Run to Win

A little over a week ago, I was offered the opportunity to review one of Nike’s new workout mixes that you can load on your iPod and use to guide you through a workout. There was only one problem with this…I don’t have a working mp3 player, and never wear headphones when I’m working out. This actually worked out pretty well, though, because I was able to convince the guy at Nike to let me give it to a few people that belong to my email newsletter to review. Within a few minutes of sending the email out, I had a dozen people asking for a review copy.

The workout is 40 minutes long and consists of 13 popular songs. Throughout the entire time, Kara Goucher coaches you through a timed fartlek run. Whether this is appropriate for you is an individual decision, as evidenced by the two very different reviews that I received and that you can read below.

First, I’d like to remind you that if you listen to any sort of music while you are out running to remember to pay attention to your surroundings, especially when you are running with traffic.

Second, if you are interested in purchasing the workout you can do some through the iTunes store for $12.99. (That link will open iTunes directly on your computer if it is installed.)

If you would like more information about it, you can stream the entire workout over your computer by visiting the Nike+ Music site and clicking on Kara Goucher’s album cover. You can listen to the entire workout through the website, but you will not be able to download it. There is an option where you can download a short sample that you can put onto your iPod.

This first review is from Steve Spiers of Run Bulldog Run. He took the workout outside for a run last Thursday, and here are his thoughts on it:
(Click here to continue reading…)

• This week last year, I concentrated on the Eastern States 20 Miler. The night before the race, I published my race plan, which I followed up with a report card on how well I followed the plan. It is a good case study for those interested in doing such things themselves.
• In other racing news, I offered a reader some advice about running sub-16 in the 5k after a few years off. I also pointed out how to bypass the Mount Washington lottery without having already won the race. One of these days I’ll have to try to get into that race; it only has 1 hill.
• Continuing with this month’s theme on audio, I offered up some podcasts for runners. As far as I know, most of them are still going, although I don’t listen to them very often.
• The movie 300 involved a lot of actors who had to get into really good shape. Before shooting for the film started, they had a workout that was a “right of passage” of sorts for folks working the film, called the 300 workout. It is pretty tough, and I haven’t managed to do it yet. I also haven’t really tried.
• This week 2 years ago, I continued the animated lifting series with a demonstration of how to do an overhead triceps extension using a pulley, and the weekly series about the New Rules of Lifting continued, this time exploring the fourth and the fifth rules.

• This week last year, I compared the pros and cons of running with headphones, which is always such a polarizing topic.
• Shani Davis broke his own 1500m speed skate record with a time of 1:42.32. He bested his own record by 0.36 seconds.
• Jim Snyder provided some information about the treadmill record from the week before, including providing a video of the event.
• How do you compare your workload from week to week when your training consists of multiple activities?
• This week two years ago, I began a weekly series on what I thought about the 20 new rules of lifting found in the book by the same name. I posted two rules per week, beginning this week with the list of rules and the first rule: use your muscles as they were designed. I also demonstrated how to do a swiss ball bench press with dumbbells, suggested that you always eat before and after working out, and wrote a review on Under Armour gloves. Unfortunately, I have sense lost that pair of gloves and replaced them with Sport Hills.

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, March is the month of Music and other audio topics. After first determing whether you should wear headphones or not, and then determining whether you should listen to calm or aggressive music, and perhaps mixing in a podcast or two, you may be wondering how to actually go about listening to that music?

Scott weighs in this week with workout gear for listening to music. He explores a few different types of headphones and ear buds, as well as how and where (and if) to wear your mp3 player.

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, March is the month of Music and other audio topics. This week, I would like to discuss some podcasts that have running related themes.

First on the list has to be Phedippidations. I reviewed the show about a year ago when I started listening to it regularly. Steve “Runner” Walker produces the show, and he explores a new running topic every week. He has talked about famous runners, he has talked about race directing, he has talked about dogs that give chase, and he has even recorded shows during some of his races which he splices together into an interesting story.

Second on the list would be Get Your Geek On (GYGO), which is a podcast about triathletes. It is recorded by “Kahuna” of Tri-Geek Dreams and “Iron Wil” of Through the Wall.

Burning Twenty is a podcast by Adam Tinkoff, who resolved to lose 20 pounds in 20 weeks in 2006. In order to keep himself on track, he created the podcast to help motivate himself and anybody that listened. This year, his goal is to run 1000 miles.

The Dump Runner’s Club is another weekly podcast that deals with running and features interviews and race reviews.

Running Injury Free provides advice to runners who don’t want to get hurt. While it aims more for the crowd that are running for fun and not necessarily for speed and competition (not that the two are mutually exclusive), much of the advice crosses over just fine.

There are other shows that I have seen mentioned, but these are the ones that I used to listen to. I have not really been listening to any podcasts for the past 3 or 4 months due to time constraints at work. A 3 person IT department being wittled down to 1 person does not leave long stretches of time without interruptions!

What are your favorite running shows? Let’s add them to the list!

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, March is the month of Music and other audio topics.

This week, Scott explores whether calming music or aggressive music suits him better in his home gym. He discusses the hormones that both types of music encourage in the body, but it really comes down to personal preference.

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, March is the month of Music and other audio topics. This week I would like to start us off with my thoughts on running with headphones.

This is not a new topic for me to discuss; last November I responded to a CRN article and shared my thoughts on running with headphones. I thought that it would be a good way to start the month off, though, and I know that Scott does not entirely agree with me so I am looking forward to what he has to say on the matter.
(Click here to continue reading…)