Blog

Run for over fifty years and you’re bound to eventually learn a few things. One such lesson is that being tired from a workout is not the same as being worn out from not having a sufficient recovery from your workouts. I can distinctly recall races where what I called “tired legs” limited my performance and in some cases, led to an injury. This essential lesson is the topic of today’s post. Walking with Rick? There’s more to recovery than “not running.” As I’ll delve into

I thought I could do it. I really did. I thought that with just one small 5K under my belt I could place in my age group in Iowa’s largest race, the Bix 7. Oh man, I put so much thought and planning into doing this. But when my Garmin informed me of my time for that third mile - much of which was downhill - reality splattered into me like the onslaught from an angry starling above. I was not able to maintain the pace I’d wanted. Indeed, given how I was already starting to

That's one way to model our new singlets! For the first time since the pandemic, I did not participate in the Market-to-Market Relay. That makes sense, I hear you saying. You’re still recovering from knee surgery. To be honest, my decision not to participate in the 75-mile relay race has little to do with my healing meniscus. I’d pretty much made the decision to step down from our Body Project team after last year’s race. Then it must have been a race that you didn’t really

May 2, 2026. Leaving earlier than any sane person on a Saturday morning and armed with a playlist of musical gems from 1976, I braved a morning chill to run not one, not two, but … five miles! Huh? Just five miles? I know. That’s nothing to most other runners. A year ago, it was nothing to me. But now, it's the longest distance I've ran since September 27, 2025. On that note, I’m also up to running five days a week and scheduled to return to workouts with my coach - both

Yes, this is a typical evening at hour house when I come home. And that kitchen is most certainly not created by AI! 😉 “Honey, I’m home! ” was my usual greeting to my darling wife after a long day of wholesome union work. Then I added, “And I’ve scheduled an appointment with a nutritionist.” All motion screeched to an immediate halt with a sound akin to someone lifting a needle from a record. “You’ve what?” I sought to ease her unintended anxiety. “My darling dearest, I o

We're all friends here, right? If so, then it's about time I come clean with all of you. I'm addicted to running. That's probably not quite a newsflash to anyone who knows me. I'm far from alone in experiencing this particular addiction. There are key reasons why running is addictive that I will elaborate on. And there are points where that addiction can become problematic which I will share as well. Let's Talk About the Science If no one minds, it's time to become Dr. Ri

I know what you’re thinking. This is just going to be another post from some outdoor running diehard who’d prefer frostbite to the safety and warmth of running indoors on a treadmill. There’s nothing this clown has to say that I haven’t heard a dozen times already. Would I do that? Not hardly. Today’s post will touch on some familiar ground as to my struggles with treadmills. But thanks to recent events, I’m that much more cognizant as to why I prefer shivering to sweating

It happened on Pre’s Trail in Eugene last month. Call it an epiphany. Call it a defining moment. Or just call it a good day. Regardless, I left that workout with a greater determination and goal. I wanted to run again. It was a cool, foggy morning. A soundtrack of late 1983 music kept me company on those sawdust trails as I alternated five minutes of running with three minutes of walking. Although it was a world removed from what I’d have been doing just six months earli

That smile is the satisfaction from a recent speed workout at with Coach Ives at The Body Project. Yeah, injuries suck. You know it and...

The most difficult part of my training calendar started this past Monday. It’s a two-week period that I’ve been dreading but know that I...