Although you should be protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays throughout the year, the start of summer is a good time to remind yourself of the importance of using sunscreen and wearing a hat when you are going out for a run, particularly if you are running between the hours of 10-4. I wrote all about the necessity of protecting yourself from the sun around this time last year. Here’s the link to the still-relevant blog: https://www.fleetfeetalbany.com/blogs/running-rambles/117812869-running-under-the-sun Running in the sun is fun – just be sure to protect yourself. All this advice still holds. It turns out...

If you’re reading this blog, you probably run (at least once in a while) or are thinking about getting into running. Sometimes, however, the running itself is a problem. I’m not talking about injury issues here; that’s another blog (or five). I’m talking about getting off the couch, into your shoes, and out the door. Our multiple obligations seem to chew up all available time. We’ve got bills to pay, families to nurture, kitchens to clean, TV to watch, blogs to surf... it all adds up. Sometimes you can find yourself at the end of a long, exhausting day wondering...

Considering the number of brewery-sponsored road races, drinking clubs masquerading as running groups (The famous Hash House Harriers: “A drinking club with a running problem”), the increasing popularity of the beer mile (a beer before each lap –– current world record: Canadian Corey Bellemore’s 4:34.35 –– how is this possible?!), and the creation of runner-specific beers (Sufferfest Beer Company), I can confidently say that I am not alone in enjoying a cold beer after a hard run (or an easy run, for that matter). Running and beer are longtime companions that pair together well. There is no denying that beer...

Although there is still a little snow on the ground, it’s officially spring and you know what that means: racing season is here! Whether you are a veteran runner, weekend warrior, or newbie, here are some ideas to improve your race day experience. Get enough sleep in the week before race day. Be sure to get your zzzzzz’s (Sleep is what puts the tiger in the cat) In the week before a race, make sure that you are getting about 8 hours of sleep at night. Chronic sleep deprivation compromises your body’s powers of recovery and concentration. However, if the...

If you are a runner, you have probably experienced shin splints, a generalized lower leg pain just below the knee on either the front outside part of the leg or the inside of the leg. Specialists are still undecided about the source of shin splint pain. It could be the result of tears in the muscle as it pulls off the shinbone or it could be inflammation of the thin sheath of tissue that wraps around the tibia. Regardless of the reason, shin splint pain can range from annoying to debilitating. As with most running injuries things can get worse...