Author: Lora Erickson

Preparing for Your First Half or Full Marathon You’ve dabbled in short-distance events and are thinking about going big for your next race. Here’s what you need to know when training for a half or full marathon: Increase Your Training Volume It may seem obvious, but as you increase your race distance, your training volume will need to go up. It’s important to understand that you need to make time to train more, which includes the all-important weekly long run. Long runs can start around eight miles and build to 12 miles or more for a half marathon. Marathons require…

BIG 5: Utah’s Best New Running Races While the Beehive State’s tried-and-true races are great, it’s always fun to add new races to your calendar. Here are five new (or reinvented) races to try in 2019. Utah’s Fastest Street Mile June 21, 2019 – Riverton, Utah How fast can you run a mile? Find out at the inaugural year of Utah’s Fastest Street Mile. This high-energy community and elite one-mile race is open to any interested runner looking to test their sprinting prowess. The race is an effort to bring back the mile—a somewhat forgotten race distance—with the goal of…

It’s that time of year. When I’ve completed my big race for the season and am ready to take a break. As a coach, when I say take a break to my beginner athletes, I find they often think I mean doing nothing, but a break isn’t necessarily lazing about on the couch. For athletes I work with and myself, this just means doing something different and mixing it up to allow your body and mind to recover from a race season.  Off-season Training After the last big race of the year, I like to take 6-8 weeks “off” from…

Utah’s 5 Best Destination Races Instead of a traditional vacation, many runners are opting for “racecations” where they race in the city they’re visiting. Racing is the best reason to travel in my opinion, and I have a personal goal of racing in all 50 states in my lifetime. But you don’t have to hop on a plane to take a racecation! Explore Utah and run in a beautiful place while overnighting at one of our five favorite destination races. Ogden Marathon May 16, 2020 This race is Utah’s biggest single outdoor marathon and is known for its outdoor beauty,…

The Big 5: Utah’s Must-Run Trail Races Looking to race in a whole new way? The sport of trail racing is growing fast, and it’s a great way to explore Utah’s beautiful mountains. Whether you’re bored of your usual road routes or looking for a sport easier on your joints, trail running is a great way to mix up your training and racing. Today, there are tons of trail races to choose from, and here we’ve selected five must-try events in 2017. Climb hills, run through forests, and connect with nature while competing on these challenging, scenic courses. Park City…

The Pros & Cons of Treadmill Running Even if the majority of the miles you log are outside, there are still plenty of reasons to go for a run on a treadmill. Whether inversion, cold temperatures, or short days keep you inside in winter, treadmill training can be a solution to skipping outdoor workouts. Decide if it’s for you by reading some perks and pitfalls of running inside. Pros of Treadmill Running Improved cushioning. Treadmills have more “give” than hard concrete or asphalt surfaces. This can be helpful for those recovering from an injury or those prone to plantar fasciitis.…

Utah’s Must-run Half Marathons Utah has a lot of great races to choose from, but the half marathon distance is growing in popularity for many reasons. It allows for faster recovery, requires less training, and can be done more often than marathons. A half marathon can be completed by beginner or advanced athletes, but it still requires good stamina so runners are drawn to the challenge. Looking to run a half this year? Here are a few favorite local half marathons to put on your race calendar. Salt Lake City Half April 16, 2016 in Salt Lake City Speaking from…

Winter is upon us! Coming from Colorado, I’ve been running in the cold and snow all my life. But when I was in college running for Utah State University, I remember welcoming a new girl to the team from Arizona. As team captain I often led group runs and decided what route to take. On the first snowy day that year, most of us were excited to go out, but the girl from Arizona was apprehensive. She’d never run in snow before so I made our path go in and out of campus buildings so we only had to run on slick surfaces…

The Big 5: Utah’s Must–Run Marathons [dropcap style=”square”]Utah[/dropcap] is home to so many great marathons that it’s hard to pick the top five, but we’ve noticed some key feature’s—like scenic courses and great volunteers—that set some races apart from the pack. The marathons featured here are also special because they keep runners coming back year after year. So whether you race this spring or wait until fall, try one of the Beehive State’s five best 26.2–mile races. You won’t be disappointed. Salt Lake Marathon April 18, 2015 SaltLakeCityMarathon.com The Salt Lake Marathon has had its fair share of twists and turns…

[dropcap style=”square”]A[/dropcap]s a trainer, overtraining is something I see a lot of people do, especially when starting a new program. You’re excited and committed, but you work yourself so hard that you’re stiff, sore, and can barely move. This increases your chances of injury and quickly dampens your enthusiasm. Sometime you push on and adopt a “no-pain, no-gain” mentality. You punish yourself for eating rather than exercising to be healthy. This eventually leads to burnout, and you may stop exercising all together. Instead of following this vicious cycle, learn to pace yourself and find a balance between working hard and…