The NYTimes.com has a good rundown on Smartphone Training Apps and other personal technology that can help you get fit. One of my favourite is this:

The Nike + iPod Sport Kit is made especially for runners (it can be used in a gym for cardio workouts as well); it tracks time, distance, pace and estimates calories burned. It uses a $29 sensor compatible with a Nike+ shoe and beams information to an iPod or iPhone. It does take some effort to calibrate. You will need to run a known course to set it up for highest accuracy.

I take issue with the part I underlined. It’s pretty easy to calibrate. I took mine to a track once that I knew was a quarter mile and calibrated it easily. As it was, it was pretty accurate to begin with.

If you can’t find a track, consider using maps.google.com to map out a quarter, half or full mile (or kilometer) and then calibrate it there. (try to find a flat stretch).

Another tool I use is my Polar heart monitor. Polar makes many different kinds: I use a basic one to allow me to train at a rate that’s not too easy, not too hard.

Finally, a good ol’ running watch / stopwatch is always handy, even if it isn’t digital.

If you have been running for awhile — and even if you haven’t — you may be considering running your first marathon. If you are, first off, congratulations on making such a decision (when you do make it). Having made that decision, what do you do next? Well, consider reading this post: Time to Train for Your First Marathon on the Well Blog at NYTimes.com. Not only does the blog itself have good information, but it also has links to other great sites, such as Bill Rodgers.

What are you waiting for! Get training! 🙂

It’s interesting: I can’t tell if the title of this article is what I read (“Want to Go Faster? You Need a Trainer”) or what the link says (“Proper Training Is a Critical Element to Athletic Success“). In my experience, you don’t need a trainer to get faster as a runner (or likely any other sport). However, you do need to properly train.

Training properly doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does help to get some guidance. It doesn’t have to be a trainer, though. For example, if you want to become a better runner, you can ask friends who run seriously for help. You can do research on the web. You can join a running group. You can even ask me. 🙂

All these things can help you go faster. As the article in the NYTimes.com says:

If your goal is to be faster, you have to train.”

It’s as simple as that. And yes, you can get a trainer as well. Just don’t believe that the only way you can get fast is by getting one.

Sure, it is in October, but 10 months may be just what you need. And even if you don’t, check out the web site for
The GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon.

I’ve run the race a few times. It’s well organized and it is a nice route. Bonus: you can use it as a Boston qualifier.

Why not check it out.

It may seem hard for you to believe, but running outdoors in the cold winter can be enjoyable and worthwhile. But you have to be prepared for it.

As I went through these articles, I jotted down some other things you might want to consider, based on my many years of winter running:

• If you are not running everyday of the week, check out the long range forecast and try to plan your runs for the days of better weather. There are going to be some days that are downright dangerous and should be avoided. But there will be other days when it will be milder and those are those are good ones to aim for. If Wednesday is -10C and Thursday is -2C, why not shift your Wednesday run over to Thursday?
• When it comes to black ice, always expect it. Be especially careful on days when the temperature rises a few degrees above freezing and then drops below freezing: the warmer temperatures can cause runoff that then freezes up into black ice. And since it is new black ice, it is more likely that it won’t be salted yet.
• Also on black ice, be careful of light dustings of snow. The snow can cover up the ice and make it that much more slippery.
• Finally, try to stay low and keep your feet on the ground. If you do something like jump over a pile of snow, you may land on black ice. That will be a very unpleasant experience, based on what I have seen.
• Dressing for 15-20 degrees (F) above the current temperature is very good advice. But it can be hard to get motivated for those 5-15 minutes when your body is producing enough heat to feel warm enough. To get around this, one option is to have a sweatshirt or jacket that you can either carry or toss somewhere and retrieve at the end of your run. For example, if you start your run at your house, run up and down the street (or around the block) until you start to feel too warm, then toss a layer indoors and keep running.
• Try not to stop if you can: you will cool off very quickly.
• If the weather is bad outside, drivers will have a hard time seeing you. Worse, they could be rushing to get somewhere as a result of the delay of the bad weather. And then people skid and slide in their cars during winter. Given all that, be extremely defensive around cars in the winter. Stop, make sure they can stop, then proceed. Don’t assume they will be able to stop for you.
• Related to that, avoid running on the road in the winter. It can be very tempting when the roads are clear and the sidewalks are not. You might even think that the roads are safer than the sidewalks in terms of slipping. However, if you have to get off the road in a hurry, you might not be able to due to snowbanks and other obstacles. Or you might slip and fall while you do that. What I tend to do is run on the sidewalks of busy streets. Those sidewalks tend to be the best cleared and salted. I save the sidestreets for when the snow is all gone.
• While it is important to hydrate on long runs, you should also consider where you will be able to go to the bathroom during these times. Lots of water plus cold weather equals many trips to the loo. Be prepared.
• Dressing warmly is important. However, if you are new to winter running, you might think: I can’t afford to buy all that winter running gear! If you are a winter runner on a budget, you can run in cotton or lower cost material and acquire the better running gear over time (buy it at the end of the winter running season: you’ll get good deals then and the stuff lasts along time and doesn’t really go out of style).
  If you are new to winter running, try and at least get a good primary layer: you want to wick as much water as you can away from your body. If you have cotton as your primary layer, you will likely get cold quickly. Everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to winter running gear, so try to layer as best as you can with what you have, preferably on some shorter runs. Use these shorter runs to help you best determine what works for you in terms of clothes. Ideally, keep a log with weather conditions, clothes you wore, and how you felt and ran. (It doesn’t have to be a fancy log book either: a few sheets of paper is fine).
• When considering temperature, make sure you factor in the wind chill. Also consider the humidity. Days with lots of humidity and wind will feel alot colder than dry winter days without wind.

