I have the Book COOL IMPOSSIBLE.  I just cannot thank Eric for the foot strength exercises, especially, the Slant board.  I started  running at the age of 58 with some seriousness. I felt very awkward to be in the Group where the Team had to wait for me to catch up with them. In fact I was dragging the team.  Slant board for 2 months as mentioned in the Book and Lo!  the position had reversed- Literally.  The ease, the push and the style- all too impressive for the inconspicuous & easily…

The carbon plate has become the star of the Olympic Trial build up and all of the rage in shoes these days. For good reason as it increases propulsion and energy return.

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The idea behind the plate AND the new innovative mid sole foam is to create more STIFFNESS that creates more energy return. Just like our muscles, tendons, and…

I'm a 1984 grad of Ohio State. At the center of campus is the "oval," which is every hour treated to the clock chimes emanating from Orton Hall. I cycled down to campus today and the chimes just happened to sound while I was shooting this video. Not to do with the subject of this site, but I thought Eric might like it anyway.…

Croakies® Teams up with Born to Run Coach, Eric Orton and a Collection of Industry-Leading Brands for a Unique October Trail Running Adventure in Jackson Hole, WY

PLAINVILLE, Mass., September 3, 2019 –…

My watch died before midnight, so I had no idea what time it was. The moon had disappeared somewhere behind the canopy of trees and I was now heading down what seemed like a long steep trail to the Weaver Creek Aid station. I was still being attacked intermittently by gnats. I felt like I was descending into the depths of the earth....or possibly hell. It felt surreal to be going down, down, down in the dark depths of the forest. This was some of the trail, only now it was pitch black....…

My goals for the night: Stay steady, get in and out of aid quick. Eat more food, use caffeine at dusk and dawn. As the sun began to set I began to feel a little lazy. I popped 2 pieces of caffeinated gum and continued to eat bites of sandwich and drink water. The thick green canopy was starting to glow with the sunset, and the bright orange orb was visible…

I chose this race for the sole purpose of getting another Hardrock qualifier. This was definitely the hardest qualifier I have done. We started at noon on Friday. The temps were already in teh low 80s with high humidity and almost no breeze. My goals for the first day, 1. Keep heart rate down and feel “too good” at the top of the climbs 2. Run the…

The Trails Are Open. But how's your IT Band?

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What goes up, must come down. And for the most part, run form should not change relative to speed, or in my case today, terrain. Especially footstrike.

It is fairly easy to have goog forefoot to heel strike going up, and challenging to have good foot placement coming down, as…

Too many strength programs focus soley on building concentric strength, with full range of motion exercises.

These movements are loaded and usually too slow to be very functional for running. And target building muscle fiber MASS/DENSITY rather than utilizing MORE muscle fibers. More fiber mass just requires more oxygen and energy - not…

This race is directed by Chrissy Ferguson. Need I say more? She is a powerhouse and puts on top notch events. The MANY volunteers were awesome. The weather was extremely challenging, with almost constant rain, very heavy at times, wind, and temps in the low 50s. I don’t know how they kept from freezing to death waiting…

Spring time. Sprint time.

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Sprinting plays a tremendous roll in endurance development for ALL distances.

Here's how:

- improves isometric strength, one of the key strength factors in cadence and forward propeltion.

- trains precise and efficient use of the reflex muscle tension during eccentric landing. This helps your down…

Spring is in my step.

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The great Grete Waitz ran 19 marathons in her career, winning 13 of them.

She was the first woman to break the 2:30 barrier, eventually lowering the world record to 2:25:42.

She believed that speed training was imparative for all runners of all distances and abilities.

Her marathon training reflected…

Sometimes you have to HOLD YOURSELF BACK:

Today was a recovery run. After taking the day off yesterday to heal a mild cough in the lungs, my legs felt great!

I stayed patient, with my sights on the upcoming week.

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Patience + Practice = Performance

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At the 1972 Olympics, all of the pre-game buzz was on rock star USA…

With Teton National Park 30 minutes up the road from my house, this usually gets most of my attention for running.  But this Fall I decided to change things up and look to create some run projects that are even closer to home and focus on exploring more vertical gain, peaks, and off-trail ridge line link ups (…

I stood high on this peak during the Fall season in the Tetons, enjoying the reward of magnificent views that come from 6,000+ feet of running and climbing.  I took the below winter photo during a ten mile run.  These two photos grasp the beauty of the Tetons in different ways, BUT also show the SAME peak in both shots.  Two ways of looking at the same thing - two different…

Sitting at Grouse aid station, mile 59, I see that line again. I see it in front of me, kinda like a mirage. Imaginary, but real, tangible but elusive. Like the end of a rainbow or the floating heat waves off of a hot highway. You squint to see it clearer, drawn to it. You want to chase it, touch…

In this Vlog post, I discuss how to improve your marathon time and the importance of getting faster at a One Mile time trial.  Here is a simple chart to help you compare your One Mile test time with an equivalent marathon potential time.

Your Cool Impossible…

Back in September 2015 I spent a few days in Jackson Hole with Eric on one of his run camps

I’d been hatching a Cool Impossible to run (solo) one of the long distance footpaths in the UK. I challenge not only of running ability but also navigation and logistical support.

The run camp provided a lot of support, knowledge and advice around what was needed to run…

How Balanced Are You?

When I start working with a new athlete, I analyze how balanced they are between their speed and endurance. 

Just like the program in The Cool Impossible, at start up, I have my athletes perform two field…

My first ultra-marathon is now in the books.  Wasn't a fabulous finishing time, but I finished.

This year's Jack's 50k in Palm Coast, FL was six laps of the 5-ish mile Male Compra Greenway Trail and mountain bike course, plus a half mile to/from the start/finish.

I only had 3.5 hours of sleep the night before due to getting back late from…