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Respecting the Principles of Overload and Adaptation

Back In the Good Old Days When I was younger, I could take a six-month hiatus from running, go out for a five-mile run and hardly feel anything the following day. Today, though, such a careless lack of respect for my body would lead to all kinds of complaints the following day ranging from DOMS […]

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Expanding Beyond Just Personal Training And Coaching

After attending the Club Industry Show in Chicago last October, I came home pumped to add some new classes to Personal Fit Fitness’ offerings. The conference had given me just the confidence I needed to implement some ideas that had been swirling around in my head for just over a year. Prior, other than one-on-one personal […]

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A Long Run Junkie’s Tips For Surviving Your Next Long Run

With spring marathon season upon us, runners are finishing up their last long run, tapering, or basking in the glow of hanging another medal on their rack. For those who didn’t run a spring marathon, but are running this fall; or for those who enjoy running multiple marathons per year (I like your style), you’re probably […]

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You! Call 911 And Bring The AED!

    Part of keeping my personal training, weight loss management, and run coaching certifications up to date includes keeping current CPR and first aid certifications; and last night I took care of that for two more years. For the second time, I joined Allison for her Heartsaver (American Heart Association) CPR, AED, and First Aid class. Allison, of Safety […]

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Coming Soon: Real Runners Virtual Summit

  As I mentioned last week, the ten-day Real Runners Virtual Summit hosted by Katie Heddleston starts on February 20th. Be sure to check it out because you might recognize a few of your favorite bloggers on her team of twenty-three real runner speakers.  😉 During my interview for the summit, I spoke with Katie about running longevity and how my […]

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Ask Coach Deb About Pace, Preventing Blisters, And Race Day Expectations

  I wrote my first installment of Ask Coach Deb on June 16 after getting a private Facebook message out of the blue from a lady named Lynn who just happened to be the daughter of one of my childhood friends. Lynn was embarking on her very first half marathon and hoped to gain some insight into what […]

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When Is Hot Too Hot For Exercising Outdoors?

This week the east coast is experiencing another mid-summer heat wave, only this time the accompanying humidity is out of control. What better time than now to talk about hot weather training tips to help avoid heat related illnesses.   There are three main levels of severity when facing a heat related illness: Heat Fatigue Heat […]

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Ask Coach Deb About Warming Up, Getting Faster, And Hydrating

  Question: Tina from Gotta Run Now asked: What are your favorite ways for becoming a faster runner? I’m always working on that goal!  Coach Deb: This spring I purchased Run Less Run Faster (affiliate link) and have really enjoyed using their training plan. The book focuses on three key runs: track repeats, tempo runs, and long runs […]

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Ask Coach Deb About Fueling, Breathing, And Working Through Soreness

Last week in my first installment of Ask Coach Deb, I suggested that I would make this a monthly feature; however, my new friend Lynn had many follow-up questions so as long as those questions keep coming, I will post either weekly or bi-weekly. Feel free to add your own questions in the comments below and […]

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Ask Coach Deb About Sunscreen, Chafing, And Potty Breaks

On Tuesday, I got a private Facebook message out of the blue from the daughter of one of my childhood friends. It started with: Hey, love! I am about to embark on my very first half marathon in October. I am unsure of what to expect and wonder if you could guide me. I watched the […]

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Running Form

I recently realized that I’ve never really talked about running form here on my blog.  What?  Talk about missed opportunities while skipping the basics!   If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fit It When working with a new runner, I casually check out their form while they’re running, but without making it obvious.  It’s amazing how […]

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Becoming a Runner:  Where Should You Start?

If you’ve been thinking about becoming a runner for a while, let me be the first to congratulate you on your decision to give this crazy running thing a try!   First of all, let’s take a look at why you might consider taking up running: You have a friend who runs and it seems […]

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Setting Up Your Marathon Training Plan

A few weeks ago, I hosted a little workshop for my MRTT friends to help them set up their training plans for their fall marathons.  We started out with an empty worksheet and by the time my friends left my house, they had filled in the blanks for their next 20-26 weeks of training.    […]

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We’re In It For The Long Run

  The long run has always been my favorite – the longer the better.  Some of my fondest memories are of 22 and 24-mile point-to-point training runs with the Cruisers.  We’d finish the run exhausted, elated, and ready for a well deserved afternoon nap.   Long runs can be considered the foundation of marathon training. […]

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Dynamic Versus Static Stretching

Both warm-ups and cool-downs are important for long-term running health, and today I’m going to talk about two different types of stretching.  We’re going to look at dynamic stretching for warm-ups, and static stretching for cool-downs. Ideally, I’d love to see a half-mile very easy run to warm-up before starting dynamic stretches.  Think of your […]

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It’s Official, I’m Almost Official!

As I mentioned on Monday, I took the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification Course last weekend. It was an intense two-day course (mainly because I had to sit for 18 hours) where I learned important new concepts, and validated what I already practice with my running clients. I have wanted to add the […]

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Common Signs Of Overtraining

I wish I could run every single day… I love it that much! But age has its advantages, and one of them is wisdom; and if my body is too old to run everyday, at least my brain is wise enough to realize it. I remind myself of the common signs of overtraining, and use those signs to help me […]

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Becoming A Runner, Part 2

On Monday I posted Becoming a Runner: Where Should You Start?  I wrote about the reasons you might consider taking up running, buying (but not buying too quickly) the appropriate gear, and devising a plan to get you back on the running trails if something happened to cause you to get side-tracked from running. Today […]