Now after reading all these tips, you might think: why would anyone want to run outside in the winter? Well, there are lots of reasons, including:

• It’s still a relatively low cost way to keep fit.
• You can do it whenever you have time.
• If you race, you will be able to maintain or even improve your running if you run right through the winter months. And lots of race start in as early as March: if you are going to put in a good showing for these, you need to be running in January and February.
• Running in winter allows you to shake up your running routine. You have to run differently in the winter than at other times of the year. You may have to run slower. You may have to run in the dark. You may have to run through snow. All of these things and more can give you a new perspective on running and make it fresh for you.
• It can be beautiful running outside in the winter. While everyone else is tucked away inside, you can have the outdoors all to yourself.
• You can take pride in being able to run outside during these times.
• Running in the winter helps combat the feeling of being cooped up inside. There are lots of great wintertime activities you can do to make the best of the season: why not add running to the list?

Normally I don’t buy Nike shoes. My feet are wide and I find New Balance and Saucony fit my feet better than Nike.

That said, I tried on these Nike’s while shopping for new shoes this weekend, and I really liked them. For one thing, there is little to them but good cushioning. For people with pronation problems, this would not be a good shoe, but for runners like me, it is great! For years I’ve looked around for a low cost, lightweight shoe with good cushioning, and I think these Nike’s fit the bill. I took them out for a run tonight and I thought they felt great. The ache in my knee went away, and it felt like I had nothing on my feet.

I am not sure why these don’t feel tight like previous Nike shoes. It could be because the uppers are hardly there: just some mesh and a few straps. No leather or vinyl to bind the foot.

I also had tried the Nike Lunar Trainers before, but I like these for the great price. 

Plus they look great.

You can get more information on them over at the NikeStore.

Easy! Go to this great section of the nytimes.com where you can see a time-lapsed video of the entire course traversed in just over 3 1/2 minutes. I ran it 10 years ago, but I still recognize the course after all that time and despite that speed. The main difference is that instead of cars, you will be surrounded by lots of runners and a fantastic NYC crowd that covers the entire course.

Despite it being short, you have a sense of just how long 26.2 miles is as you zip along.

There’s also a good interactive map that traces the run through the five boroughs, from all the way down in Staten Island to all the way up to the Bronx, before finally landing in Central Park.

Why? Because they are big and getting bigger. As this article shows, Marathons Grow in Popularity, but City Streets Have Limitations (NYTimes.com). So big cities are setting limits and rejecting alot of people.

Should you bother? Most definitely. The NYC Marathon is a fantastic experience. Imagine being in a 26 mile ticker tape parade in New York where you are the hero: that’s what it is like to run that city’s marathon. And anyone who qualifies for Boston has shown they are the top tier of marathon runners.

