Author Archives: Ben

Gear – A Simple Approach for Using Heart Rate Data to Improve Running

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Ben

Modern runners have a ton of gear available to them to monitor performance. We have global positioning apps, heart rate trackers, smart watches, and even electrocardiograms (EKGs) on demand. But how much data is too much? I have used a … Continue reading →

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Races – Restarting on Global Running Day

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Ben

Today was “Global Running Day,” as declared by, um, someone, let me Google, the New York Road Runners, I guess. It seemed like a good day to restart this blog, and to go for a run. I am traveling for … Continue reading →

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Eating and Drinking — Low Salt Salad Dressing

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Ben

I can be convinced to eat my greens, but salad dressing is a must. My problem is that salad dressing is salt-a-rific. So, I began googling around for low-salt salad dressing and found a recipe that called for olive oil, … Continue reading →

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Gear – Tracking Food with Fitbit and a Notebook

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Ben

The weight loss journey continues, and I am now into week two. When it comes to trimming one’s gut, everyone knows the old adages, which tend to be repeated ad nauseam: Abs are made in the kitchen, and You can’t … Continue reading →

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Training – A $150 Weight Loss Bet, or The Fancy Pants Challenge

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Ben

I’ve made a $150 weight loss bet – I have 28 days to lose an inch or two off my waist. How did this come to be? While running is one of my regular sports, I am also a fencer. … Continue reading →

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Races – Trying a Triathlon

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Ben

As evidenced by the relative quiet of this blog, I have not been very active with 5K races lately. I skipped the New Year’s Day 5K, but decided to try something different to get 2018 off to a good start. … Continue reading →

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Races – Going Twice the Distance, I Ran the Salem 10K

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Ben

This is a blog about running 5Ks, and as I wrote early on, that is my preferred distance. But this past weekend, I went twice the distance when I ran the Salem 10K. But why? Well, because it was part … Continue reading →

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Races — Something Went Wrong at the YMCA 5K!

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Ben

In my earlier post, I mentioned how I was using a new training method of Maximum Aerobic Function, developed by Phil Maffetone for endurance athletes. Last weekend was my first 5-K after a couple of months of training. This gave … Continue reading →

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Training — Will Slowing Down Speed Me Up?

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Ben

After doing some races, my running has fallen off a bit. So, it is time to start back up again. For the time being, I am adopting a new training program. I have decided to use Philip Maffetone’s Maximum Aerobic … Continue reading →

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Digressions – I Lost 12 Pounds By Running Away from High Blood Pressure

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Ben

Weight loss is probably a goal of many runners – maybe even the majority of hobby runners like myself – so I suppose I should share how I lost 12 pounds from November to March. In late November I drove … Continue reading →

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