There is good reason why the Nike Air Pegasus is Nike’s longest in production shoe, it is just simply that good of a shoe. From its humble beginnings in 1983 the Pegasus has come to be the benchmark of the running shoe industry.

I started running when I was in middle school.  That was over a decade ago and the majority of that time my feet have been in Pegasus’.  Even this summer as I go running in the mountains I find my self back in my Pegasus’.  Every time I decide to branch out and try something different I always find myself coming back to the Pegasus.

I will admit that part of the reason is because I am a poor college student and need to spend my money wisely. So when I can get a great pair of shoes for 50 bucks or less it does not take much more to convince me to buy them. This is why Runner’s World has ranked the Pegasus their “Best Buy” for years now.

Other than the financial benefits of the Nike Air Pegasus, it is just a comfortable shoe to wear. Now that it has full length air running through the sole of the shoe makes the whole ride is that much more enjoyable. The modified waffle tread offers the right amount of traction, and with the rubber tread of the shoe being made of BRS 1000 you know the rubber is going to hold up for awhile. It is also a comforting thought to know that because you are buying a pair of Nikes you know that the shoes are not going to die on you prematurely.

There are also some other nice perks to using Nike Air Pegasus’ these days as well. For the last few years the the Pegasus has been fitted so that you can use Nike+ with it. By putting a small chip in your shoe that syncs with your Ipod records how long you ran for and how far you went.

Also if you are in a giving mood when the shoes come with red laces part of the purchase goes to help fight AIDS in Africa. Another option is to go with the LIVESTRONG style and money will go towards cancer research.

The Lead Leg

Start by choosing your “lead leg”. Your lead leg is the leg that is extended straight out and forward as you go over the hurdle. If you are running the 110m hurdles, then you will only have one lead leg. If you run the 300m or 400m hurdles, then you will need both legs (unless you can plan out your steps perfectly).

It doesn’t really matter what leg you choose, as long as, you are comfortable using it. Once you have chosen your lead leg, practice lifting that leg straight out in front of you with your leg being parallel to the ground.

Once you have practiced that a few times, then practice bringing you head and shoulders down towards you leg. The last step is to bring the opposite arm of your lead leg (if my lead leg was my left, then I would use my right arm) and bring it across your chest. Practice this over and over because you will use these three motions as you learn how to  hurdle.

The Trail Leg

Next is to practice using your “trail leg”. Your trail leg is the opposite leg of your lead leg. To practice the motion with your trail leg, bend your knee so that your shin is parallel with the ground and then lift your whole leg up and out so that your whole leg is parallel with the ground. It may be hard to get your leg parallel at first, so try doing it at a lower height until you become more flexible.

Once you have your leg in the air, extend your leg out and rotate it down slightly and towards the ground. When you reach the ground practice snapping you leg back as if you were pushing off. This motion is essential because you trail leg gets you moving forward after you go over a hurdle.

Practice Using You Lead Leg And Trail Leg

The next step is to put your lead leg and trail leg motions together. The best way to practice this without actually going over a hurdle is to walk by the side of a hurdle (or some other object at that height) and when you reach the hurdle do the motion for the lead leg by pushing your leg straight out, lowering your head and shoulders, and crossing your arm across your chest.

Immediately when your lead leg touches the ground, snap (and I mean snap) your trail leg over the hurdle (in this exercise your lead leg doesn’t go over the hurdle only your trail leg) and back onto the ground. Line up a few hurdles in a row and practice this motion over and over. Click here for a YouTube video demonstration

Practice Going Over A Hurdle

You have now learned how to hurdle. Set up a hurdle at the lowest height possible and back up about 10 yards. Start to accelerate towards the hurdle and when you reach a spot about 2-3 feet away from the back of the metal base of the hurdle, push forward. Remember not to jump but to actually attack the hurdle. Also remember to apply all the principles that I discussed in the prior paragraphs only you are in the air this time.

If you do it right then it should just feel like a big step and not a jump. When you get over the hurdle make sure you push off with your trail leg and accelerate forward. Practice at the lowest height and then raise it up a few inches and practice again. Keep doing this until you can raise it up to appropriate height.