That said, there are lots of other good marathons out there not in big cities, like Columbus, Ohio, that are not as well known but very well run and very much worth attending. Big Sur on California is another. And Kiawah Island in South Carolina had a marathon in December which is a great time and great place to run. There are lots of great marathons to run. You just need to do some planning and you too can have a great experience.

Check out these sites for good information, such as,

• When to buy new running shoes? Check out this link
• For help on how to buy them, go here
• This site has five mistakes to avoid in getting a new pair of running shoes

As for me, I think the 500 mile rule of thumb is good, but it depends on the runner. People who strike hard — as I do — many need to replace your shoes before 500 miles, while people who are very light on their feet might be ok to go past 500 miles. It also depends on your shoe. Shoes with less cushioning may have to be replaced faster than those with more.

Of course, if you are feeling pain or stiffness on older shoes, that may be all the information you need. That is happening to me now. I also look for creases in the cushioning in the heel of my shoe. Look at the shoe on the right above: you can see creasing on the heel. That’s a good sign that the cushioning is going on me.

(flickr photo from Siebuhr’s photostream)

Like many many other people, I participated in Nike’s Human Race 10K today. While Toronto isn’t one of the official cities on the list — for Canada, that city is Vancouver — there was still a well run event held at the Nike Lounge on 1219 Yonge Street today. I went down and got a free sports T shirt (not cotton), and I also got to borrow an iPod Nano with a chip to record my time. Bonus: they let me try a pair of Luna Trainers that I really liked: very neutral with tons of cushioning. Nice.

The route itself was a bit tough: the first half was a big steep run up Yonge St and then all the way up the beltline. But after that, it was all downhill through a morning filled with sunshine. And at the end, there was lots of food, drinks, and general festivities at the lounge.

It was a great event, even if my time of 53:42 over 10.6 km was not. 🙂 Kudos to Nike.

It goes on until 8 p.m. in Toronto at that location, so if you are interested, check it out. And check out the site here for more details:

The Human Race 10K – 8.31.2008 Join a million runners worldwide for a 10K like no other.

Consider this photograph:

Where are the other runners in the final of the 200m event? The final! And no one else is even close. Bolt is one of those rare athletes, like Michael Phelps, who is playing at a different level than his competition.

Watching Bolt this Olmypics, the things that impress me are:

• he set the 100m world record and the 200m world record in this Olympics.
• he broke a very difficult world record (the 200m).
• not only did he out-do the 100m world record, he did it while pulling up at the last part of the race!
• he is a tall man, unlike most of the other world class sprinters
• he’s just turning 22.

It will be interesting to see if the height of Bolt affects the nature of sprinting. Perhaps we shall see more and more taller men — and women — dominate the sport in the future. Just like I expect to see more and more champions in swimming will come to resemble Phelps in their physique, so to I expect to see more and more champion sprint resemble Bolt.

We’ll see in London in 4 years whether or not I am right. 🙂

More on the photo and the success of Jamaica here: The New York Times > Sports > Slide Show

Great Photo by Chang W. Lee/The New York Times.

If you go from “just finishing” a race distance to “how fast do I have to run” to beat a time of X, then you want to check out the Running Times Magazine’s Running Times Pace Charts. They have charts in both miles and kilometers, and cover the most popular race lengths.

Fall is coming soon, and with that will come long distance races. As I am getting ready to run a half-marathon, I will be definely checking it out. You might want to as well.

The nytimes.com has a great article on exercise, heart rates, and heart rate monitors here: The Flutter Over Heart Rate – New York Times

I am glad I read it. I have always been embarrassed about my heart rate when I run, because it gets really high. The formula of 220 – my age gives me too low a rate. In marathons I like to get it around 180, and in 5-10K I can crank it up to 200! But I always thought people would see it and say: whoa, that’s crazy! Or you are out of shape. So I kept it a secret! But when I read the article, I thought: ok, there is a wide range of possible rates, then.

I have a HRM from Polar, it’s basic (like the one above), but that’s enough to help keep me focused. If I feel tired, I will tend to slow down, and sometimes I don’t want to. The HRM helps there. But in a race, it does the opposite: it helps me keep my pace. It’s too easy to go too fast in a marathon or a half. The HRM monitor keeps me in control.