Run to Win

2007 has been a really busy year here at Run to Win. The website has really grown. I wrote more this year than I did last year, and received about half again as many comments and trackbacks. More than twice as many people visited me this year than did in 2006, and there are about 4 times as many people subscribing to this website this year than there were towards the end of last year.

I am really happy with those numbers.

The popular content on the site this year was not quite as surprising as last year. First, I have been paying a lot more attention to what has been going on this year than I did in years past, so I had a good idea about what was popular. Second, I predicted last year what would be the most popular content this year, because the articles had not had enough time to gain traction and take the top spots last year.

My Marathon Preparation Series article list was viewed more times than any other page besides my home page last year. I knew that it would be. More people actually visited the article about what to do the week before the marathon than the series page, but the series page was viewed multiple times as people jumped around within the series.

A few of the other articles from the marathon preparation series made the top 10 in both people reading the article and unique visitors over the past year. Almost all of the articles made the top 25. The popularity of this series is a big reason why I am writing a more in-depth book about the subject which will be available in less than a month.

The one big surprise on the list this year was a random article that I wrote about Tom Brady’s NFL Contract, which had a lot of people come to visit it. It was the only popular article that was more sports than running related, and I did not promote it at all.

The articles that dealt with running shoe frequently asked questions and tempo running were also quite popular and made it into the top 10. The environmental impact of running and describing the difference between running on a track and running on a treadmill were close to making that top 10 but just missed it.

Some of last year’s favorite articles are still really popular, though. My video about how to tie your shoes so that they don’t come untied has been bringing in a steady stream of traffic. The New Rules of Lifting is also just as popular, being the 11^th most viewed page on the site (including the home page!) I highly recommend the book if you are considering cross training.

A second surprise, although not as large of one since I did promote the page a little, was an article that I published this month. Just over two weeks ago, I began offering a free special report, The 3 Components of an Effective Workout. I started publishing a running tips newsletter, and you can download the report when you sign up. It is pretty amazing to me that it was the 15^th most popular page when it has had so little time or exposure. This must mean that if you haven’t signed up for my newsletter yet, you better hurry up and do so! (I’ll be releasing some new goodies in the near future to people that are on the list.)

Since 2007 has shown nothing but improvements to both the website and my satisfaction with it, I see no reason that this trend won’t continue into the new year. I believe that 2008 will see even more and faster growth, especially since I formed a company a few months ago and will be opening the doors to my new business, Run to Win LLC, in January. I hope that you stick around for another exciting year!

This week last year was dominated once again by thoughts of the marathon, but this time I wrote my series on marathon preparation.

• My marathon preparation series consisted of 9 articles of 9 bullet points each. The first couple of articles just happened to come out that way, so I ran with it and made an effort to make the rest of them match that format. The articles were written for my friends that were running their first marathon last year, four of whom did it this week last year at the Marine Corps Marathon. I am running the race tomorrow with one of those guys.
  1. What to bring to the starting line
  2. What to pack in your post-race bag
  3. What to do the week before your race
  4. What to do the morning of your race
  5. What to do during your race
  6. What to do after your race
  7. What to do to stay safe
  8. Marathon strategies
  9. Choosing a marathon
• The series on rest continued this week last year with Scott’s article about why we rest and how to fuel it. A simple rule of thumb is to remember that if you do not eat after a workout, then you just wasted your time.
• This week two years ago, I wrote about the Mystic Places Marathon. That race was a lot of fun, but it no longer exists. I also discussed an old weight program that I used to use to get back in shape. My training philosophy has changed a bit in the past two years, though, so I would not necessarily follow that program as written any more.

I enjoy running marathons, and plan on running at least one in every state. I have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way as I find out what works for me and what does not. This series of articles originally began as some random tips off of the top of my head that I knew my friends would read before their first marathon. Why should they make the same sorts of mistakes that I have, when a little foreknowledge could make it easier for them?

Well, through a random happenstance, the first two articles wound up being 9 bullet points each. I decided to carry that theme through for no particular reason, and so I now have nine articles about getting ready for a marathon that all have a list of nine items. Technically, this round up of all of the articles also has 9 bullet points, since I am listing each one.

The articles are listed below in the order that they were published in. This is not necessarily the best order in terms of what to tackle in a chronological sense, but they are all worth looking at so I left them in their original order.

1. What to bring to the starting line
2. What to pack in your post-race bag
3. What to do the week before your race
4. What to do the morning of your race
5. What to do during your race
6. What to do after your race
7. What to do to stay safe
8. Marathon strategies
9. Choosing a marathon

Keeping yourself safe during your marathon does not have to be big ordeal. Being safe will allow you to enjoy your run and worry less, and can make sure that you get yourself through the finish line. Very few of the safety measures that you can take will actually require any thought during your race; most of these things can be taken care of well in advance.

That being said, here are 9 ways that you can stay safe during your marathon:
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You have prepared for your race, you have arrived on the starting line, and now the gun is about to go off. You have prepared yourself to start the race, and now you have to make sure that you have prepared yourself to finish.

Here are the considerations you need to pay attention to during your race:
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Now that you know what to pack for the starting line and what to pack for the finish line, as well as what to do during the week before your race, it is time to get ready for race day. The morning of your race is important, and having a list to check off can make it easier to make sure that you do not forget anything. The last thing that you need is to add something to worry about while you are waiting for the race to start.

Here is what you need to do on race day in order to finish your marathon:
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Now that you know what to pack for the starting line and what to pack for the finish line, you need to figure out what you need to actually do the week before you get to the starting line. Your original goal setting should have been done before you planned your training, and I am going to assume that you have done the training and are in the last week of your taper before the race.

Here are 9 things to do during the week before your race:
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Now that you know what to pack and wear before your marathon, you should consider what to pack in your post-race bag. Marathons and other long races usually require that you pack a little more than you would for a short race such as a 5k, although most of these items can be useful after the shorter races. Shorter races will more easily allow you access to your vehicle than most marathons, however, so you will often need to pack a seperate bag that will be carried for you to the finish line.

Here are some essential items that you will need in your post-race bag:
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