

3 Winter Treadmill Workouts

After 10 solid years of service, our basement treadmill finally called it quits last fall. We looked into having it repaired but apparently a decade of my corrosive sweat had rendered the circuit board inoperable. The tech was impressed we’d gotten such a long run out of it and suggested a new purchase would be more economical than replacing the board. We ended up purchasing the exact same model (Sole F63) in the newest model year. Why mess with something that works? But…. why buy a treadmill at all? How do you stand it? Continue Reading

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