Ben Kipp

Running Coach | Helping people achieve the dream of running a marathon. Tweets and threads with tips for 26.2

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.

Emil Zatopek

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Why is it that the same hill on the way out is short and slightly downhill but on the way back it’s long and feels straight up?

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Running injuries often come down to one thing. It’s all in the hips…

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

You need to have a baseline before you jump into marathon training. Ideally, a half marathon and a decent training cycle in the recent past gives a much better indication of being ready to jump into marathon training than if you are starting from scratch.

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Love the rhythm of two marathons per year. It gives me about 8 months of the year in training mode and about 4 months of off-season time where I can mostly run easy and don't put much stress on my body.

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

@runliftrunlift One of my favorite running books

[Dr. Scott Carlin @scottcarlinpt]

A runner’s secret weapon:

Strength training.

Here’s a 4-week routine for stronger running.

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Speeds that would seem manic in training feel smooth and easy. Not in every race, but sometimes. And not for the entire race, but for spells here and there I’m gone, lost in the wilds of my own existence.

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Quote from The Way of the Runner by Adharanand Finn that explains really well how I felt last weekend:

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, working at the University of Chicago, came up with the concept of flow:

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

A state of perfect concentration in which your awareness and movements merge, in which you have no ego, just complete absorption with the task at hand. The time I get closest to this is almost always in a race. In a race, miles can whizz by unnoticed.

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Finished my tenth marathon on Saturday! Very proud of my pacing on this one.

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

@stevemagness Great recipe for enjoying the journey. Always pushing for the extra 1% can easily lead to burnout. And if we’re not actually competing for gold it’s pretty hard to justify.

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

I’m at the point of the taper where I second guess everything.

- could my longest run have been a couple miles longer?
- could I have done a few more workouts?
- should I have done more strength work?

Always like to look back at previous training to remind myself I’ll be fine

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

I know it’s technically “possible” to run a marathon with only a couple months of training but it’s not ideal.

My rule of thumb is 16-20 weeks of training for your first marathon. And even then it helps to have at least some base of running beforehand.

#firstmarathon

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

@FueledbyLOLZ I've been rotating the Brooks Launch and Saucony Kinvara for a few years and they've both been great!

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

By the way, you don’t have to feel lousy in training!

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Re-reading ‘Run Like a Pro’ by Matt Fitzgerald and Ben Rosario and this quote jumped out at me:

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

“Although nonelite runners don’t train as hard as the pros in absolute terms, they actually tend to train harder in relative terms, spending less time feeling good and more time feeling lousy. A large percentage of them think they’re supposed to feel kind of lousy in training.”

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

If you're feeling inspired by the spring marathons but haven't completed one yourself, now is a great time to commit to a fall marathon!

Let me know if you have any questions about how to pick your first marathon.

#firstmarathon #halfmarathon

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Don't let last-minute details ruin your race day. Plan ahead and make sure you know:

- How you are getting to the start line
- What time you need to arrive
- Where you are planning to warm up
- Where you are going to meet family and friends at the finish

[Ben Kipp @BenDashRunning]

Don't let race day stress get the best of you! This blog post provides tips for preparing the day before and morning of the race. Check it out! #marathon #racedaytips

https://t.co/PJgCONIRai