Competitor's 3 Things Every Runner Should Do

Just got a shout-out on Competitor from Cait Chock (first high school girl to run sub-16:00 and former professional runner for Nike, currently working as a running writer/blogger/artist). Well, actually, it was a couple days ago, but I've been swamped lately and just had time to post it now. Check it out here!

Guest Post: Bikram Yoga by Valerie Johnston of Healthline

Recently, Tracy Rose from Healthline got in touch with me about writing a guest post for my blog. We talked a bit about a topic that might be of interest, and decided to go with something yoga-related since yoga is something that can complement running, but that I know nothing about and can't really do much posting about myself. Well, she's gotten back to me with an article on hot yoga by Valerie Johnston of Healthline. Enjoy, and if you have any questions, you can reach Healthline's Twitter account here!

Guest Blog: How to Stretch Your Hamstrings

Today's guest post comes courtesy of Michelle Zehr of Running Shoe Guru. Running Shoe Guru has some great shoe reviews, and since they have a whole bunch of reviewers with different biomechanics (and probably more money to spend on shoes than I do), they're able to offer a wider variety of reviews than I can alone, so if you're curious about a shoe you don't see on my blog (or if you want another person's opinion of a shoe that is here), check them out! So a big thanks to Michelle for providing this article!

One note before we get started: The stretches described in the article are static stretches, so I wouldn't recommend doing them prior to running. If you do choose to stretch before running, go with something dynamic, like leg swings, since static stretching before running is believed to decrease performance. However, static stretching after running is very good for muscle elongation, which can be useful for preventing imbalances if you are tight in certain areas. Additionally, since your muscles are warm from running, stretching after running makes you less likely to tear something while stretching. Never stretch to the point of pain...you want to feel a gentle stretch, something that you could hold all day if you absolutely had to.

Guest Blog: Gear Review: Saucony Grid Type A4

I asked my friend and college teammate Julie to write up a guest review on the Saucony Grid Type A4 racing flat, which has become her trainer of choice. After college, Julie took her running in a completely different direction than I did, returning to the trail running she had done outside of NCAA running, getting involved with ultradistance races, and experimenting with minimalist shoes, including various flats, the Vibram Five Fingers, and running completely barefoot. While I did a review of the Nike Free a little while ago, my review still came from the perspective of a shod road runner. As far as minimalism goes, Julie is the real deal. So, for all you trail runners, ultrarunners, and minimalist fans, this review is for you.