Do your non-cycling friends think you’re overly ambitious (or insane) when you tell them you’re going to ride 100 miles in a day? Well try telling them that you’re going to compete in a 750-mile ride—with a time limit.

What used to be a season-ending injury is now a lesser frustration. 

Most of the runners that I work with don’t have specific time goals. This is fine. Running is a free-form activity that empowers you to choose from a variety of training programs, races and enriching running experiences. There are occasions, however, when having a time goal can be very rewarding. If you want to train for a specific time goal this year, keep in mind the following tips that can help you stay focused and motivated — even when the watch doesn’t say what you want it to say.
Photo: John Segesta

I found myself standing atop a 400-FOOT WATERFALL listening to the cheers of encouragement from my fellow teammates as I got set to REPEL DOWN INTO A NARROW CANYON where I could barely see the ground below me. This was just one of the obstacles presented to me on my latest multi-sport adventure.

Chondromalacia, or runner's knee, is a condition where the articular cartilage, located underneath the kneecap (patella), starts to soften and break down. This cartilage is usually smooth and allows the knee joint to move freely as the knee bends. However, as chondromalacia worsens, the cartilage breaks down, causing irregularities and roughness on the undersurface of the patella, which leads to irritation and pain of the knee joint.

The following is a five-month Half Ironman training program to ramp up for a Half Ironman Triathlon. Shown below are mileage expectations for the build up period leading up to the race. Doing the mileage described probably won’t be enough to qualify you for Hawaii, but it will provide you with a solid foundation for a great racing experience. This is a general guideline. Depending on your skill sets, you will need to make some adjustments. For instance, if you are aquatically challenged, then you will need to do more yards than I have shown.

Running can bring an amazing blend of benefits: a great attitude, more vitality, clear thinking, a unique sense of freedom and a genuine sense of accomplishment. Most runners feel so positive about these benefits that they influence at least 10 other people a year to hop on the running bandwagon. If you’re one of these people and are thinking about taking up the sport but don’t quite know how to go about it, read on. With the following 10 tips, I’ve taken a conservative approach to get you started so that you ease into it and avoid any aches and pains. If you stick with it, you just may find yourself getting hooked on running.

It’s difficult to put into words the feeling of reaching the summit of a 14,000-foot peak, but a common response when asked is, “It is something you have to do.”

In her new book, Run Your First Marathon,Grete Waitz, nine-time winner of the New York City marathon, points out one of the wonderful draws of the marathon. “No matter who we are,” she writes, “at some point we are all first-time marathoners. All of us share that. That’s the beauty of the race — Olympians and all-comers share the same event.”