Those are the basic steps to learn how to hurdle. Hurdling can use some of the same fast twitch muscles you might use while doing basketball drills. If you are still confused about how to do it right, then I would suggest talking to a coach or you could watch videos of Olympic runners and watch their form in slow motion. As you improve your form, your time will also start to improve and you will be more competitive. Even if you are not the fastest runner, you can beat faster guys by having better form.

Swimming reduces the strain on your back since there is no weight on your spine while gliding through the water. Swimming not only helps strengthen your spine though, it also works out your core, legs and arms; providing an overall good workout without straining your back and spine.

Just as walking is good for your back, jogging can also provide a benefit that will lead to stronger muscles that will alleviate pain. It is important to ease into jogging, not pushing yourself too hard too fast; this will only hurt your muscles, not make them healthier.

Jogging builds up your leg muscles, which takes some stress off of your spine. If done with good posture, it can also make your entire body function better when doing everyday tasks.

Jogging with a straight spine and neck balances your weight and distributes it evenly through your back and legs. Cycling is another great exercise that can be done on a stationary or road bike, allowing you to exercise where and when you want.

A common mistake with cycling is posture and seat positioning, however. Make sure that your seat is adjusted high enough so that your leg is only slightly bent when the foot pedal is at its lowest point.

Also adjust your handle bars so that you are not bending over too much to reach them. Bending forward actually causes more strain on your spine, since it is being hunched over for long periods of time.

While sitting on your bike, try to keep as straight of a back as possible to improve posture and distribute your weight evenly. Like with the other exercises, do not try to push your body faster and harder than it is used to; ease into the exercise to get the best results.

You should always stretch before and after exercising your muscles; especially after swimming, jogging or cycling. This will ensure the health of your muscles, making sure they do not tense up.

Failure to take care of your muscles through stretching can greatly impair your ability to perform any type of exercise, and can make you stiff. Take care of yourself, and remember that these activities can be fun as well as beneficial to your health.

Tip 1- Anyone Can Run. You are never too young or too old to start running. It’s great exercise and anyone can do it. Running keeps you in great shape and provides you with more energy so you can get the things you need to get done throughout your day.

Tip 2- Start Off Slow. As a beginner runner you might feel pumped and excited to start running but after your first run you might realize how out of shape you are and feel that its too hard. This is why you start off at a fast walking/ jogging pace. Your body isn’t used to exercising this much so you need to get your endurance back up.

Tip 3- Set Achievable Goals. Setting goals for yourself is extremely important for a beginner runner. Write down on a piece of paper what you want your goals to be, whether its running for 30 minutes or 2 hours on that day, or if your running to lose weight, or if your running to get into better shape. Just make sure its achievable. Only you know your body.

With keeping these tips in mind while you start running, you’ll find it starts to get much easier and you start feeling really good about yourself in the long run.

The man was taken immediately to the hospital and was reported to have a core body temperature of 107 degrees and was pronounced dead a few hours later.

An autopsy is scheduled for later on in the day today. The local medical examiner will then pronounce a cause of death after looking over the man’s body.

The organizer of the race issued the following statement in regards to the death:

“We are heartbroken about it and it puts a sad note on an otherwise great day for Baltimore,” said Lee Corrigan. “Our hearts go out to him and his family,” he added.

Why do you need to run 26.2 miles to show that you are the best? Look at Usain Bolt. The guy runs 100 and 200 meters faster than anyone in the world. Ever. And he gets his race over with in less than 20 seconds. He can then enjoy the rest of his day. Not to mention, he is well known around the world, just like Michael Johnson and Jackie Joyner Kersee were. Let’s face it, other than runners, nobody cares about long distance running. The past year I haven’t seen one thing on ESPN about a marathon. Not one. But Usain Bolt has been on plenty of times.

So what is the point of them? I am confused. Why would anyone want to run for three, four, five or even six hours straight? Don’t get me wrong, my hat is off to all of you that can do that, because it is an amazing accomplishment, but why? Why put yourself through all of that?

My only conclusion is that it is a mental game that you like to play with yourself? Why do I think that? Well, I have a photo that a friend emailed me a few years back and I think it shows my reasoning quite well, because you would have to be either mentally tough or just plain crazy to continue running when something like this happens….

My point exactly!