Born to Run by Christopher McDougall – Book Review

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National Best Seller, Born to Run, was published in 2009 and written by Christopher McDougall, a contributing editor for Men’s Health magazine, and three-time National Magazine Award finalist. This was the most entertaining book I have read in years. Written as a first-person non-fiction narrative, Born to Run combines the excitement of ultra-racing with very interesting scientific running research, and just a dash of a spiritual journey…it is perfect! McDougall begins his story with…

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Marathon Training #5 – Maybe I Don’t Know How to Run

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Last week I mentioned that I wanted to research barefoot running because my legs hurt.  The Running Barefoot website has some excellent basic information about “How to Run”. Of course we assume we know how to run, however, most of us learned how to run in shoes, and our bodies were designed to run barefoot. Barefoot-Ken-Bob’s website has an extremely thorough explanation of exactly How to Run. The point of learning how to…

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Marathon Training #4 – Barefoot Running?

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I have a 3/4 mile loop around my neighborhood. On my first attempt to run around the loop I needed to stop and stretch at least four times. After completing several runs over the last few weeks, I was able to complete most of the 3/4 miles without a walk-break. But…my legs still hurt. Is it my shoes? They are not expensive running shoes. Have you heard about barefoot running?…

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Marathon Training #3 – Anytime, Anywhere

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One of the really great things about running for exercise is how I can do it anytime, anywhere. All I need are my running shoes and some comfortable clothes. I have had the pleasure of taking my training to New Hampshire for vacation. Check out the beautiful path I found at Loon mountain. Here is another lovely trail that I found in Nashua NH called Mine Falls Park. This place…

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Marathon Training #2 – Walk Breaks

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By the time I get to my second long run of 2 miles, I have run 1/2 – 1 mile at least eight times. It is getting a little easier. I don’t need to stop and stretch as often. While performing research on marathon training I came across the idea of “walk breaks”. I really like this idea. Basically it allows for planned, brief periods of walking throughout your run. Jeff…

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Marathon Training #1 – “This Is Hard Work!”

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As I mentioned previously, I’m not a runner. My exercise routines consist of gentle yoga, and hikes with the kids. You can read all my reasons for deciding to train for a marathon in my previous post. I hate to start out complaining, but, this is hard work! On my first ¾ mile run, I had to stop and stretch four times. My sister Kara, who has done this before,…

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Train for a Marathon with Perfect Supplements

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If you are like me, you might be thinking, “Why the heck would I want to do that?” When my sister, Kara, first asked me if I wanted to run a marathon with her, my initial response was, “Absolutely not”. I can’t even run a mile. My regular exercise consists of walking with the kids in a stroller and yoga classes. So how did I get from there to here?…

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5 Reasons Why Walking Is the Perfect Exercise

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We all know that Perfect Health probably cannot be achieved without some type of physical activity. The American Heart Association claims that walking is the Perfect Exercise. Here’s a list of reasons… No Fancy Equipment Needed – Just comfortable clothes and a good pair of shoes. Anytime and Anywhere – City streets or country lane; even around the mall in bad weather. Solitary Exercise – You don’t need to form…

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