Video Course Preview

by P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona

• January 16, 2010

Preview the Marathon and 1/2 Marathon courses as they run through the streets of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe!

Ask The Experts: Can I Run A 1/2 Marathon In Five Weeks?

by Mario Fraioli

• July 27, 2010

Mr. Fraioli,

Thanks,
Victoria M.

Running Hot: Part 1

by Training

• July 26, 2010

Tawnee Prazak

This two-part series looks at why heat and humidity affect running performance and how to acclimatize to hot conditions.

Written by: Tawnee Prazak

It’s no secret that exercising in the heat is downright hard. Throw in humidity and it gets even worse. But why? Below are five physiological reasons the body suffers when temperatures are soaring.

1) Changes in blood flow and sweating.

The human body has the ability to cool itself in hot conditions by sweating. Actually, it’s the evaporation of sweat that causes cooling, not sweating itself. (This is important with regard to humidity.)

Burning Runner: Dropping Pounds, Upping The Ante

by Running

• July 26, 2010

Week 2: Mixing half-marathon training with performance weight loss.

Written by: T.J. Murphy

After I turned in my first column to Competitor.com web producer, Mario Fraioli, he challenged me to bump my goal up from 10 pounds to 20 pounds. “It’s the coach in me,” he replied when I asked him why.

Workout Of The Week: Tempo Run–With A Twist!

by Mario Fraioli

• July 21, 2010

C’mon baby, let’s do the twist!

Written By: Mario Fraioli

The tempo run, most easily described as a steady effort over a set distance or predetermined length of time, is a staple workout in many a runner’s training program. Whether you’re training for a fast 5K or getting ready to run your first marathon, sprinkling a tempo run or two into your training schedule will give you the most bang for your buck.

Burning Runner: Let The Weight-Loss Game Begin

by Running

• July 19, 2010

By learning to cook and eat the right stuff, a 40-something year old runner making his return to the sport works to burn off at least 10 pounds in 20 weeks as he prepares for the Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon.

Written by: T.J. Murphy

About one year ago I had fallen desperately out of shape. Training of any kind had been inconsistent at best, and the extra weight just piled on. I could offer up the usual excuses, but the fact is I had simply allowed my training to slip down the ladder of priorities and over time my weight climbed to 205 pounds. And for the record, it was not a lean 205 pounds. At six feet even with a medium build, the extra weight made running an unpleasantly slow experience, and memories of once being in 15-minute 5K shape (I’m in my mid-40s now so this was some time ago) didn’t hesitate to torture me with a scolding from my past self.

P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon Replay

by Sean McKeon

• March 10, 2010

Watch Competitor.com coverage of Deena Kastor’s impressive performance at the 2010 P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona 1/2 Marathon, including a special interview with Senator John McCain! Hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist Frank Shorter and Olympian Juli (Henner) Benson.

Nutrilite Offers New Ways To Keep Runners Healthy

by Sean McKeon

• February 27, 2010

Competitor.com’s Sean McKeon took a tour of the Nutrilite expo truck to learn more about the growing nutrition company. With new product offerings for endurance athletes, Nutrilite looks to continue helping runners get to the finish line fit and healthy. Check out this preview of Nutrilite’s traveling show and be sure check it out at any of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon expos around the country.

Eat And Run: Are Organic Foods Really Better For You?

by Nutrition

• February 17, 2010

Dr. John Berardi gives a great description of the overall value of organic foods versus commonly grown foods. Understanding the needs of your diet and the benefits of choosing organic foods can help you decide if organic foods are best for your active diet.

Become A Fat-Burning Machine

by Nutrition

• February 09, 2010

Your key to getting leaner and racing better may be metabolic efficiency training.

Written by: Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS

Now is the time of the year when thoughts of dropping weight and body fat become extremely popular among runners.  But what about planning your race-day nutrition to eliminate the demon of GI distress that rears its ugly head during your races?  Attaining metabolic efficiency will have a significant impact on your body composition and GI comfort during races and will also reduce your need for simple sugars when racing.

“Efficiency” is a term that is typically associated with sport. From a nutrition perspective, being metabolically efficient simply means being able to use the proper nutrients that are stored in the body at the right times.

Speed Training For Beginners

by Training

• January 28, 2010

You don’t have to run fast in training–unless you want to run faster in races.

Written by: Mario Fraioli

If you’re a new runner and you’ve recently caught the racing bug, finishing a 5K is likely no longer an issue; finishing it faster is the new challenge. Time to add speed work to your training.

As a new runner, you’re probably running over the same roads or on the same treadmill at the same speed every day. You’re using the same muscles in the same manner every time you lace up your sneaks. Then, when it comes time to race, you find yourself stuck in second gear from start to finish. In order to shift into overdrive, you need to give your muscles some new stimulation.

Kastor, Bairu, And Naser Set Course Records At P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona

by Dan Cruz

• January 17, 2010

Three Course Records Broken At Seventh Annual Road Race

Written By: Dan Cruz

American record holder and Olympic Bronze medalist Deena Kastor returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in ten months today at the seventh annual P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon. Kastor set a new Arizona state record with a time of 1:09:43, ending the longest dry spell of her now-legendary career.

Deena Kastor’s 2010 Race Plans

by Sean McKeon

• January 15, 2010

American record holder Deena Kastor will toe the line at the 2010 P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon. We caught up with Deena and talked to her about her plans for the race and what she has on the docket for 2010.

Ryan Hall Talks Charity Running

by Sean McKeon

• January 15, 2010

We caught up with Ryan Hall before the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon. He talked about his goals for the race and about his charity The Hall Steps Foundation.

The Art of Peaking

by Training

• January 15, 2010

Being truly race-ready on race day is trickier than you might think.

Written by: Mario Fraioli

In the final weeks leading up to his goal marathon, Ricky Runlong did everything right, or so he thought. He cut his mileage in half, started taking more days off to rest, and ran workouts so much faster than his target race pace, he was positive a huge PR was waiting in the wings.