Wednesday, 06 February 2008 13:19
Written by Allan Besselink
I have probably heard all of the stories of marathon PRs lost, the tales of woe and angst of training seemingly gone awry on any given Sunday. With a sly grin and an optimistic view, I've found just about all of them to be preventable. All it requires is becoming a smarter athlete - plain and simple.
The AT&T Austin Marathon is 11 days away. Let's take a moment to go over a few of the top ways to ruin your marathon ... there's still plenty of time to remedy them!
Friday, 21 July 2006 20:00
Written by Allan Besselink
As I look at the calendar today, my mind is befuddled by the date. It’s July 22, 2006. Almost one year ago to this date, I was standing on the edge of a precipice known as “my first Ironman”, waiting for the adventure to begin, thinking that, in many ways, I was already well into it.
July 24, 2005 came and went. It was a special day, a day of realization, of serenity, of calm inside. It was but a mere moment in time - and it was almost a year ago. How times travels oh so fast … when you’re living it - fully.
I look back on that day fondly, not only for the completion of the task at hand, but having the opportunity to experience the beauty of life itself. It was an experience shared with my best friend, which just added to the enjoyment of the occasion. Of course, it wasn’t in my plan to finish 13 minutes behind him, but I digress! At least he was still hanging around the finish area when I got there!
Sunday, 28 January 2007 07:31
Written by Allan Besselink
There are moments that defy description. Words may not adequately describe them, and they could be fleeting at best - but you definitely know you're there when it's taking place.
This morning, I got to revisit one that I'd forgotten from years past - and again, although fleeting, was truly incredible.
There is a left hand turn at about mile 4 in the 3M half marathon course (which I've now run for the past 4 consecutive years). You're heading down Mesa, then you turn left onto Spicewood Springs. If it's a crisp, clear January morning (which it has tended to be over the past few years), you might arrive there around 7:30 am or so - just after the sun has started to rise. To this point, you've been in relative shade (and probably a little chilly). As the road starts to descend, your pace quickens, taking advantage of gravity as your legs unwind underneath you. Then - that turn - and this blazing sunlight just over the tree tops in the median. The sun's rays are warm and almost blinding - sunglasses barely help to protect you from the glare. It is a moment of beauty, one that reminds you of how great it is to be out running on a Sunday morning. It's almost as if the temperature rises while you face the sun, dropping down to the fifth mile marker.
Sunday, 27 January 2008 16:01
Written by Allan Besselink
I am of the understanding that as it stands right now, the price tag for the war in Iraq is well on it's way to one trillion dollars. That's a one with a lot of zeros after it. In some ways, it's almost impossible to imagine. No, in ALL ways it's quite impossible to imagine.
In the not-so-distant past, we've also been told by our leaders that the cost of universal health care is prohibitive. As a matter of fact, we're one of the few (if not the only country) in the world that doesn't have some level of universal health care. The media and politicians have entitled it "socialized medicine", evoking the response of the average American who relates "socialism" with, well, a big nasty entity from the Cold War era.
Tuesday, 01 January 2008 08:18
Written by Allan Besselink
Happy New Year from the Smart Life Institute!
I am not really sure what inspires people to select a rather arbitrary day (January 1) to suddenly decide that certain things in their lives have to change. It's always been fascinating to me how January 1 holds so much weight - when the natural day to ponder our own internal evolution would most certainly be our birthday.
But with that said, a new year is upon us. Another year has passed with many ups and downs for all of us. I am sure you've all had difficult challenges ... and many positive experiences ... throughout the past year.
Up to 60% of runners will sustain an injury within any given year. Poor running mechanics, in conjunction with poor, ineffective and outdated training methods, can pose a significant injury risk. "RunSmart" was written to address these issues in the running community.
Featured Chapter
"Running Injuries: Etiology And Recovery- Based Treatment" (co-author Bridget Clark, PT) appears in the third edition and fourth editions of "Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: A Team Approach" by Charles Giangarra, MD and Robert C. Manske, PT.