Every year at this time I wake up early to watch the Chicago marathon. The excitement and energy of all those people pursuing a goal that they have worked hard to complete always makes me smile while also making me a little jealous that I am not out there as well. This year I had […]
Are You Fueling Too Much?
This post first appeared on PurpleGreens.life. It’s exciting! You signed up to complete a triathlon, century, marathon, or another ultra event this summer. The training requires time and dedication to get your body ready. You have your training plan figured out and are ready to go. But are you? What’s your fueling strategy? You may […]
My Running story
Over the years, my daughter Jenna would often say, “I don’t have a passion for anything.” And I would say to her, “That’s ok, everyone finds their passion at different times.” Now, at the age of 24, she has discovered a passion for food — the cooking and eating of flavorful dishes with interesting spices. Even […]
Why Videotaping your Running is Important
It’s impossible to see the nuances of running with the naked eye, so it’s important to videotape your running and watch it in slow motion. I use an app you can download on your phone, which makes it easy to grab a running buddy and videotape each other. Over the years, I’ve seen Carney with various […]
Why The ‘Easy Run’?
How many of you go out and run all of your training runs at the same pace? I met a woman last month who recently started running 3-4 times per week in addition to her usual routine of swimming. She said that she is enjoying it much more than she thought she would and was […]
How I lost my Running Mojo
It’s been almost 2 years since my last race. I had prepared to wear shorts for The Illini Half Marathon in Champaign, IL. Rain was in the forecast, which turned out to be a very cold rain, not a refreshing rain. The incessant, cold rain forced me to wear the only pants I brought with […]
What Kind of Runner are You — a Glider or a Gazelle?
A few years back I saw a YouTube video by Todd Kenyon, PhD from www.TTBIKEFIT.com. He was comparing the two primary running styles of elite ironman triathletes. He called the 2 running styles, gazelles and gliders.
How to overcome winter running challenges
Despite temperatures in the 20’s and below, long weekend runs of brilliant sunshine and fresh snow on the trees, can be the most enjoyable. But the weekday runs, for people who work traditional hours, create some challenges: Darkness upon waking and/or when returning home from work Plummeting temperatures Falling snow Snow and ice on […]
Running Gear: 9 Must-Haves for Winter Running Performance
My favorite part of running is being outside, so when winter rolls around, with its plummeting temperatures, snow and darkness, accommodations and some financial investment in winter running gear needs to be made. When my friend Gary began running 6 years ago, he realized to continue running through the Chicago winters, it would take quite […]
Patient Spotlight – Raj Ponna of Mount Prospect
How did you get involved in running, triathlon and cyclocross? Growing up in India, I was never physically active even falling behind in regular kid’s play. In 2008, I surpassed 180 pounds, so I made a resolution to lose weight. I started with a 1 minute jog to walk ratio on the treadmill then some […]
Patient Spotlight – Kayleigh: Why Do You Run?
Why do you Run? I like to compete and do well in races. Running makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something even though while racing I feel like I’m dying. I’ve found that my mood is better after a run and it is a good escape from the stress of school. My goal is to […]
Shut Up and Dance
Well it’s that time of year again — to review what’s happened in the past year and set goals and resolutions for the new-year. This past year I finally met one of my longtime goals; I completed a marathon in Milwaukee, WI. As I’ve found with other big life events, this marathon came with the […]
Patient Spotlight – Glenn
Glenn came to me 4 weeks before he was supposed to do his first marathon, the iconic Chicago marathon. He was unable to run because of knee pain and his longest training run to date had been 16 miles. I assured Glenn, with his background of being a sprint triathlete, that he could finish this […]
Patient Spotlight – Carney
Carney Minasian How did you start doing triathlons? About 10 years ago I began running, per doctor’s orders to exercise, as I was 40 pounds overweight and had chest and arm pain. In 2009, I had some eye surgery and wasn’t allowed to exercise for 9 months, which made me a bit crazed from having […]
Running Services
Unlike any other sport, runners rarely go for instruction on how to run optimally or efficiently in order to prevent injury. As kids, we all just ran; we didn’t worry about form or technique; we just ran because it felt good. As we get older and our bodies change, postural asymmetries and muscle imbalances can […]
“Prehab”
Here in the Midwest, winter can be a challenging time to keep up with your running fitness not only because of the weather but many people are not on a formal training plan at this time. Thus, the winter is the perfect time to do “prehab”, an exercise program to improve your running and prevent […]
I broke the rules
I went into the half marathon well prepared and feeling good. I was looking for a personal record (PR) and excited to begin training for my first Chicago marathon. I arrived extra early, got a great parking spot, and noticed the sun was shining, not too warm not too cold at about 55 degrees. This […]
